As Americans prepare to celebrate nearly two and a half centuries of independence, CNN is facing criticism for choosing an unusual focus ahead of the Fourth of July.
Rather than spotlighting the founding principles that inspired the American Revolution, the network devoted airtime to one controversial line in the Declaration of Independence, prompting accusations that it was attempting to cast the nation’s founding in a negative light just days before a major patriotic milestone.
The segment aired during CNN’s Saturday morning program First of All, hosted by CNN anchor Victor Blackwell. During the discussion, Blackwell drew attention to a passage contained in the Declaration of Independence that refers to Native American tribes as “merciless Indian savages.”
