Washington: White House press secretary Sarah Sanders on Wednesday night shared a video of CNN reporter Jim Acosta that appeared to have been edited to make his actions at a news conference look more aggressive than they were.

The edited video looks authentic: Acosta appeared to swiftly chop down on the arm of a White House aide as he held onto a microphone while questioning US President Donald Trump. However in the original video, Acosta's arm appears to move only as a response to a tussle for the microphone. His statement, "Pardon me, ma'am," is not included in the video Sanders shared.

Critics said that video – which sped up the movement of Acosta's arms in a way that dramatically changes the perception of the journalist's response – was deceptively edited to score political points.

The edited video was first shared by Paul Joseph Watson, known for conspiracy theory videos on the far-right website Infowars.