CNN anchor Jake Tapper expresses frustration that the Trump campaign baited the major media networks into showing forty-four additional military flag officers and 14 Medal of Honor recipients endorse Donald Trump for president in the 'Presidential Room' of his new hotel in Washington D.C., when they were promised that he would speak about President Obama's citizenship.



Before the event, Trump tweeted: “I am now going to the brand new Trump International, Hotel D.C. for a major statement.” All three major news networks (CNN, MSNBC and Fox News) showed the veterans speaking positively about Trump for more than 20 minutes, before cutting off to commentary one by one. CNN cut away first, MSNBC and Fox joined them moments later. After five minutes of confusion, Trump returned to the stage and made his statement.



"As these American heroes are, you know, people that we should all show reverence and respect," the CNN anchor said as the chyron read: "TRUMP SET TO ADDRESS BIRTHER ISSUE."



Related video: Donald Trump Endorsed By 14 Medal Of Honor Recipients At Hotel Opening



"Obviously they are all greater men than Rick Astly, but it is hard to imagine this as anything other than a political Rick Roll. The idea being that we were told this was going to be Donald Trump addressing something that his top campaign advisers, many people in the Republican National Committee want him to address and clear up and then stop talking about, which is this lie that President Obama was not born in the United States... We were told he was going to do that, and instead they bring out a number of Medal of Honor recipients and heroes instead. It was very clever on one level, and on another level, it does speak to the integrity of the Trump campaign. They told us something was going to happen, and it is not happening."



Shortly after this, Trump returned to the stage and briefly addressed the 'birther issue.'



By "Rick Roll," Tapper is referring to the popular internet prank, in which people online are tricked into watching the music video of Rick Astley’s 1987 'hit' “Never Gonna Give You Up."







Hillary Clinton responds:



What Trump just did is a disgrace. — Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) September 16, 2016