CNN faced a barrage of backlash after it tracked down the Reddit user responsible for sharing a GIF of President Trump body-slamming a wrestler with the network's logo imposed on his face.

CNN said it would not reveal the man's identity because he issued an extensive apology and said he had removed all his offending posts from Reddit.

"The meme was created purely as satire, it was not meant to be a call to violence against CNN or any other news affiliation," wrote Reddit user "HanA**holeSolo." "I had no idea anyone would take it and put sound to it and then have it put up on the President's Twitter feed. It was a prank, nothing more."

CNN, however, wrote that it "reserves the right to publish his identity should any of that change."

"I don't think CNN did anything wrong in tracking down and reporting on the Reddit guy," New York Post columnist John Podhoretz wrote. "But the ‘we reserve' sentence was a colossal mistake."

I don't think CNN did anything wrong in tracking down and reporting on the Reddit guy. But the "we reserve" sentence was a colossal mistake. — John Podhoretz (@jpodhoretz) July 5, 2017

Others referred to it as "CNN Blackmail," which became a trending hashtag on Twitter.

CNN tonight after they published an article threatening to unmask the Reddit guy if he ever crosses CNN again. #CNNBlackmail pic.twitter.com/Ltodwg56Am — Josh Jordan (@NumbersMuncher) July 5, 2017

CNN tonight after publishing their Reddit story. #CNNBlackmail pic.twitter.com/IXky0tNOLY — Josh Jordan (@NumbersMuncher) July 5, 2017

So I guess they weren't effective threatening the admin so they go after & bully a 15 y/o? Seems in line w their "standards" #CNNBlackmail https://t.co/u8YmNnLonj — Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) July 5, 2017

CNN tried to make HanAssholeSolo a poster child for alt-right evil, they only succeeded in turning him into a martyr. #CNNBlackmail — Paul Joseph Watson (@PrisonPlanet) July 5, 2017