NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL) — A local state lawmaker has introduced a bill recognizing CNN and the Washington Post as “fake news.”

The resolution by Rep. Micah Van Huss (R-Jonesborough) labels the two news outlets as “fake news and part of the media wing of the Democratic Party.”

It also condemns them for “denigrating our citizens and implying that they are weak-minded followers instead of people exercising their rights that our veterans paid for with their blood.”

“My constituents are tired of fake news, they’re tired of Republicans who don’t fight, so this resolution accomplishes both,” Van Huss told News Channel 11 Wednesday.



“Over 60% of Tennessee voters voted for President Trump, and CNN and The Washington Post denigrated them for doing that,” he said.

The bill was filed for introduction in the Tennessee House on Wednesday. Van Huss said he had a list of articles and outlets that were “very hypocritical,” but narrowed it down to The Washington Post and CNN for some of their coverage on supporters of President Donald Trump.

Specifically, he referenced a book review from The Washington Post and a segment on CNN reviewing the same book, “The Cult of Trump,” by Steven Hassan. He said those two pieces aided in his decision to include the two outlets in the resolution.

He also referenced a segment from CNN this week where anchor Don Lemon begins laughing after GOP strategist Rick Wilson commented: “Trump couldn’t find Ukraine on a map if you had the letter ‘U’ and a picture of an actual physical crane next to it.”

Lemon continues laughing as Wilson calls Trump supporters “the credulous boomer rube demo.”

“News organizations used to report the news,” Van Huss said. “I remember when I was a kid, you’d turn on the news to see what was going on, and now, of course, we’ve gotten into premium politics.”

Brad Batt, who plans to run against Van Huss for his House seat, called the bill “a waste of time and taxpayer money” in a statement to News Channel 11.

”People in our district are struggling to pay bills, our teachers are buying supplies out of their own pockets, and we live in the middle of a medical monopoly that gouges our citizens when they seek medical care,” Batt said in his statement.

“We should be focused on addressing real problems.”