Leavitt, Cheung hammer CNN and MSNOW for 'ignoring' Angel Families event: 'Sickening and horrific'
Allyson Phillips, whose daughter, 22-year old Laken Riley, was killed by an illegal alien while she was out for a run:
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 23, 2026
"If you've lived that nightmare that we have lived, you understand the importance of the job that [@POTUS is] doing in securing our nation and fighting for our… pic.twitter.com/JarUcVMIrC
WASHINGTON, DC: CNN and MSNOW have come under fire from the White House for not carrying President Donald Trump’s event honoring families of people killed by undocumented immigrants.
Trump hosted the event on Monday, February 23, to recognize “Angel Families,” relatives of people killed by undocumented immigrants.
During the ceremony, the president signed a proclamation declaring February 22 as “Angel Family Day,” honouring two survivors and 62 people killed by individuals in the country illegally, according to the White House.
The date coincides with the anniversary of the killing of Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student from Georgia who was killed on February 22, 2024, by a Venezuelan national.
White House blasts CNN and MSNOW for Angel Families blackout
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt criticized CNN for not airing the emotional event, accusing the network of ignoring the event because it did not “fit the Left’s narrative”.
Leavitt said CNN’s decision not to air the event reflected bias rather than news judgment.
"@CNN is a total disgrace," she wrote on X. "President Trump hosted a powerful event honoring Angel Families who lost loved ones at the hands of illegal alien criminals... but CNN refused to cover even one second of it."
She added that the network "doesn’t care about the victims of illegal alien crime" and accused it of selectively covering stories that align with its political views.
. @CNN is a total disgrace.
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) February 23, 2026
President Trump hosted a powerful event honoring Angel Families who lost loved ones at the hands of illegal alien criminals and deadly drugs – but CNN refused to cover EVEN one second of it.
That’s because CNN doesn't care about the victims of… https://t.co/8jJIYmkGOB
"This is why CNN is failing and losing all of their viewership," she added.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung echoed Leavitt’s criticism, writing that it was "sickening and horrific" that CNN and MSNOW declined to broadcast the event.
"It’s like they don’t care about victims and their families," he wrote.
Sickening and horrific that CNN and MSNOW are outright refusing to broadcast this powerful and moving event. It's like they don't care about victims and their families. https://t.co/Av5y70XSFu
— Steven Cheung (@StevenCheung47) February 23, 2026
A CNN spokesperson said the network was focused at the time on covering a historic blizzard that shut down large parts of the northeastern United States.
Trump accuses media of ignoring crimes by undocumented immigrants
Trump also criticized the media during his remarks to the families, accusing news organizations of ignoring crimes committed by undocumented immigrants.
He blamed the previous administration for what he described as failures at the US southern border and claimed thousands of people convicted of killing had been allowed into the country.
“These are the Angel Families that we love,” Trump said. “For decades, our government betrayed [them] and our media totally ignored [them].”
Family members in attendance took turns thanking the president, with one parent telling Trump that, regardless of media coverage, "the American people love you and we will support you all the time."
