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White House Calls CNN 'Fake News' After Outlet Mixed Up 2 Indian-Americans

The news outlet confused the photos of Trump's principal deputy press secretary and a former Obama official.
Raj Shah on the left served in the Obama administration. Raj Shah on the right handles communications in the Trump White House.
Raj Shah on the left served in the Obama administration. Raj Shah on the right handles communications in the Trump White House.
USAID/Twitter/rajshah45

The White House laid into CNN after the news outlet mixed up the photos of two men named Shah on Friday.

While displaying a quote from Raj Shah, who serves as President Donald Trump’s principal deputy press secretary, CNN showed an image of Dr. Rajiv Shah, who was an official in the Obama administration.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders attacked the news outlet Friday evening as “fake news.”

.@CNN this is definitely not @RajShah45 but it is #FakeNews pic.twitter.com/tS9QBndBw0

— Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) December 9, 2017

The quote from the principal deputy press secretary addressed Trump’s endorsement of Roy Moore, the Republican Alabama Senate candidate faces multiple accusations of preying on teenage girls decades ago.

“The President tweeted earlier today, and he’s been saying for a while now that his endorsement of Roy Moore has to do with the issues and the fact that he doesn’t want Alabama to elect somebody who’d essentially be a Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer puppet and vote against this President’s agenda on a whole host of issues,” Shah said.

The Raj Shah whom CNN erroneously featured on screen is currently president of the Rockefeller Foundation and served as administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development from 2010 to 2015.

The Raj Shah who now works for Trump ran opposition research for the Republican National Committee in 2016.

Pointing out the very different backgrounds of the two men, Twitter users joined in clapping back at CNN for the flub.

The @RajShah pictured, my former boss, is a humanitarian and should NEVER be confused for the other one. Get your sh*t together @CNN. https://t.co/fjPuL3QNF6

— Nicole Schiegg (@NicSchiegg) December 9, 2017

As one of the many friends and fans of the Raj Shah who is pictured here, we can join in a rare moment of bipartisan unity that he does not in fact -- and would NEVER in fact -- work for the current White House. https://t.co/MfJkmK1WgA

— Gene Sperling (@genebsperling) December 9, 2017

In case people need a reminder: Not all Asians look the same.

When will they ever learn ...

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