CNN’s Erin Burnett had a rough day Thursday while she was reporting from the ground as Israel’s military was moving toward invading the Gaza Strip.
Burnett, one of the network’s primetime anchors, was covered in sand from passing Israeli tanks as she reported she was just a stone’s throw away from the action between Israel and Hamas terrorists.
Not only was she covered in sand, but she also was mocked on social media for refusing to get out of the way of the tanks to avoid being covered in dust.
Burnett told CNN’s viewers she was near the border between Egypt and Gaza.
As a column of tanks approached her position, she remained hear the side of the road.
“Some of those tanks actually are going to be driving by right now,” she said. “I’m going to probably get covered in this, so just bear with me. It’s going to be really loud.”
CNN sent Erin Burnett to Egypt-Gaza border just to get covered in sand.
Breathless reporting. Brave and stunning. pic.twitter.com/VaWsp1Vh6B
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) October 13, 2023
Indeed, Burnett was unnecessarily covered in sand, which temporarily blocked CNN’s shot of her.
When the dust settled, she warned that another tank was approaching her — and she again refused to walk away from its general vicinity.
“All these guys are basically restaging and getting ready to go in,” she said of the expected invasion of Gaza almost a week after Hamas terrorists launched a historic and deadly offensive from the area into Israel.
Burnett concluded the Israeli Defense Forces “are in a higher state of readiness” than they had been in previous days.
Many people who came across a clip of her reporting derided her for what they interpreted as a stunt by CNN and an attempt by her to insert herself into the conflict.
do you remember the CNN reporter who stood in a hurricane ..making it look real bad.. that is what this reminds me of..the sand version https://t.co/JlTLiYYNhP
— ??Faith (@Yackityyack1) October 13, 2023
They’re not sending their best. https://t.co/N9oCdR4uX1
— Sandy
(@RightGlockMom) October 13, 2023
@ErinBurnett Stunning and brave. What a “journalist.” https://t.co/XiZfDODuBJ
— Anthony Brasi ?? ?? ?? (@AnthonyBrasi11) October 13, 2023
This is CNN…
????? https://t.co/trLpvR2e3O
— ? I Shame Liberals ? (@NotAPajamaBoy) October 13, 2023
“I’m gonna give you a sense of the terrain here”
Let me guess… “sandy?”
— Scott ? (@ScottCJonesy) October 13, 2023
More than 1,300 Israelis and two dozen Americans were killed in Saturday’s surprise attacks by Hamas militants.
The IDF has not said when its tanks will roll into Gaza, but CBS News reported Friday that residents in the northern portion of the Hamas stronghold have been told to evacuate.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
