CNN has found the Reddit user behind the Trump wrestling GIF

According to CNN, Reddit user "HanA**holeSolo" first shared the GIF last week Wednesday of President Trump pummeling a wrestler with CNN's logo imposed on his face. The GIF was later edited into a video with sound and tweeted by the President on Sunday.

On Reddit, "HanA**holeSolo" took credit for inspiring the tweet. Soon after, "HanA**holeSolo's other posts on Reddit, some of which included racist and anti-Semitic imagery, quickly circulated on social media. 

 

Now the user is apologizing, writing in a lengthy post on Reddit that he does not advocate violence against the press and expressing remorse there and in an interview with CNN for other posts he made that were racist and anti-Semitic. 

The apology came after CNN's KFile identified the man behind "HanA**holeSolo." Using identifying information that "HanA**holeSolo" posted on Reddit, KFile was able to determine key biographical details, to find the man's name using a Facebook search and ultimately corroborate details he had made available on Reddit. On Monday, KFile attempted to contact the man by email and phone but he did not respond. 

On Tuesday, "HanA**holeSolo" posted his apology and deleted all of his other posts.

After posting his apology, "HanA**holeSolo" called CNN's KFile and confirmed his identity. In the interview, "HanA**holeSolo" sounded nervous about his identity being revealed and asked to not be named out of fear for his personal safety and for the public embarrassment it would bring to him and his family. 

As a result, CNN is not publishing "HanA**holeSolo's" name because he is a private citizen who has issued an extensive statement of apology, showed his remorse by saying he has taken down all his offending posts, and because he said he is not going to repeat this ugly behavior on social media again. In addition, he said his statement could serve as an example to others not to do the same.