This isn’t the first reporter to have their press pass revoked for bullshit reasons. And this particular President has been calling Acosta’s network"fake news" and a public enemy for 3 years now. A fact that many people believe contributed to the multiple bombs they recently recieved. And he’s repeatedly threatened to ban them from press briefings and events like this, because he doesn’t like their reporting.
More over they didn’t just revoke his press pass. They’re publicly accusing him of harming an intern. And if you remember the campaign, one of Trump’s campaign managers actually did this to a female reporter. She pressed charges. And Trump himself refused to acknowledge it, deal with it, and clearly didn’t consider it a bad thing despite that also being caught on video. And that was a reporter from Breitbart. He’s also repeatedly praised a congressman for physically assaulting a reporter.
And the proper response from a reporter when a subject on the order of a president evades questions. Is to agressively push for an answer. We tend to complain when they don’t. Doesn’t matter if you personally don’t find the question important. Barring the guy for simply being “kind of a dick” is bad and wrong. Which is why they attempted to come up with a better spin.
I agree with that. I apologize if I’ve given the impression I was trying to make a point. I was just reflecting on Acosta’s behavior at the press conference. I thought that sort of thing was still permitted on this side of the political divide.
The US press, with the occasional exception of Helen Thomas, has generally been pretty ineffectual at putting presidential feet to the fire since the Nixon era.
I do. That crap gets weaponized as rhetoric and it adds nothing to the bottom line: The fantastic slanderous dishonesty of the administration in removing a reporter it didn’t like. It’s like a cop killing someone for speeding and subsequently planting a gun on them, and yet you’ve got the brass ones to make sure we all know they were speeding. Then you act surprised that people react poorly to the observation.
The detached perspective you’re aiming for here is really more like a detached retina.
Many, many people at CNN have made it a point to regularly use “lie” when calling out Trump for a good long while now. Even my local radio news affiliate regularly and even casually points out when the White House lies these days.
Not long after the election there was a large, public discussion in the news industry about when why and if they should call out lies. And specifically call them lies. Because long standing practice was not to make that sort of accusation.
The bulk of the industry came down pretty hard on the call out the lies and make sure to call them lies thing. The NY Times put out a god damn press release about changes they made to their style guide to allow it for Christ’s sakes. I probably heard the word “lie” at least once every 15 minutes watching the election last night on a bunch of different networks.
So can we stop with the media doesn’t call out Trump’s lies meme? It’s not true.
More over calling out Trump’s lies. Explicitly branding him a liar. Hasn’t done a damn thing.
ETA: figured I should add this for good measure.
NY Daily News. One of two impossibly shitty conservative tabloids in NYC. So it’s not even just purportedly left wing media thats doing this.
Its also a bit how that whole “Normalising Trump” thing happens.
“Well of course that’s awful and wrong, but we assume he had a valid reason”.
She decided not to read the papers anymore. They were turning her upside down inside. The regime was going insane, issuing the most ludicrous regulations. A heavy fine was now imposed on anyone who wore khaki trousers and shirts of the same color. It was against the law now to carry your suit jacket over your arm. Lío was right, this was an absurd and crazy regime. It had to be brought down.
But when she read the list to Jaimito, she did not get the reaction she expected. “Well?” he said when she was through and looked up at him.
“Isn’t it ridiculous? I mean, it’s absurd, insanely ridiculous.” Unlike her golden-tongued sister, Dedé was not eloquent with reasons. And my God, what reasons did she need to explain these ridiculous insanities!
“Why are you so worked up, my love?”
Dedé burst into tears. “Don’t you see?”
He held her as she cried. And then in his bossy, comforting voice, he explained things. Same-color khaki outfits were what the military wore, and so a dress distinction had to be made. A jacket over the arm could be hiding a gun, and there had recently been many rumors about plots against El Jefe. “See, my darling?”
Trump isn’t in a “corner.” He’s in the gorram White House and he has an obligation to US citizens to answer questions when they are put to him. Whether Trump answers or not, it’s still the reporter’s job to ask, and report back. How useful or aggressive you may deem it is not in the job description.
This is not on Acosta, or the press at large, or even directly relevant to what is happening, which is exactly what @someguy said it is.
That this happened on the very heels of terrorists sending bombs to Democrats and the press crosses yet another line and … Jesus, this alone should end Trump’s presidency. He can’t do what Clinton, Obama or even GWB did: hold up under questioning without melting down over the question.
He could also have left the room, cooled off, but that would have looked bad. Not as bad as this looked—this is much worse.
Well, I guess I get less enjoyment out of alpha males butting horns than others do, especially when the one I support isn’t getting anywhere. And during the press conference Trump was far ruder to people like April Ryan, whom he chewed out before she could even say anything, and the two foreign correspondents whose perfectly clear English he made fun of.
None of which excuses lying to justify banning the chief white house correspondent of a major news agency from the white house.
those young interns were earmarked for the president! he might not have touched but he was thinking of it. the sultan, I mean president, will not be mocked in this manner!
Acosta : If I can ask on the Russian investigation. Are you concerned that you may have… Trump : I am not concerned about anything with the Russian investigation because it is a hoax. That is enough, put down the mic. Acosta : Mr. President. Trump : I tell you what, CNN should be ashamed of themselves having you working for them. You are rude, terrible person. You should not be working for CNN. Go ahead. You are a very rude person, the way that you treat Sarah Huckabee Sanders is horrible. The way that you treat other people is horrible. You should not treat people that way. Trump then called on another reporter, Peter Alexander
Donald Trump criticizing someone for being rude? for how they treat a woman? What balls this man has. I can’t wait to vote him out.
I have to say that watching this shitshow of a pressie, from outside your country, I was actually shocked. I am certain I’ve never seen a ‘leader’ behave this way. I still feel shaken, and I’m your fucking next-door neighbour. Y’all can’t possibly be talking about whether the accredited reporter from a nationally respected news source was in the wrong, for insisting that his question be answered…can you?!
