Month: February 2017

Elizabeth Warren Quotes MLK’s Widow – Republicans Tells Her To STFU #LetLizSpeak

Posted by on February 8, 2017 at 8:44 am. 3 Comments :

The Senate is currently debating the confirmation of Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III to be Donald Trump’s Attorney General. The nomination has been contentious from the start given Sessions’ racially charged past. Among his harshest and most effective critics is Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.

Elizabeth Warren Mitch McConnell

Tuesday night Warren took to the senate floor to deliver remarks on the Sessions nomination. Included in her speech were quotes from the 1986 confirmation hearing when Sessions was up for a federal judgeship. He was considered too racist then to be confirmed. Notable opponents spoke out against him at the time, including Sen. Ted Kennedy and Coretta Scott King, widow of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

When Warren got to the part of her speech that quoted Mrs. King, she was interrupted by the Chair. He warned her that she was close to violating the Senate’s Rule 19. This is a rule intended to maintain the collegiality of the chamber. It says that: “No Senator in debate shall, directly or indirectly, by any form of words impute to another Senator or to other Senators any conduct or motive unworthy or unbecoming a Senator.”

While the rule has its merits, it complicates the process of confirmation if the nominee happens to be a senator. How is it possible to express criticism without potentially violating the rule? Merely asserting that a nominee is unfit could be interpreted as crossing the line. In fact, that’s precisely what happened to Warren.

After being warned by the Chair, Warren sought clarification saying that she didn’t understand. “I’m reading a letter,” she said, “from Coretta Scott King to the Judiciary Committee from 1986 that was submitted into the record.” Warren noted that there was no objection to the original statement. But the Chair repeated his ruling and affirmed that she had “been warned.”

Warren was then permitted to continue. But while quoting the letter by Mrs. King, Republican leader Mitch McConnell interrupted to formally charge her with the violation:

“The Senator has impugned the motives and conduct of our colleague from Alabama, as warned by the Chair. Senator Warren said ‘Senator Sessions has used the awesome power of his office to chill the free exercise of the vote by black citizens.’ I call the Senator to order under the provisions of Rule 19.”

Actually, it was Mrs. King who said that. And she was referring to Sessions when he was the Attorney General of Alabama, not a senator. So the charge that Warren had violate Rule 19 was just a flimsy excuse to shut her up. There was no reasonable interpretation of the rule that would justify invoking it. Nevertheless, since Republicans have the majority, their interpretations, no matter how perverse, are final.

Warren was left to object and vainly appeal the ruling of the chair. “I am surprised,” she lamented, “that the words of Coretta Scott King are not suitable for debate in the United States Senate.” She’s not the only one that will be surprised.

The optics of Republicans effectively gagging Warren for quoting Mrs. King are cringe worthy. We are witnessing a party that has been trying to shed its reputation for inbred prejudice. So they censor the words of the widow of an iconic civil rights leader? Now Warren is prohibited from speaking on the senate floor for the duration of the Sessions debate. And all in an effort to confirm an Attorney General whose resume is rife with bigotry. That seems like a strange way to rehabilitate the Party’s racist image. And Warren, for her part, isn’t going away quietly:

[UPDATE] In a show of support, two Democratic senators have read the same letter by Mrs. King. Neither has been charged with breaching senate rules. They are both white males (Merkely and Udall). Warren is still prohibited from speaking.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

OOPS! Fox News Pushes Starbucks Boycott For Hiring Refugees, Not Veterans – Check Again Fox

Posted by on February 7, 2017 at 1:08 pm. 2 Comments :

Last week Starbucks announced an initiative to hire 10,000 refugees around the world. In a heartfelt post to the Starbucks website, CEO Howard Schultz wrote that the plan was in response to Donald Trump’s attempt to ban immigrants from majority-Muslim countries. “We have all been witness,” he said, “to the confusion, surprise and opposition to the Executive Order President Trump issued.” The statement continued:

“There are more than 65 million citizens of the world recognized as refugees by the United Nations, and we are developing plans to hire 10,000 of them over five years in the 75 countries around the world where Starbucks does business. And we will start this effort here in the U.S. by making the initial focus of our hiring efforts on those individuals who have served with U.S. troops as interpreters and support personnel in the various countries where our military has asked for such support.”

This is a prime example of the sort of social responsibility that all corporations ought to exercise. It demonstrates empathy for people who have suffered greatly and depend on the compassion of others for their survival.

Sadly, there are some who don’t share these values. Immediately following the announcement, conservative groups began organizing boycotts to express their opposition. For the most part they echoed the Trump administration’s fear mongering of terrorists posing as refugees. However, among the justifications was the argument that Starbucks should be providing this assistance to American veterans instead. Good idea!

In fact, it’s such a good idea that Starbucks thought of it three years ago. Also posted on their website was this 2013 announcement that they would hire 10,000 veterans:

“Company to build a pipeline of talent focused on veterans and active duty spouses, including infrastructure to support at least 10,000 hires in five years” […]

“Veterans and military spouses represent one of the most underutilized talent pools in our country and, without the proper career path, will continue to go untapped. Companies like Starbucks recognize this opportunity and are moving swiftly and aggressively to match the jobs they will create in the future with the talent returning to America over the next several years.”

Updates on the program show that Starbucks is ahead of schedule. They currently have 8,800 veterans on the payroll as result of this initiative. But that news hasn’t seeped through to the right-wingers who are determined to punish Starbucks unfairly. Nor has it seeped through to their media of choice: Fox News.

Fox News

Last week Fox News aired a segment that overtly supported the boycott effort. Their story featured graphics that promoted a #BoycottStarbucks hashtag and the message “Refuge Hiring Plan Sparks Online Outrage.” At no time did they point out Starbucks’ program for hiring veterans. And Tuesday morning Fox & Friends continued the Starbucks bashing. They hosted the proprietor of Black Rifle Coffee Company, a wannabe Starbucks competitor. He told the “Curvy Couch” potatoes that he plans to hire 10,000 veterans. That’s an admirable goal, especially for a company that currently has only six employees (according to BuzzFile). He may have overly optimistic growth projections. Or maybe he’s just a con artist looking for a quick buck with Fox’s help.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

Once again, Fox News never disclosed that Starbucks implemented a veterans hiring program three years ago that’s actually hiring thousands of veterans. It doesn’t fit their anti-refugee agenda and pro-Trump propaganda. Consequently, they left it out of their broadcast, deceiving their viewers and feeding their hatred. These are lengths to which Fox will go to advance their agenda of bigotry and lies. In the process they are actually hurting an American company that’s helping our vets. Nice work, Fox.

LMFAO: Fox News Alert: Lame Rally In Manhattan Draws Only 50 Lonely Trump Supporters

Posted by on February 6, 2017 at 11:09 am. 2 Comments :

In the two weeks since Donald Trump’s inauguration the nation has risen up in unprecedented numbers. Protests against his regressive agenda have occurred almost continuously with no sign of letting up. His approval rating is the lowest ever recorded for an incoming president, and it has declined since the election.

Fox News Trump rally

So what’s a right-wing propaganda outlet like Fox News to do when the monster they helped to create is floundering and risks destroying all their hard work? Well, on Super Bowl Sunday they took to the streets themselves (see video below). Specifically, the street in front of Trump Tower. Their crack news team covered a pro-Trump demonstration in New York City complete with “Fox News Alert” banners. Correspondent Brian Llenas was on the scene to report that:

This is the heart of New York City. We’re used to seeing protests – anti-Trump protests – here in in New York City which voted overwhelmingly for Hillary Clinton. But this is a pro-Trump rally. About 50 to 100 people have been here since noon. And they say they’ve really just had it with the disrespect over President Trump. They believe that people should be respecting him, giving him a chance. […] This isn’t a big protest by any means. But it is noteworthy that it is a pro-Trump protest in the heart of New York City.

Noteworthy? Not really. What’s noteworthy is that only 50 people showed up in Trump’s hometown of more than eight million. Maybe Fox News should hold off on the “Alerts” until they get at least 50,000. Although that would still be only one-tenth of what the anti-Trump protests drew. Llenas said the Trumpsters see the anti-Trump protests “ridiculous.” That was just before he observed that some of them were holding pacifiers. How appropriate. They think Trump’s opponents should stop being babies and support their president. But isn’t that the childish thing to do? Just shut your mouth and unquestioningly obey your parents/leaders.

The argument from these StormTrumpers to “give him a chance” is identical to the whining from the White House itself. However, he’s had his chance and has proven to be an abysmal failure. He stocked his cabinet with billionaires and racists. His executive orders run the gamut from banning Muslims to repealing ObamaCare. He’s eased restrictions on toxic waste dumping and canceled protection from corrupt financial advisers. And his incessant tweeting continues to be a source of embarrassment and anti-American bullshit. Giving him any more chances is too big a risk.

For Fox News to go to the expense of covering this pathetic gathering live tells you just how desperate they are to prop up their figurehead. Compare this fawning coverage to what they did during the historic Women’s March two weeks ago. Or to the massive protests at airports across the country last week. In both cases Fox was less urgent and more negative. So be prepared for more of that blatant bias going forward. And expect further coverage of humiliating episodes like the one yesterday in New York.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

Bill O’Reilly (!?!) SHREDS Trump On Factless Voter Fraud Claim – Trump Whines ‘We’re Babies’

Posted by on February 5, 2017 at 12:38 pm. 3 Comments :

Bill O’Reilly’s Super Bowl interview of Donald Trump will be broadcast in part on Sunday. The remaining segments will be aired on consecutive episodes of the The O’Reilly Factor next week. Saturday night an excerpt was released that featured Trump defending Vladimir Putin and his habit of murdering his political opponents. Even worse, he claimed without evidence that the same thing is done in the United States.

Donald Trump

Sunday morning another excerpt was released with another outrageous and unsupported assertion by our Liar-In-Chief. And this time O’Reilly didn’t sit still for the blatant dishonesty (video below). Witness this startling exchange:

O REILLY: Is there any validity to the criticism of you that you say things you can’t back up factually? And as the President, if you say for example, there are three million illegal aliens who voted, and then you don’t have the data to back it up, some people are gonna say that it’s irresponsible for a president to say that. Is there any validity to that?

TRUMP: Well, many people have come out and said I’m right. You know that.

O’REILLY: Yeah, but you’ve gotta have data to back that up.

TRUMP: When you see illegals, people that are not citizens and they’re on the registration rolls. Look Bill, we can be babies, but you take a look at the registration. You have illegals, you have dead people, you have this. It’s really a bad situation. It’s really bad.

Trump initially tried to rationalize his spreading of known falsehoods by clinging to phantom people who agree with him. Outside of his glassy-eyed disciples and inner circle sycophants, there are no credible sources that corroborate his fantasies. This is no different than his years-long obsession with President Obama’s birth certificate. And it is no less dishonest.

Surprisingly, O’Reilly followed up by insisting that more was required than a mere consensus of crackpots. He needed actual data. Of course, Trump couldn’t supply any of that. So he rambled aimlessly about “illegals” and zombie voters that he still could not document. And he sought to demean anyone who challenged his nonsense as “babies.” An ironic insult considering how relentlessly he whines.

For the record, Trump’s repeated voter fraud allegations have no basis in reality. They are “alternative facts” that reside only in his dementia. Experts have thoroughly debunked the claim. Yet that hasn’t stopped him from doggedly espousing it.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

Trump Defends The Murderous Putin By Saying The U.S. Does The Same Thing

Posted by on February 4, 2017 at 10:27 pm. 4 Comments :

Donald Trump was interviewed by Bill O’Reilly for a special Super Bowl broadcast. The full interview will be broken up into parts for airing prior to the game, and on consecutive episodes of the The O’Reilly Factor next week. However, there is a teaser that was released Saturday night (video below) and it is shocking, to say the least.

Bill O'Reilly Donald Trump

The short segment has O’Reilly asking about Trump’s frequent assertions that he respects Vladimir Putin. Trump concedes that he does because “he’s a leader of his country.” He goes on to say that “it’s better to get along with Russia than not.”

Those are two of the worst reasons to respect a foreign leader ever uttered aloud. The fact that Putin managed to put Russia under his dictatorial boot is not deserving of respect. And getting along with murderous tyrants was never a goal of freedom-loving nations. But the most chilling comment from Trump came in a defense of Putin’s political assassinations. O’Reilly noted that Putin is “a killer.” Trump responded saying:

“There are a lot of killers. We’ve got a lot of killers. What do you think – our country’s so innocent?”

Let that sink in. Trump is asserting that he has knowledge of American assassins who kill the political opponents of our leaders. Were that true then President Obama might have offed Trump long ago. Yet Trump is placing the U.S. on the same moral footing as the murderous dictator of Russia.

Trump’s remarks go further than any president has ever gone with such allegations. He even goes further than Putin, since the Russian president has never admitted to killing anyone. In fact, he strenuously denies it. But now Trump has put the U.S. on record as committing such heinous acts. And he’s only been in office two weeks.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

CREEPING FASCISM: Trump Insults Another Judge In Ongoing Effort To Deligitimize The Judiciary

Posted by on February 4, 2017 at 12:03 pm. 15 Comments :

The rule of law is often touted as a cornerstone of democratic society. The United States regards equal justice under the law as a core value. Founding Father John Adams articulated this principle when he declared that we are “a government of laws, not of men.” None of this, of course, presumes that there is a tyranny of legal rhetoric. That’s why we have courts to adjudicate the meaning and scope of the statutes that govern us.

Donald Trump

Respect for the law is generally observed in a civil society. That doesn’t mean unquestioning agreement or forgoing the right to dissent. But it does mean appreciating the role of an independent judiciary. That’s a concept that Donald Trump has repeatedly trashed.

In a petty and insolent tweet Saturday morning, Trump demonstrated once again his contempt for the judiciary and for any form of disagreement with his autocratic authority. He was responding to a ruling by a Washington state judge that stayed his executive order barring people from seven majority-Muslim countries from entering the U.S. The order even included legal residents and those with valid visas and green cards. He tweeted:

For the record, Judge James Robart was appointed to the federal bench by George W. Bush in 2004. Consequently, Trump could not lash out reflexively at the “liberal” courts. But that didn’t stop him from demeaning the Judge Robart, and by extension the entire judicial system.

By labeling Robart a “so-called judge,” Trump is implicitly denying that he isn’t an actual judge. By some twisted illogic he is demoting Robart to some other status. Perhaps Trump thinks he’s a “fake” judge, or an “alternative” judge. Either way, the effect is to undermine his legitimacy and that of his ruling.

Furthermore, Trump’s assertion that the decision “takes law-enforcement away from our country” makes no sense whatsoever. The judge’s ruling is, by definition, a component of law enforcement. And how does a decision by a U.S. federal court take anything away from “our country”? In what jurisdiction would Trump place this authority?

What’s more, Trump’s assertion that the ruling is “ridiculous” defies reason. Which may be why he didn’t even bother to supply one. However, four other courts agree with Robart’s decision. Last week courts in New York, Virgina, Washington, and Massachusetts issued similar judgments. That portends trouble for any hope by the White House for overturning the stay or prevailing overall.

Trump has previously expressed his disdain for the law when battling a suit over his fraudulent Trump University. In that case a judge who was born in Indiana, but whose parents were from Mexico, was accused of being biased and unfit to preside due to his heritage. That was just another example of Trump diminishing the role of the judiciary for irrelevant reasons. Despite swearing never to settle, he eventually did just that. The plaintiffs won a massive $25 million in compensatory damages.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

The problem with Trump’s tweet cannot be overstated. It is common in totalitarian regimes for the government to assert dominance over its institutions. That applies to the legislature, the media, the military, and the judiciary. Trump’s comment reflects his view that the courts are, or should be, subservient to his will. It’s a view that reinforces concerns about his aspirations to dictatorship.

The judiciary is one of the last lines of defense to prevent a descent into tyranny. Hopefully they will stand strong against Trump and for the principles enshrined in the Constitution. And maybe the Democrats in the Senate will have the guts to block the confirmation of Neil Gorsuch, Trump’s nominee for the Supreme Court seat that they stole. At the very least they should ask him whether he thinks Robart is a so-called judge.

Fox News (And Trump) Credit Trump For Jobs Created During Obama’s Term

Posted by on February 3, 2017 at 2:31 pm. 6 Comments :

Friday morning the jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics was released for the month of January. It showed a healthy increase of 227,000 persons employed, which was significantly more than was projected. These numbers extend Obama’s job creation to a record 76 consecutive months of growth.

So leave it to Fox News to lavish praise on Donald Trump for what they call the “first jobs report under Pres Trump.” Never mind that Trump wasn’t sworn in until January 20, and this report concludes with data as of January 12. That didn’t stop Fox from pasting a graphic over the video that proclaimed “More Winning.”

Trump Fox News

In a meeting with corporate CEOs (video below), Trump addressed the jobs report saying:

“A couple of things happened this morning. 227,000 jobs. Great spirit in the country right now, so we’re very happy about that. I think that it’s going to continue, big league. We’re bringing back jobs.”

Notice that he referred to “we” in a blatant attempt to grab credit for employment numbers that he had nothing to do with. Even if he deserved credit for some of the jobs he claims to have saved at companies like Carrier, it amounts to a few hundred at best. During the Obama administration there were eleven million jobs created.

What’s more, Trump has previously dismissed these jobs reports as phony and manipulated to make Obama look good. He disputed the data and offered his own “alternative facts” for which he refused to provide documentation. His wildly exaggerated estimates earned him a “Pants-On-Fire” designation for lying. He previously characterized the jobs statistics as:

“…the biggest joke there is in this country. […] The unemployment rate is probably 20 percent. But I will tell you, you have some great economists that will tell you, it’s a 30, 32. And the highest I’ve heard so far is 42 percent.”

The same people in the same department produced this new report. But since it was released two weeks after he moved into the White House it has renewed credibility. In reality, it merely enables him, and Fox News, to steal credit that he doesn’t deserve. That’s something he does on a regular basis. So expect more of that sort of dishonest self-glorification for as long as he’s president. And expect Fox News to provide the propaganda to go along with it.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

POLL: A Majority Of Americans Would Dump Trump For Obama

Posted by on February 2, 2017 at 4:55 pm. 2 Comments :

Two weeks into Donald Trump’s presidency and things continue to go south. And no, that’s not a reference to his disastrous screw-ups with Mexico. As obsessed with ratings as our reality TV president is, Trump is floundering bigly in the eyes of the nation.

Obama trump

A new poll by Public Policy Polling asked “Who would you rather was President: Barack Obama or Donald Trump?” The response was an overwhelming repudiation of Trump who received only 43 percent. Obama was favored by a majority of 52 percent.

Knowing Trump as we do, that’s going to gnaw at him intensely. But that’s only the beginning. On almost every other question in the poll, Trump fared poorly:

With regard to his executive order on immigration, 65 percent are opposed to banning Muslims. When phrased as barring people from specified countries, he still lost 53 percent of voters. He even lost lost on style with 55 percent saying his executive order was poorly executed.

On other issues, only 19 percent of voters see Stephen Bannon favorably. The same percentage think he should be on the National Security Council. And while 48 percent of Trump voters believe the conspiracy theory that airport protesters were paid by George Soros, only 26 percent of all voters buy Trump’s “alternative fact” that millions of people voted illegally.

Furthermore, 54 percent oppose building his border wall if American taxpayers have to front the cost for it. Only 37 percent of voters support the 20 percent tax on items imported to the US from Mexico. And a plurality of 46 percent now say they support ObamaCare, compared to just 41 percent who are opposed.

Perhaps the most painful results in this poll relate to the public’s impression of the media. In particular, some outlets that Trump has gone out of his way to disparage. According to PPP:

  • By a 52/41 spread voters say the Washington Post has more credibility than Trump.
  • By a 51/42 spread voters say the New York Times has more credibility than Trump.
  • By a 50/42 spread voters say CNN has more credibility than Trump.

Trump Media chart

For the record, that’s the “lying” Washington Post, the “failing” New York Times, and “fake news” CNN. All of whom are enjoying the best subscription/ratings stats they’ve seen in years. So if this is what Trump meant when he said we would all get “sick and tired of winning” bring it on, Donnie.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

Trump Uses Prayer Breakfast To Slam Schwarzenegger – Gets Knocked Back On His Ass

Posted by on February 2, 2017 at 11:40 am. 4 Comments :

Thursday Donald Trump spoke at the annual National Prayer Breakfast. The multi-faith event was founded to bring bipartisan politicians and religious leaders together to find common ground. Not surprisingly, Trump made it all about himself and the satisfaction of his inflated ego. He managed to turn a bridge building affair into a battlefield.

Schwarzenegger

The bulk of Trump’s remarks (transcript) were a familiar recitation of his dystopian view of a world in distress. He spoke of the persecution of Christians and the threats against religious freedom. Of course, by his definition that’s the freedom to discriminate against those who don’t practice his religion. His overall theme was that “The world is in trouble, but we’re going to straighten it out. OK? That’s what I do. I fix things.” Like elections? Trump’s confidence in his omnipotent powers is unbounded. And by a metric the right frequently used against President Obama, he said the word “I” forty-seven times.

One particularly self-exalting moment came when Trump brought up his old TV show, The Apprentice. What this has to do with a prayer breakfast is a mystery. Nevertheless, Trump felt he needed to make the point that the program has failed since his exit:

“They hired a big, big movie star, Arnold Schwarzenegger to take my place, and we know how that turned out. The ratings went right down the tubes. It’s been a total disaster. And [producer] Mark [Burnett] will never, ever bet against Trump again, and I want to just pray for Arnold, if we can, for those ratings.”

It should be noted that Trump is still an executive producer of the show, so he’s slamming his own production. That’s how badly he needs to validate his value to the franchise. But Schwarzenegger is not a shrinking violet. He posted a video response on Twitter that makes a damn good point:

“Hey Donald I have a great idea. Why don’t we switch jobs? You take over TV, because you’re such an expert in ratings, and I take over your job.”

And if that weren’t enough, a spokesman for Schwarzenegger elaborated in press release that said:

“Arnold is praying that President Trump can start improving his own approval ratings, which were the worst in history for an incoming president, by taking his job seriously and working inclusively,” spokesman Daniel Ketchell said in the statement.”

Trump’s exploitation of this religious event is characteristic of his narcissistic personality. He has a compulsive need to glorify himself and insult his critics. And his flagrant pandering to perceived allies like the Christian right is just another part of his con game.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

Reuters Editor Warns That Covering Trump’s America Is Like Covering China, Russia

Posted by on February 1, 2017 at 6:04 pm. 4 Comments :

The increasing hostility toward the press from Donald Trump and his staff has resulted in a deteriorating relationship. Not that it was ever particularly healthy. Trump spent most of his campaign insulting reporters and demonizing the media in general. It got so bad that the Committee to Protect Journalists issued a warning that “A Trump presidency would represent a threat to press freedom in the United States.” The National Press Club released a similar statement condemning Trump’s anti-press tactics as “unacceptable and dangerous to our democracy.”

Donald Trump

Since the election things have not improved. Trump is still maligning mainstream news organizations as “fake news” and punishing reporters that he regards as insufficiently adoring. His press secretary, Sean Spicer, has upended the White House briefing by adding fringe “news” outlets. He is reportedly considering granting press credentials to Infowar’s Alex Jones, a notorious conspiracy theorist and Trump supporter. Meanwhile, the Trump press team has revoked press credentials for the Washington Post and other legitimate news enterprises. What’s more, they have refused to provide spokespeople to CNN for several weeks in an attempt to isolate them.

In this environment, Reuters Editor-in-Chief Steve Adler wrote a memo to his reporters to guide them on how to cover Trump. The memo begins by describing the current conditions that the media face:

“The first 12 days of the Trump presidency (yes, that’s all it’s been!) have been memorable for all – and especially challenging for us in the news business. It’s not every day that a U.S. president calls journalists “among the most dishonest human beings on earth” or that his chief strategist dubs the media “the opposition party.” It’s hardly surprising that the air is thick with questions and theories about how to cover the new Administration.”

Indeed, Trump has led an unprecedented assault on the free press. His attacks have been severe and personal. And in every case he is flailing wildly without offering much in the way of a rebuttal. He is only concerned with any negative impression of him, and that results in a furious temper tantrum. Adler’s approach to this behavior is to remind his reporters that they have experienced similar challenges in the past. And he provides examples to make his point:

“I am perpetually proud of our work in places such as Turkey, the Philippines, Egypt, Iraq, Yemen, Thailand, China, Zimbabwe, and Russia, nations in which we sometimes encounter some combination of censorship, legal prosecution, visa denials, and even physical threats to our journalists.”

So the secret to covering Trump is to apply the experience gained from covering dictators in regimes that have little respect for a free press. His advice is to be prepared for legal harassment and physical threats. Both of those are tactics that Trump has already deployed. He has said that he wants to “open up our libel laws” so that he can sue the media. And on at least one occasion a reporter required secret service protection following a Trump rally due to overt threats.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

It’s fair to assume that the Trump administration will continue to foment discord with the media. Trump’s “malignant narcissism” and tendency to bully others is not likely change any time soon. Hopefully the media will have the courage and integrity to stand up to whatever is thrown at them. They are the last line of defense against the kind of tyranny that Adler warns about in his memo.