On WMAL's Mornings on the Mall radio show on Wednesday, The Daily Mail's David Martosko revealed the stark difference between journalists who cover Hillary Clinton versus those who cover Donald Trump: "Having spent time in...both the Hillary and the Trump bubble, I will tell you that...the reporters who are following around Hillary — a lot of them are Hillary fans. They're just in awe of her....with the Trump people, it's a feeding frenzy...[they] are the most aggressive ones; the ones who they hope will dig up the one piece of dirt that will...kill the Trump monster." [audio available here]
Host Larry O'Connor asked the British newspaper's U.S. political editor, "How did Hillary Clinton behave at her press conference when she was explaining all of the corrupt questions about the Clinton Foundation and the incredible conflict of interest stories about her role with the Foundation; her cronies' roles with the Foundation; and her job as secretary of state?" Martosko bluntly replied, "It's very simple: she hasn't held that press conference. She has held, I think, one press conference in the last six months. I don't think she's very likely to hold a press conference any time soon."
The guest added, "Say what you will about Donald Trump, but he showed up and took difficult questions from reporters he dislikes. And if Hillary Clinton had — you know, the you know what's to do that, I think she'd be doing a lot better nationally." O'Connor followed up by pointing out that "these reporters who were treated so shabbily and ignored by Hillary Clinton will still defend her; and they'll still spend their time going after Trump." Martosko responded with his "in awe" term about the journalists covering Mrs. Clinton and his "feeding frenzy" statement about those covering Trump.
Co-host Brian Wilson, formerly of Fox News Channel, remarked that his guest's answers were "a pretty damning indictment...of the press corps and the way they're handling this campaign...what you're telling us feeds exactly into what a lot of people suspect — that the media, by and large, are in the tank for Hillary; and that they're out to get Donald Trump." The Daily Mail editor interjected, "Oh, you have no idea how much they're in the tank for Hillary — you have no idea!" He concluded by citing something President Obama once said:
DAVID MARTOSKO, U.S. POLITICAL EDITOR, THE DAILY MAIL: ...[Y]ou remember, seven or eight years ago, when Barack Obama did his first White House Correspondents Association Dinner? And he said, you know, thanks so much for that applause. I know 98 percent of you voted for me. He wasn't joking. And I don't have any reason to believe it will be different...this time around with Hillary Clinton.
The transcript of the relevant portion of the David Martosko interview on the June 1, 2016 edition of WMAL's Mornings on The Mall broadcast:
LARRY O'CONNOR: I just want to be clear on this: we were — this was a press conference — because there was a whole bunch of scrutiny about Donald Trump, who raised close to $6 million four months ago for veterans' groups. And here, four months later, he's listing out who he's giving the money to — but there was (sic) a lot of questions as to whether he really raised money and whether he was really going to give it out — lots of questions about the Donald Trump Foundation.
So, can you tell me — because you follow this stuff closer than I do — how did Hillary Clinton behave at her press conference when she was explaining all of the corrupt questions about the Clinton Foundation and the incredible conflict of interest stories about her role with the Foundation; her cronies' roles with the Foundation; and her job as secretary of state? I don't remember how she behaved at that press conference.
DAVID MARTOSKO, U.S. POLITICAL EDITOR, THE DAILY MAIL: It's very simple: she hasn't held that press conference. She has held, I think, one press conference in the last six months. I don't think she's very likely to hold a press conference any time soon. And, in fact, this was, kind of, what I was mulling on the plane on the way out to California last night — you know, say what you will about Donald Trump, but he showed up and took difficult questions from reporters he dislikes. And if Hillary Clinton had — you know, the you know what's to do that, I think she'd be doing a lot better nationally.
O'CONNOR: And yet, the media will generally — and these reporters who were treated so shabbily and ignored by Hillary Clinton — will still defend her; and they'll still—
MARTOSKO: Well, it's a different group of reporters—
O'CONNOR: They'll still spend their time going after — after Trump.
MARTOSKO: To be fair, it's a different group of reporters, and — and having spent time in both bubbles — both the Hillary and the Trump bubble — I will tell you that it's a completely different mindset; totally different group of people. The — the reporters who are following around Hillary — a lot of them are Hillary fans. They're just in awe of her. They're very patient with her. They're — they're waiting for their moment to ask the question that they want to ask.
You know, with the Trump people, it's a feeding frenzy. And a lot of the people — I think the editors assigned to the Trump beat are the most aggressive ones; the ones who they hope will dig up the one piece of dirt that will — you know, kill the Trump monster—
O'CONNOR: That's right—
MARTOSKO: The bigger editors of the bigger outlets, I don't think are sending those kinds of aggressive reporters, by and large — there are some — but, by and large, they're not sending the most aggressive reporters to cover Hillary. They just aren't— (unintelligible)
BRIAN WILSON: But that's a pretty damning indictment—
MARTOSKO: To respond to.
WILSON: That's a pretty damning indictment, though, of the press corps and the way they're handling this campaign. It feeds exactly — what you're telling us — feeds exactly into what a lot of people suspect, that — that the media, by and large, are in the tank for Hillary; and that they're out to get Donald Trump—
MARTOSKO: Oh, you have no idea how much they're in the tank for Hillary — you have no idea! This is — look, it's — you remember, seven or eight years ago, when Barack Obama did his first White House Correspondents Association Dinner? And he said, you know, thanks so much for that applause. I know 98 percent of you voted for me. He wasn't joking. And I don't — I don't have any reason to believe it will be different around — this time around with Hillary Clinton.
I — you know, there are, maybe, thirty-five, forty people usually flying around on the Trump press charter. I bet maybe two of them voted for him in a primary.
