Univision continued to indulge anchor Jorge Ramos’ ego, allowing him on Wednesday to ditch the network’s coverage of the still-smoldering rubble of the Surfside collapse in order to travel to Texas for one last performative heckling of former President Donald Trump.
Watch the full onanistic exercise, as aired on Noticiero Univision:
RAMOS: Mr. Trump! Mr. Trump! We have a question… Mr. Trump! Mr. Trump, are you going to recognize, finally, that you lost the election? Mr. Trump, are you going to recognize, finally, that you lost the election?
TRUMP: We won the election.
RAMOS: No, you lost the election. You lost the electoral college. When are you going to recognize that?
EVENT STAFF: (unintelligible)
RAMOS: I’m a journalist! I have a…
EVENT STAFF: I know, that’s right, but the bus for the journalists is over here, this way.
To Ramos’s credit, he actually asked a question this time, unlike his staged ejection from then-candidate Trump’s 2015 press conference in Dubuque, Iowa, which he would milk into two books (in addition to countless awards and speaking engagements). Per Ramos’ admission, the whole thing was staged and manufactured. Note what he said about television being produced, and consider those remarks within the context of today’s performance (click “expand” for full transcript):
PETER MANSBRIDGE, CBC [on 10/12/16]: Why did you make the decision that you had to go to Iowa to confront Donald Trump?
RAMOS [on 10/12/16]: As you know, television --- television doesn't happen. Television is produced. It is created. And, so we brought three cameras, we brought microphones, and our purpose was to talk to Donald Trump. And confront Donald Trump. That was the purpose. As a journalist.
MANSBRIDGE [on 10/12/16]: A confrontation.
RAMOS [on 10/12/16]: I wanted to ask him a question- many questions, but — [SCREEN WIPE] — yes, it was going to be a confrontation.
(....)
MANSBRIDGE [on 10/12/16]: You keep calling it questions, your “questions,” where in fact you didn’t ask a question. They’re statements, not questions.
(....)
MANSBRIDGE [on 10/12/16]: You can not deport 11 million people.
RAMOS [on 08/25/15]: You can not deport 11 million -- you can not deport 11 million people.
(....)
MANSBRIDGE [on 10/12/16]: You can not build a 1,900-mile wall.
RAMOS [on 08/25/15]: You can not build a 1,900-mile wall.
(....)
MANSBRIDGE [on 10/12/16]: You can not deny citizenship to children in this country.
RAMOS [on 08/25/15]: You can not deny citizenship to children in this country.
(....)
RAMOS [on CNN’s New Day, 08/26/15]: I confronted him on the fact that he wants to deport 11 million people, and build a wall, and deny citizenship.
(....)
RAMOS [on 03/01/18]: We thought that in Dubuque, Iowa, there would be just a few journalists following the candidate. And — and we were right. So we showed up like two hours before, we brought three cameras, and then we made a plan. I was going to be wearing a microphone so my voice would be at the exact same level as his when we start editing.
(....)
RAMOS [on 08/25/15]: I would like to ask a question.
TRUMP [on 08/25/15]: No, you don’t. You haven’t been called.
RAMOS [on 08/25/15]: I have — I have the right to ask a question.
TRUMP [on 08/25/15]: Go back to [INAUDIBLE]
RAMOS [on 08/25/15]: And this is — no. And this is the question.
TRUMP [on 08/25/15]: Go ahead. Go ahead.
RAMOS [on 08/25/15]: You can not deport 11 million — you can not deport 11 million people. You can not build a 1900-mile wall. You can not deny citizenship to children in this country.
(....)
RAMOS [on 03/01/18]: Then we had the three cameras well-positioned, the lighting was right, and then I made a plan. [SCREEN WIPE] We planned everything. [SCREEN WIPE] TV, television doesn't happen. You create it. You produce it. It doesn't happen just like that. And that’s exactly what we did. [SCREEN WIPE] We needed to confront him.
(....)
CHRIS CUOMO [on CNN’s New Day, 08/26/15]: You wanted to get into a fight with him and you got your fight.
(....)
RAMOS [on 10/12/16]: We will be judged, as journalists, by how we responded to Donald Trump.
The funniest part of the whole exchange was when Ramos thought the hospitable event staffer helping him get to the media bus on time was actually a bouncer attempting to eject him. “I AM A JOURNALIST!” Readers of this byline know better by now.
Univision’s indulgence of Ramos’ fantasies of confrontation, despite having multiple correspondents at the border plus their West Coast correspondent based out of San Francisco, revealed an amazing disconnect with their home market.
It is remarkable that Univision would allow their senior anchor and face of the network to ditch the network’s coverage of the worst non-terrorist-caused building collapse in U.S. history, in order to chase 25 seconds of glory over a thousand miles away.
The record will reflect that Univision, a leftist advocacy PAC with a broadcast license, switched from Ramos to report the recovery of the bodies of two children, ages four and 10.
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