In the wake of the shootings in Dayton and El Paso, the ferocity of vitriol aimed at President Trump has passed the threshold into insanity. On Tuesday’s The Story, Fox News MediaBuzz host Howard Kurtz pointed out the blatantly obvious irony that the media is replicating the same erratic behavior they accuse the President of displaying.
To give the audience a taste of the most recent superfluous meltdown among members of the media, a clip played of Morning Joe’s Mika Brzezinski; “He is inciting hatred, inciting violence, inciting racism. I mean, this is a President who seems to want these things to happen.”
Speaking of the press’s effort to tie Trump to the El Paso shooter while failing to mention the Dayton killer’s political beliefs, host Martha MacCallum lamented to Kurtz:
You know, we've kind of tried to steer clear of talking about the content of the ideologies on either side of these because, you know, just from everything that we've read and talked about here, it's more about the roots of where this evil and sort of imbalance comes from and then it starts attaching itself to various ideologies, whatever need be. Or whatever appeals to that person at the moment and then they take that sick ball and kind of run with it. But that hasn't stopped people from using one ideology against the other when it suits their political purpose out there Howie.
Kurtz visibly showed his disgust over the slanderous treatment the press has bestowed upon the President while pointing out the fact that they are engaging in the very incendiary rhetoric they claim to denounce:
Right. These are deranged people. And I've got to say there is a massive difference between criticizing President Trump for his sometimes divisive language. That's fair game. And coming out and saying that the President wants mass violence, that he condones mass violence. That he's inciting mass violence. And it seems to me that these shootings have produced an absolute media frenzy in which there's no longer a debate about is the President somehow promoting racism or white supremacy. He is outright accused as if it was an undisputed fact of being a racist, of being a white supremacist. And it seems to me, and here's the irony, that some of these commentators are allowing their own very intense anger toward Donald Trump to lead them into the kind of inflammatory rhetoric that they accuse him spreading.
MacCallum could not hold back from questioning the double standard that is prevalent in the liberal media:
Yeah, so why didn't they discuss, as the Wall Street Journal editorial page pointed out, if you're going to go down that road and you're going to say this sick, crazy person would never have done this if it weren't for something that the President said-then you've gotta also- if that's the argument that you're making as someone who is reporting, covering these stories. Then you would also have to point out that the similar parallel in the other- in the Dayton shooter- in terms of what he said. His ideology seemed to be all over the place but you know everything was all over the place.
Kurtz concluded by ridiculing the sheer absurdity of blaming a politician for the actions of someone who claims to support them. He also noted the underlying harm in shifting blame away from the madmen who committed the crimes:
Of course not. Is it Bernie Sander's fault that one of his admirers a couple years ago took guns to a congressional baseball practice and nearly killed Steve Scalise and wounded other Republicans? Of course not. But when it comes to Donald Trump, some of these people say, “Well aha!. Because the EL Paso shooter posted this manifesto that seemed to echo some of the anti- immigrant rhetoric that Trump sometimes uses. It's President Trump's fault.” And this is guilt by association. The worst part of all is it takes all of our focus off the victims of these twin tragedies and their families. And just diverts it into the political finger pointing game.
The derangement of the media has reached crisis levels under Trump, few journalists are interested in delivering responsible reporting. News coverage has become a competition over who can make the most extreme declarations against the President.
Trascript below:
The Story With Martha MacCallum
8/6/19
7:18:07MARTHA MACCALLUM: So today the finger pointing at President Trump ramped up as critics slammed his speech which was intended to soothe a grieving nation. Watch this.
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: He is inciting hatred, inciting violence, inciting racism. I mean, this is a President who seems to want these things to happen.
BRIAN WILLIAMS: The President's remarks included but one mention of white supremacy. Mostly spreading the blame among the internet, video games and mental illness.
KIRSTEN POWERS: It's the arsonist coming and saying they want to help put out the fire.
MACCAULLUM: So while some are trying to pin President Trump to the hateful rhetoric, a link to the El Paso shooter, they do not give equal treatment to the Dayton shooter's political leanings. The Wall Street Journal editorial board saying today, pointing this out; "The Dayton shooter's leftist ravings are notable only because the media and Democratic politicians have drawn a straight line between the El Paso shooter's anti-immigrant 'manifesto' and Donald Trump and the Republican Party.” Joining me now to analyze the fairness of the coverage, Howie Kurtz, host of Media Buzz. Howie, good to see you tonight.
MACCALLUM: You know, we've kind of tried to steer clear of talking about the content of the ideologies on either side of these because, you know, just from everything that we've read and talked about here, it's more about the roots of where this evil and sort of imbalance comes from and then it starts attaching itself to various ideologies, whatever need be. Or whatever appeals to that person at the moment and then they take that sick ball and kind of run with it. But that hasn't stopped people from using one ideology against the other when it suits their political purpose out there Howie.
HOWIE KURTZ: Right. These are deranged people. And I've got to say there is a massive difference between criticizing President Trump for his sometimes divisive language. That's fair game. And coming out and saying that the President wants mass violence, that he condones mass violence. That he's inciting mass violence. And it seems to me that these shootings have produced an absolute media frenzy in which there's no longer a debate about is the President somehow promoting racism or white supremacy. He is outright accused as if it was an undisputed fact of being a racist, of being a white supremacist. And it seems to me, and here's the irony, that some of these commentators are allowing their own very intense anger toward Donald Trump to lead them into the kind of inflammatory rhetoric that they accuse him spreading.
MACCALLUM: Yeah, so why didn't they discuss, as the Wall Street Journal editorial page pointed out, if you're going to go down that road and you're going to say this sick, crazy person would never have done this if it weren't for something that the President said-then you've gotta also- if that's the argument that you're making as someone who is reporting, covering these stories. Then you would also have to point out that the similar parallel in the other- in the Dayton shooter- in terms of what he said. His ideology seemed to be all over the place but you know everything was all over the place.
KURTZ: Sure. So the Dayton shooter supposedly said he would happily vote for Elizabeth Warren. So is it Elizabeth Warren's fault that he killed nine people in Ohio?
MACCALLUM: Of course not.
KURTZ: Of course not. Is it Bernie Sander's fault that one of his admirers a couple years ago took guns to a congressional baseball practice and nearly killed Steve Scalise and wounded other Republicans? Of course not. But when it comes to Donald Trump, some of these people say, “Well aha!. Because the EL Paso shooter posted this manifesto that seemed to echo some of the anti- immigrant rhetoric that Trump sometimes uses. It's President Trump's fault.” And this is guilt by association. The worst part of all is it takes all of our focus off the victims of these twin tragedies and their families. And just diverts it into the political finger pointing game.
