On Friday's CNN Tonight, during a discussion of a United Nations agency attacking President Donald Trump over his criticisms of media who are biased against his administration, CNN presidential historian Douglas Brinkley claimed that the President "is really trying to incite violence against reporters," and went on to laud journalists like host Don Lemon, predicting that those who "stood up to a President acting like a despot" will be respected by history.
Host Lemon began the segment by recalling, "The United Nations Human Rights Office is condemning President Trump's attacks on the U.S. They say his rants violate press freedom and international human rights law."
As he went to Brinkley for response, the liberal historian asserted: "He is really trying to incite violence against reporters. How else can you interpret it? If they're the enemy, you're supposed to stamp out the enemy."
A bit later, he gushed over the press: "The good news is, Don, and you're one of this. You're part of history now. There's going to -- a group of journalists have stood up to Donald Trump -- are doing deep investigation at the Washington Post, New York Times."
After naming several journalists, he added: "These are brave figures."
Brinkley concluded his glowing praise of anti-Trump media:
I think, 50 years from now, people are going to look at this as great journalism going on here and who stood up to a President acting like a despot and who held the President accountable, and you're going to have a who's who of great journalists who are working at The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, etc.
