The “Donald Trump is a danger to democracy and is a fascist” narrative shoved down everyone’s throat over the past several months died a fiery death in the aftermath of the presidential election. The first fatal blow came via President Joe Biden’s cheerful welcome of President Elect Donald Trump at The White House. The latest: Joe and Mika’s visit to Mar-a-Lago and subsequent “Morning Joe” segment.
Watch as star commentator Scott Jennings brutally mocks the implosion of the underlying premises behind recent Trump-adverse narratives:
CNN NEWSNIGHT WITH ABBY PHILLIP
11/18/24
10:34 PM
SCOTT JENNINGS: I'm amazed. I did not expect Hitler to get so many meeting requests. First from Joe Biden, now from Mika and Joe. It's amazing that Literal Hitler is getting all these meeting requests. And what it tells me, Professor, is that all the rhetoric that came from the left, from the Democrats, from The White House, from Kamala Harris and everyone else before the election all of the rhetoric, the fascism, the Hitler, the Nazi rally, it was all a bunch of BS. They didn't mean any of it. And if I were- and if I were in the Democrat sort of rabble's shoes, I would be looking at all my leaders and going: did you just BS me for an entire six weeks before the election?
JEFF JARVIS: I just reread Hannah Arendt's The Origins of Totalitarianism, and I cannot tell you how relevant it is to today. What has gone on in totalitarian regimes before is what is happening in this country right now. It is fascism. His generals called him fascist. Joe Scarborough called him fascist, and now the fascist is in charge and it is journalism's job to cover it that way- not to back off and say, “OK, well, that’s it. We lost. Let the fascism happen.” No.
Of course, Jeff Jarvis was there to pontificate about the need for Resistance Journalism, which appears to be the most sacred kind of Journalism, and to decry Joe and Mika’s talking to Trump. The liberals on the panel characterized Joe and Mika’s pilgrimage to Mar-a-Lago as “kneeling before Zod”.
Jennings took apart the ridiculousness of the whole exercise. The American public was subjected to months of “threat to democracy” narrative being shoved down their throats, even as they cried out about inflation and high prices. There were the overwrought press conferences, shrill Harris rallies, breathless coverage of the Trump trials- all of which the electorate saw through en route to sending Trump back to The White House.
Some corners of the media are taking the opportunity provided by this election to engage in self-reflection, and consider whether and/or to what extent coverage needs to be recalibrated. Others, like Jarvis, think that they didn’t resist enough. They have a Trump fever, and their only acceptable remedy is more cowbell. Or deranged Resistance Journalism.
