CNN’s Brian Stelter continued his unholy crusade against President Trump during his Sunday sermon to journalism. He kicked off un-Reliable Sources by suggesting that the President’s comments about those who kneel during the National Anthem were one part elaborate distraction, and another part coded rantings of a secret racist to other secret racists. “Is President Trump trying to distract from his own failures by attacking the NFL? And if so, are journalists just playing into his hands,” Stelter rhetorically asked his audience.
When it came to asserting that Trump was possibly a secret racist, Stelter didn’t mince words, claiming that “there is an unmistakable racial element to this story.” “And that’s why I come down on the side of covering this and covering this big,” he explained, basically admitting he was blowing it up. “Even if it is a distraction, so to speak. Because who trump chooses to criticize tells us a lot.”
Stelter stated that the debate was between patriotism and the freedom to protest. But according to him “the subtext, the awkward subtext, is a question we asked a few weeks ago on this program: “Is President Trump a racist?” “Is he making racist appeals to his supporters,” he added.
With the irony sliding right off his head, Stelter wondered: “If he's not racist, why do so many Americans believe that he is? And how is that going to affect the rest of his presidency?” Perhaps it was because of liberal “journalists” like himself, who have been chanting Trump was a white supremacist since day one of his presidential campaign.
The CNN host’s other big problem with Trump’s comments were the idea they were just a distraction from other controversies. “Are journalists just playing into his hands? That's an issue that we all talk about behind the scenes,” Stelter claimed. “A lot of people think that's what's happening. This distraction question is always with us when it comes to President Trump.”
“And think about all the things he might want to change the subject from,” Stelter said with a chuckle as proceeded to rattle off a series of items Trump might not want people to know:
The GOP's health care bill is on life support. The candidate he’s backing in Alabama may well lose the race on Tuesday. And of course, the Russia investigations loom over everything. So, what does Trump do? He curses, literally. He curses, and he even brings out his old Apprentice catchphrase.
“We thought about bleeping when he said that word. Some shows have, some shows haven't. But my feeling is: If you object to the language, you should write to the White House, not CNN,” Stelter sneered.
Presumably, Stelter was playing dumb when he wondered why people thought Trump was a racist, while he was in the process of insinuating was Trump a racist. But either way, Stelter earned his moniker as CNN’s ridiculous figure yet again.
Stelter's "subtext" divination was sponsored by: Breo, Rocket Morgage, Allstate, ClassAction.com, and Viberzi.
Transcript below:
CNN
Reliable Sources
September 24, 2017
11:01:28 AM EasternBRIAN STELTER: Is President Trump trying to distract from his own failures by attacking the NFL? And if so, are journalists just playing into his hands? That's an issue that we all talk about behind the scenes. A lot of people think that's what's happening. This distraction question is always with us when it comes to President Trump.
You know, a stray sentence at one of his rally or an angry tweet when he’s watching Fox. That can trigger hours and hours of news coverage. On the one hand, how can it not? This is the U.S. President this weekend saying protesters should be fired! He is further sowing division, yes sometimes on racial lines.
So, yes, this is a huge story, if he is doing it to change the subject. And think about all the things he might want to change the subject from [said with a chuckle]. The GOP's health care bill is on life support. The candidate he’s backing in Alabama may well lose the race on Tuesday. And of course, the Russia investigations loom over everything.
So, what does Trump do? He curses, literally. He curses, and he even brings out his old Apprentice catchphrase.
(…)
STELTER: We thought about bleeping when he said that word. Some shows have, some shows haven't. But my feeling is: If you object to the language, you should write to the White House, not CNN.
Obviously, Trump is embracing this fight with the NFL, repeatedly tweeting about it all weekend long. He also disinvited NBA Champion Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors from their traditional White House visit so he's got a fight with the NBA as well.
There is an unmistakable racial element to this story. And that’s why I come down on the side of covering this and covering this big. Even if it is a distraction, so to speak. Because who trump chooses to criticize tells us a lot.
This story is ultimately about patriotism, it is about the right to protest, it is about what it means to be an American. And the subtext, the awkward subtext, is a question we asked a few weeks ago on this program: “Is President Trump a racist? Is he making racist appeals to his supporters? If he's not racist, why do so many Americans believe that he is? And how is that going to affect the rest of his presidency?”
That right there is a big, big story. But at the same time, there is a balancing act to do here with Russia and North Korea, and Iran in the news and Puerto Rico without power, devastated by Hurricane Maria. The challenge for us in this newsrooms is to find time, room and space for all of it. So, we’re going to start with the NFL, then get to other news.
