On Saturday, supporters of the President gathered in locations all around the country for Make America Great Again rallies and marches. But with radical leftists in attendance at some rallies, violence erupted. But according to ABC’s Good Morning America on Sunday, it would appear that the Trump supporters were to blame. “All this as tensions grow higher than ever been Trump supporters and protesters. The fresh violence at rallies. Protesters tackled and beaten,” claimed Paula Faris during the show’s opening tease.
“They released a dove in Huntington Beach, California promoting peace,” Faris noted when they finally made it to the story. But she then lamented that “However, a short while later, scuffles broke out with counter-protesters.”
Reporter David Wright followed Farris’ lead and rambled on about the protesters. “In Ohio, California, And even the Jersey Shore, fistfights and mayhem at pro-Trump rallies, as protesters clash with supporters,” he reported as he played a clip of anti-Trump protesters chanting “No Trump. No KKK. No fascist USA.”
“In Huntington Beach, California a protester allegedly pepper-sprayed one of the organizers,” he said sounding doubtful, “Witnesses say a group of flag-waving Trump supporters tackled him and proceeded to beat him up.”
For Wright, it may only have “allegedly” happened, but according to Reuters, it did occur. “Four counter-protesters were arrested, three for illegal use of pepper spray and one for assault and battery, Kevin Pearsall, a spokesman for the California State Parks Police said on Saturday evening,” they reported on Sunday.
Wright also mentioned that a pro-Trump march planned in Philadelphia was called off after fears over safety arisen. “The two sides squared off and sounded off at each other. Police caught in the middle,” he bemoaned. But he failed to mention those anti-Trump protesters were the ones causing the chaos. “A mostly-masked protest group marched around the Mall, at times igniting flares and smoke, burning things on the road,” as reported by the local ABC affiliate.
Towards the end of his report, Wright touched on a Trump tweet that claimed: “ObamaCare will explode.” He leaned on a former Obama White House official to smear the President, asking: “When he says, this thing is going to explode, is part of that in his power?” “That’s a little bit like inheriting an overseas war and deciding you'll let the soldiers get killed because it wasn't your idea to enter the war,” responded Andy Slavitt.
That’s a rather ironic assertion since we saw U.S. troop casualties in Afghanistan balloon under Obama’s leadership.
At best, ABC tried to paint both the Pro-Trump and anti-Trump sides as having equal responsibility, and at worse, they alluded to the Trump supporters being the ones at fault. Such reporting is irresponsible and omits many of the key facts that show that those Trump supporters were victims of radical leftist violence targeting their free speech.
Transcript below:
ABC
Good Morning America
March 26, 2017
8:00:33 AM Eastern[Tease]
PAULA FARIS: What's the next step?
[Crowd noise]
All this as tensions grow higher than ever been Trump supporters and protesters. The fresh violence at rallies. Protesters tackled and beaten.
8:02:32 AM Eastern
…
DAN HARRIS: We’re going to start here with the Trump administration trying to regroup after that stunning setback on health care.
FARIS: Also this weekend, Trump supporters were out holding rallies. They released a dove in Huntington Beach, California promoting peace. However, a short while later, scuffles broke out with counter-protesters.
…
DAVID WRIGHT: Hi, Paula. Hi, Dan. The Trump administration is doing its best to regroup after that big defeat on the health care. Telling supporters not to worry. But tensions are running high. The president's opponents emboldened by this and his supporters are not giving an inch.
[Cuts to video]
In Ohio. California. And even the Jersey Shore, fistfights and mayhem at pro-Trump rallies, as protesters clash with supporters.
CROWD CHANTING: No Trump. No KKK. No fascist USA.
WRIGHT: In Huntington Beach, California a protester allegedly pepper-sprayed one of the organizers. Witnesses say a group of flag-waving Trump supporters tackled him and proceeded to beat him up. The mayhem caught on camera. And shared on social media. The California highway patrol ended up making several arrests. At Philadelphia's Independence Mall, police cut short another Trump rally, citing safety reasons. The two sides squared off and sounded off at each other. Police caught in the middle. All of this as the White House is trying to reassure supporters. Vice President Mike Pence was out in coal country.
MIKE PENCE: We will end the Obamacare nightmare and give the American people the world class health care that they deserve.
WRIGHT: The President seconded that on Twitter. Predicting: “ObamaCare will explode. And we will all get together and piece together a great health care plan for the people. Do not worry.” Former Obama administration officials say, that partly depends on him.
When he says, this thing is going to explode, is part of that in his power?
ANDY SLAVITT: That’s a little bit like inheriting an overseas war and deciding you'll let the soldiers get killed because it wasn't your idea to enter the war.
[Cuts back to live]
WRIGHT: In other words, a lot depends on how the administration decides to implement ObamaCare going forward. There is a way to get the law more to their liking even without introducing a news health care reform package. But they could decide to undermine it at the expense of millions of people who depend on Obamacare. Paula?
