Posted on 02/15/2017 5:56:19 PM PST by upchuck
Members of the mainstream media were left fuming this afternoon after President Trump refused to call on any of their organizations for the third straight press conference.
Yet many of these same news organizations have likened Trump to the Taliban and Adolf Hitler, floated false rumors about his use of a Russian prostitute, and accused his administration of being pro-slavery.
After Trump avoided calling on MSNBC during today's presser with Benjamin Netanyahu, MSNBCs Peter Alexander complained that the conservative journalists he did call on didnt ask real questions like he would have.
What was striking," Alexander said, was that "President Trump, again, called on a series of more conservative leaning news organizations which didnt allow for any real questions, trying to zero in on this issue of Mike Flynn, the now former national security advisor."
We can't speak for Trump, but one reason he may not be in a rush to give MSNBC more airtime is that they seem intent on using it to liken him to Adolf Hitler.
On Trump's Inauguration Day, MSNBC's Rachel Maddow likened Trump's election to "Hitler's rise." Her colleague Chris Matthews described Trump's inaugural address as "Hitlerian." Matthews also mocked Trump's family, likening them to the Russian imperial family, the Romanovs. He's so fond of this metaphor he now uses it all the time.
CNN reporters were likewise angry at not being called on during today's Trump presser.
"In the last three news conferences, Wolf, all of the questions to the American news media have been handled by conservative press, and I think, Wolf, theres no other way to describe it but the fix is in," CNN's Jim Acosta vented during a post-press conference interview with Wolf Blitzer. "This White House, this president does not want to answer questions, critical questions, about his associates, his aides contacts with the Russians during the course of that campaign just as his national security advisor is being run out of this White House on a rail."
CNN's John King echoed his colleague, complaining that conservative journalists are not asking Trump tough questions." Well, it would be nice it would be nice if the conservative outlets the president is calling on would ask him tough questions," King lamented. "And instead of actually trying to curry favor with this president, they might do him a favor by letting him answer these questions because until he answers these questions this story is not going to go away."
Why might Trump be ignoring CNN?
Trump himself explained his frustration in an earlier press conference, when he noted that CNN ran a report about a rumor -- since discredited -- that he had used the services of a prostitute during a trip to Moscow. Trump even complimented The New York Times for passing on the story. CNN has since stuck by its decision to publish the uncorroborated report. ABC's Matthew Dowd went so far as to claim today that Trump is "shutting down" the First Amendment by not calling on liberal media outlets during these press conferences.
Well, I was struck by when you look at this, this is two democracies, two important democracies in the world and basically the President of the United States is shutting down the part of the First Amendment by not taking questions that are going to be any way antagonistic in this," Dowd said.
What might Trump have against ABC? Well, Dowd himself has accused Trump of pushing legislation that plays to the racial fears of his base. On ABC's political show, "The View," hosts have likened Trump to the Taliban, claimed his administration wants to bring back slavery, and said his approach to the media mirrors a dictatorship.
So who did Trump call on today? The Christian Broadcast Network and Townhall.com. Both of these news organizations have run plenty of negative Trump stories. Townhall's two most well known pundits -- Katie Pavlich and Guy Benson -- were both outwardly opposed to Trump during the Republican primary.
One thing they haven't done? Publish anti-Trump fake news and/or compare him to history's most infamous mass murderers.
Gotta love that last sentence.
So, they are basically interviewing each other in order to perpetuate their ideological POV.
I thought I heard a good question at the Bibi/Trump presser that went into detail about Flynn and the IC. Trump answered it. No one played ‘gotcha’.
“Wolf, theres no other way to describe it but the fix is in,”
Payback is a *itch, ain’t it guys.
He needs to tell the press that it should be no surprise why they are being ostracized, and if the ever grow up and report the news, they may be allowed to participate in a news conference. Until then, you are will be escorted from WH property until further notice.
Make like Madonna and blow.
Make like Madonna and blow.
How many tough questions did Hillary and Obama take on Benghazi?
Candy Crowley, anyone?
Stay strong President Trump.
If they can’t state the facts without muddying the truth with their own spin, I say leave these these reporters out of the press conferences.
yup. fact is, Trump does not need these weasels to do HIS job.
Trump should remind the NY Times every single day they disgustingly insulted his wife
That alone is reason to exclude them for the next 8 years.
The public would 100% understand.
I didn’t know Hitler held press conferences, but if he had, he probably wouldn’t have called on them either. Hitler didn’t need the press, he had Joseph Goebbels to spread his fake news.
What? Are you insane? He has a gift of straight talk that resonates with anyone with an ounce of common sense.
Fake news is not journalism.
Perhaps He is only calling on Actual journalist...
And all the little Goebbelses went to bed hungry.
The end.
Hey why don’t you listen to the questions? They might ask the same thing you wanted to know.
Best headline I’ve seen in a while.
Why do questions have to be antagonistic? Maybe therein lies the problem...Watch the Skype questions in the white house dailies. Respectful, thoughtful and not about gotcha subjects every single time...Maybe you guys could humble yourselves and learn from people outside of Washington
In today’s joint presser with Netanyahu, Trump called on CBN (or some other Christian Network) for the first question. The alphabets must have been fuming that some religious news outlet got the first question while they were ignored.
I love it!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.