Posted on 06/14/2023 9:29:04 AM PDT by Red Badger
BEDMINSTER, NEW JERSEY - JUNE 13: Former President Donald Trump speaks to supporters at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster following his appearance in a Miami court on June 13, 2023 in Bedminster, New Jersey. Trump appeared in court in Miami to answer a 37-count indictment that alleges he willfully retained classified documents after he left office and refused to return them. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
People watching former President Donald Trump’s speech about the federal charges he is facing on PBS were treated to a unique message on the screen.
On Wednesday, conservative commentator Noam Blum tweeted a screen shot from PBS’ coverage of Trump’s speech after his arraignment in the federal case against him for his handling of classified documents.
“PBS are so concerned about Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric that could lead to acts of violence that they left his fundraising number conveniently visible on screen right above their warning,” he wrote.
The screen shot showed a label meant to add “context” to the former president’s comments that read, “EXPERTS WARN THAT INFLAMMATORY RHETORIC FROM ELECTED OFFICIALS OR PEOPLE IN POWER CAN PROMPT INDIVIDUAL ACTORS TO COMMIT ACTS OF VIOLENCE.”
Critics of Trump will point to his comments ahead of the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol as evidence his words can inspire violence.
Yet people are responsible for their own actions and behavior and for what it is worth, he told his supporters to be peaceful. And he has not stood up on a national broadcast and declared, “Into the streets my Magadonians! Take back what belongs to us by force! Fight! Fight for me!”
Those in the media seem to fear Trump has some magical power to hypnotize people, through comments he makes on TV, into taking violent actions without actually saying words that would be a direct call to arms.
However, it is worth pointing out that the people watching Trump’s speech on PBS are probably not the kinds of people who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6. And if they are watching on PBS, they probably ignored the label. Which raises the question: what was really the point of this warning?
It seems it was more of a virtue-signaling attempt for PBS viewers. It was as if the executives there were saying, “We have to show you him because it is newsworthy, but fret not we know he is a really, really bad person.”
To be fair, PBS was not the only network to air a ridiculous message while a president spoke on Tuesday night. During one of its opinionated programs, Fox News called President Joe Biden a “wannabe dictator,” which was simply disrespectful and irresponsible.
And there is still a grave concern or aversion from some on the Left to giving Trump any platform to speak.
It is understandable people would be concerned about Trump inciting violence. Once your supporters commit violence, it’s hard to prove a similar situation will not occur.
But at the same time, we have not seen a repeat of Jan. 6 despite warnings of right-wing violence. So it is a little ridiculous to keep up the fear of him speaking.
Networks, if they are striving to just present the news and not opinions, should just let politicians speak without feeling to influence viewers’ thoughts by telling their audience what a menace the speaker is. Let the viewers make up their own minds.
“Major” in their own minds. I haven’t watched them in 30 years.
NPR/PBS should be defunded but the pathetic Republicans will never attempt to do it.
When PBS labels specific political candidates as inherently dangerous then the time is clear: the people cannot be required to fund this political organization. Congress, even though all you GOP crooks agree with them, if you want to keep even a shred of actually not being controlled opposition then for once do your damned job!
pbs needs to live bty their own demands and turn themselves in for voicing ‘disturbing rhetoric’ that ‘could lead to violence” on their own shows!
“EXPERTS WARN THAT INFLAMMATORY RHETORIC FROM ELECTED OFFICIALS OR PEOPLE IN POWER CAN PROMPT INDIVIDUAL ACTORS TO COMMIT ACTS OF VIOLENCE.”
Experts????
Oh my God, what a big bucket of dung.
P Putrid
B bullshit
S sounding-off
PBS don’t ya just love it?
Trump is neither a person in power or an elected official. This was a political statement by PBS, an attempt at censorship, intimidation and election interference.
Really? Which words, exactly? What did Trump say on J6 that could be construed to have been inciting or inspiring violence?
Oh, that's right, there weren't any.
OR NOT...
That’s right!
Yet Trump is still alive…. After years of such “inflammatory” statements from the left.
Something sick about that.
You know… “go peacefully and patriotically” to the Capitol….. “no violence, we are the party of law and order”…. Those statements.
PBS, “major news outlet”
LOL, what a laugh. Major propaganda outlet, funded by taxpayers without their approval.
The left aren’t peaceful. They indulge in the most inflammatory rhetoric possible and they riot and burn things down. They use the law to attack their political enemies. Peaceful.
Yeah, ‘Experts’.
The DNC, they are experts at inciting violence and thuggery.............
When will Congress cut public funding?
People’s Broadcasting System..
Probably never, sad to say.
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