President Donald Trump has just about had it with the media and the fake news. During his daily coronavirus updates, he has been stern with several reporters that he found to be rude, and even told a few of them that they were the biggest detractors during the virus crisis and that it was no wonder their revenue was down.
“Advertising in the Failing New York Times is WAY down. Washington Post is not much better,” Trump posted on his social media account. “I can’t say whether this is because they are Fake News sources of information, to a level that few can understand, or the Virus is just plain beating them up. Fake News is bad for America!”
It is no secret that the media has had it in for Trump since the day he announced his run for president. Those against Trump have not made it easy for him during his time as president. But no matter who likes who – or who doesn’t – it is pretty clear that advertising has definitely plunged in the two papers.
The lack of mutual respect is crudely evident in the way that the facts are presented by the media; always skewing it so that Trump looks like the bad guy. For example, as America deals with the coronavirus and the death toll grows each day, there are two distinct, clashing narratives. His supporters would say that the president is courageously leading the country with a disruptive approach despite the critics, and is doing a phenomenal job. The press, however, claims that Trump is losing control of the situation.
Every day Trump appears to be more disgusted with the media, and who could blame him after being put through the ringer with the Russia probe, then the ridiculous impeachment battle, and now third-rate reporters like Don Lemon of CNN as well as Rachel Maddow and Chris Hayes of MSNBC who say that cable news channels should not even carry the president’s briefings on live TV. The president has had enough of the fake news and does not mind telling reporters about the “lousy job” they are doing. In fact, at press events over the weekend, Trump accused certain media outlets of spreading false rumors, fear and panic.
We live in crazy and unsure times right now with around half of the country cheering for Trump’s evisceration of the press, and the other half applauding the journalists for denouncing the president. During times of crisis, Americans have traditionally come together and cast their differences aside. Clearly, this is the last thing the modern mainstream media wants.
