The New York Times was quick to fold to criticism from rabid anti-Trump Democrats over its headline framing President Donald Trump’s planned remarks Monday after a pair of shootings over the weekend that occurred within 24 hours, leaving 31 dead.
Nate Silver, editor in chief of FiveThirtyEight, shared the preview of the Times’ front page on Twitter… the headline read: “TRUMP URGES UNITY VS. RACISM.”
Tomorrow’s NYT print edition.
Not sure “TRUMP URGES UNITY VS. RACISM” is how I would have framed the story. pic.twitter.com/quOibXsp32
— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) August 6, 2019
However, with the 2020 presidential election looming, there will be no tolerance of any possible good light being shed on Trump, even during a time of national angst, as millions of Americans are sickened by the continued senseless violence that has set upon our society like locusts.
Among those who protested was the de facto leader of today’s Democratic Party, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.
In her element decrying alleged racism, the democratic socialist tweeted: “Let this front page serve as a reminder of how white supremacy is aided by – and often relies upon – the cowardice of mainstream institutions.”
Let this front page serve as a reminder of how white supremacy is aided by – and often relies upon – the cowardice of mainstream institutions. https://t.co/ynjgtT66yI
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) August 6, 2019
A number of Democratic presidential candidates, real or otherwise, also objected:
Unbelievable. https://t.co/rLgaacttDS
— Beto O’Rourke (@BetoORourke) August 6, 2019
That’s not what happened. https://t.co/m6eIZOARcZ
— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) August 6, 2019
Lives literally depend on you doing better, NYT. Please do. https://t.co/L4CpCb8zLi
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) August 6, 2019
Hey, @nytimes — what happened to “The Truth Is Worth It?”
Not the truth.
Not worth it. pic.twitter.com/N5tMTEoLln— Bill de Blasio (@BilldeBlasio) August 6, 2019
On and on the criticism flowed, from all corners of the left, even coming from Times contributing op-ed writer Wajahat Ali.
Enough to prove AOC right, they are cowards at the Times — the newspaper changed the headline to read: “ASSAILING HATE BUT NOT GUNS.”
FWIW (certainly better to do this than not IMO) they changed their headline between the 1st and 2nd print edition. pic.twitter.com/DOSAMFbvq0
— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) August 6, 2019
But that too failed to appease the Trump Derangement Syndrome crowd, as seen in a tweet from fired CNN anchor Soledad O’Brien.
@TomJolly: you seem like a nice guy. That headline is not good. Not accurate. Not contextual. It’s just wrong and the grey Lady should be ashamed of printing this crap. The President does not, in fact, assail hate. He fans the flames and inspires white supremacists. Do. Better. https://t.co/USsT9gUJP4
— Soledad O’Brien (@soledadobrien) August 6, 2019
Sadly, there was a concerted effort in the media to distract from Trump’s message of unity that condemned “racism, bigotry and white supremacy.”
“In one voice, our nation must condemn racism, bigotry, and white supremacy. These sinister ideologies must be defeated. Hate has no place in America. Hatred warps the mind, ravages the heart, and devours the soul,” the president said Monday. “We have asked the FBI to identify all further resources they need to investigate and disrupt hate crimes and domestic terrorism — whatever they need.”
President Trump Delivers Remarks https://t.co/sSVPZM8ypj
— The White House 45 Archived (@WhiteHouse45) August 5, 2019
Disgraced former CBS anchor Dan Rather went so far as to call on “fellow members of the press” to not quote the president’s words as he speaks them.
Rather tweeted: “To my fellow members of the press, I suggest we refrain from quoting the president’s words from prepared speeches into headlines and tweets without context. He sometimes says the right thing. The real questions are what he does and what he really believes.”
To my fellow members of the press, I suggest we refrain from quoting the presiden’ts words from prepared speeches into headlines and tweets without context. He sometimes says the right thing. The real questions are what he does and what he really believes.
— Dan Rather (@DanRather) August 5, 2019
The Washington Post concurs:
https://twitter.com/MollyJongFast/status/1158703019099328513?s=20
And speaking of Soledad O’Brien, she was seen bullying CBS reporter Weijia Jiang for daring to say that President Trump’s strong condemnation “set a different tone” from his previous actions.
Literally the reporter contradicts herself: wow new tone from the President—of course the shooter was parroting the President—but new tone! Oh and he said Toledo for Dayton—but, new tone! https://t.co/tTwdbAl8zb
— Soledad O'Brien (@soledadobrien) August 5, 2019
It is such a troubling time today where young people increasingly turn to violence, slaughtering their fellow Americans in the streets, but the current state of the press in this country is so harrowing that it almost trumps this carnage.
Not only do we appear to be falling off our moral axis, but the toxic resistance to this president from Democrats and their media allies is reaching uncharted waters.
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