Americans from across the political spectrum were treated to yet more evidence that Donald Trump is an invincible force that cannot be easily reckoned with. But this perception will do little to mitigate the media hostility that poisons the US political scene.
Everyone knew it was just a matter of time. Trump, who was addressing a crowd of supporters in Butler, Pennsylvania, was grazed by an assassin’s bullet during a campaign speech (how the would-be killer managed to get so close to the Republican frontrunner amid an army of Secret Service agents is a question for another day). What must concern Americans now is what exactly triggered this latest display of political violence.
Several commentators pointed to reckless remarks Joe Biden made on a call with donors earlier this month, when the incumbent leader reportedly said: “I have one job, and that’s to beat Donald Trump… So, we’re done talking about the debate, it’s time to put Trump in a bullseye.”
J.D. Vance, the senator from Ohio and a top contender to be Trump’s running mate, said in a statement on X (formerly Twitter): “The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs. That rhetoric led directly to President Trump’s attempted assassination.”
While that is true, it is the media that happily promulgates such dangerous messages and which must be held at least partially responsible for the atmosphere of hate that now permeates the US political scene. While we constantly hear reports about unhinged individuals being ‘politically motivated,’ how about we give more attention to those who have been ‘media motivated’?
For starters, consider last month’s issue of the New Republic, a left-leaning political journal that featured on its cover a portrait of Trump made to resemble Adolf Hitler along with the inscription, “American fascism, what it would look like.”
One month later and on the day of the shooting, the journal was whistling a different tune.
“As I write these words, we don’t know what motivated 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks to try to assassinate Trump,” wrote the TNR columnist Michael Tomasky, feigning ignorance and disbelief. “But whatever his motivation turns out to be, his act not isolated (sic)… I’d write that we’re about to enter a very dark period, but in fact we entered it long ago, and there’s no end in sight.”
You don’t say, Michael?
As to be expected, there was no sign of Trump sporting the Hitler moustache to accompany the article. After reading literally hundreds of such hypocritical pieces that totally lack self-awareness, it becomes more obvious that the entire political field is rigged in favor of one team, namely the Democrats, over those of the Republicans. While the two factions enjoy roughly 50% support of the electorate, it’s no secret (although a great mystery) that the liberal left enjoys far greater public reach due to its overwhelming control of the national media. Thus, Democrats have much greater trust in the media since it generally reflects their own values.
In a recent Gallup poll, a record-high number of Americans (39%), say they don’t trust the media at all. That number has steadily increased since 2018. If you dig deeper into the statistics, however, a much more disturbing picture emerges. A whopping 58% of Democrats said they have a great deal or fair amount of trust in the media, while just 11% of Republicans agreed with that statement. No wonder that in the United States you increasingly hear people speak about the “propaganda” that is now controlling the airwaves, newspapers, not to mention what and how people think.
Consider just one major news event: the Black Lives Matter protests (May 2020). At the height of the race-fueled riots following the death of George Floyd at the hands of a White police officer, a veritable army of pro-Democrat channels like PBS, ABC, CBS, NBC, and CNN were shockingly sympathetic to the acts of violence that spread from sea to shining sea, while only Fox News and a tiny handful of pro-Republican outlets covered the seedier side of that event.
In a desperate effort to sanctify the rioters, CNN was roundly ridiculed as one of its reporters stood in front of a raging fire with the chyron at the bottom of the screen, ‘FIERY BUT MOSTLY PEACEFUL PROTESTS.’ It should come as no surprise that millions of Americans never heard that the arson, vandalism, and looting that occurred between May 26 and June 8 caused roughly between $1 billion and $2 billion in wrecked property nationally, the highest recorded damage from civil disorder in US history.
That demonstrates the power of the media to twist any news story – or personality – to its liking. Considering that the media industrial complex has been aiming its big guns at the reputation of the populist politician, Donald J. Trump, it should come as no surprise that a lone maniac nearly killed him.
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.