Trump campaign attacks journalists a day after deadly newsroom shooting

Less than 24 hours after the deadliest day for journalists since 9/11, the Trump campaign is again attacking journalists as “fake news.”

Four reporters and a sales assistant for the Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland, were gunned down and killed by an armed intruder Thursday.

The next morning, Trump’s re-election campaign sent out a press release advertising an upcoming rally in Great Falls, Montana.

A quote in the release from Michael Glassner, COO of the Trump campaign, directly attacked the free press:

“This will be another great chance for President Trump to connect directly with patriotic Americans without the filter of the fake news media to celebrate all of the successes of the Trump agenda.”

Trump has repeatedly used the slur “fake news” to attack reporting that has accurately depicted his corruption, misogyny, racism, and other unpresidential behavior.

His campaign’s message also had the effect of underlining his hypocrisy.

“Journalists, like all Americans, should be free from the fear of being violently attacked while doing their job,” Trump said shortly after the shooting.

This was an interesting comment coming from a man who has, on more than one occasion, seemingly endorsed the idea of violence against the media, specifically CNN.

Despite his brief statement, Trump would not answer shouted questions from CNN reporter Jim Acosta, who asked if he would “stop calling the press the enemy of the people.” He had done so in a tweet that is still online.

Before that, Trump refused to answer reporters who asked him about the shooting.

Trump, his spokespeople, and his campaign have been open and unapologetic in their hostility to the First Amendment, the free press, and to specific reporters. Even after the tragic deadly shooting, the Trump campaign did not hesitate to keep pushing that message, giving aid and comfort to those who demonize and hope to harm journalists.

That’s where Trump stands.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.