I agree with your view, Chris, but I’m not sure it matters much how Trump is covered by reputable media. Anyone who reads the NYTimes or WaPo has read a surfeit of negative stories re Trump . ( Yet left wing social media pillories those papers daily for not being critical enough.) But most people don’t read or consume any serious news. And many on right consume only Trump friendly media and live in info bubbles. The problem may not be the message but rather the needed audience’s refusal of delivery
Trump saying something that outrageously stupid and false is a better measure of Trump than of Biden. The fact that Mr. Hewitt did NOT push back and fact check Trump when he spouted that drivel speaks to how far, Mr. Hewitt is willing to debase himself. What vile sick garbage that we Americans must endure daily with this awful human being Trump? How did an American political party allow itself to have someone of such low character win the party's nomination? The world literally wonders.
Kudos to you for taking on the daunting job of translating “Trump-speak.” Like yourself, I have been paying close attention to his speeches and the”lines” which you so diligently post for your readers. I honestly don’t know how anyone can keep making excuses for the venom that are his words.
Back in 2016 during his early campaign days, he stated,”I love the poor and uneducated.” It boggles the mind to think that anyone else who heard or read those words could possibly think he was suitable as a Presidential candidate.
Now stating that President Biden was “jacked up” should be the last straw for folks.
Trump doesn’t have a decent bone in his body. These trials can’t come quickly enough!
So....I love what you write and have since your days at the Post. In light of what you just wrote, might I suggest that your coverage of the "wildest things Trump said" now might need a change in tone. It has gone past the time to be astonished by him and his speeches with a nod to humour, but the time to laugh has passed. It is time to take it seriously and as intended.
Also, now that the football season has ended, you should grab Reginald to do a weekly op ed piece.
Good summary (as usual), but I'm a bit confused. About halfway down you say "The after-action report — in politics and media — was that the media had done this. In sacrificing profits for principles, they had created Trump. And now he was the single most powerful person in the world."
Could you possibly have reversed "profits" and "principles"?
It is important to understand that Trump has distorted reality for everyone. Some are fully immersed in this MAGA reality, but it reaches everyone. To the point that most of us when we hear him accuse the president of doing blow at the SOTU just go, ”Sounds like Trump.”
Consider this too, Chris - what if a lot of us are dealing with some sort of PTSD after the pandemic? Anxiety in people is rising, and how much could that be distorting our judgement? Because it feels like we've come full circle to 2015 and are again arguing whether Trump is fit for office.
Think about it. No, the man has never been ”fit” for elected office. He is far less fit now than he was in 2016, likely not capable of making sound decisions. But the point is that he doesn't really care about those decisions, because he measures human worth in money. He is also possibly criminally insane. It seems he really did do that with all those classified docs.
I also think the reality distortion flows through the Republican Party as well. It's been an institution! I hate to say but it is mostly gone. The better perspective is that the party has undergone a slow acquisition by Trump. Or perhaps a better analogy would be a long-rumored merger with the underlying hijinks and shenanigans that everyone finds out the truth about five years down the road.
Viewed this way, Trump is now attempting to purchase the Federal government. He met with big investors just this weekend. They know he will not concede and think he is a good investment. They are pretty sure he's not going to prison. Other investors will follow, and Jamie Dimon appears to be courting both sides. See, Dimon is making the correct short-term decision for investors, but the incorrect long-term one.
I think the whole acquisition could be fought with RICO charges at the Federal level.
Chris, I think these are some of the most important points you have ever made about Donald Trump. I wish I knew of a way to get this in front of more people. I do believe that if more undecided voters knew more about his lack of logic and his incoherency, it might make them think twice about voting for him.
I agree with you, Chris. I do think that Trump was covered by the media in 2015/2016 way too much. It was an insane amount of coverage and it drove ratings, which is the bottom line. However, I do agree that the media did not create him, although, less coverage could have meant a loss. Trump was the sideshow, the entertainer and he drove ratings sky high. During the Apprentice,he was in everyone’s living room and people brought his schtick of being a great businessman. Now, he’s running for president and people clung to him just due to being an entertainer and believing he was a great businessman. Add to that mix, people bought into him being for the forgotten man, the government is screwing people, etc.. However, here we are in 2024 and in some ways, I think this is all baked in. There are his base and you will never change their minds. The people that may be persuadable, IMO, won’t last 2 minutes listening to him. I think only his base are able to tolerate him. I can’t stand to listen to him or look at him. I have trouble watching Biden’s ads that target Trump…ugh.
I think you were early on all in on just focusing on the crazy, which pretty much sold me on your brand of journalism. I’m here for more but “20 most” is a signature product for us here.
"But, no, I don’t think Trump got elected president solely because CNN ran his speeches in 2015 live."
This is a really succinct way to put it. When all is said and done, millions of people (including many in my family), have voted for this man and will do so again. They see something they want in Trump, and admitting this is something I haven't wanted to do in 8 years.
The MSM - never missing an opportunity to miss an opportunity. Murrow and all the rest, the guys at the NYT who broke the Pentagon Papers and so much more - all of them - would be going through the "news"rooms today, throwing the occupants out the windows.
Great writing, Chris! I’ve mentioned this to you once before—and I think you even suggest this to voters—but actually WATCHING one of these Trump interviews or campaign rallies is, in my mind, very different than reading about them (either via a transcript or a journalist’s writing). Furthermore, I even think there is a difference between an interview (where DJT can be better steered to or away from certain topics, or even back on track—which is often the case, especially with the, ahem, fully supportive interviewer in tow—as opposed to the rambling tangent that is one of his campaign rallies). So, I’d love for you to watch an upcoming campaign rally (either live or even after the fact) and then write one of your excellent “# wackiest” pieces. I think it would be interesting to get your “take” (sorry, I despise using that phrase, but I digress) on the whole visual/auditory experience.
The cocaine thing sounds like classic Trump projection / admission of things he does himself.
His drug of choice is Adderall. It's why he's always sniffling.
I agree with your view, Chris, but I’m not sure it matters much how Trump is covered by reputable media. Anyone who reads the NYTimes or WaPo has read a surfeit of negative stories re Trump . ( Yet left wing social media pillories those papers daily for not being critical enough.) But most people don’t read or consume any serious news. And many on right consume only Trump friendly media and live in info bubbles. The problem may not be the message but rather the needed audience’s refusal of delivery
Trump saying something that outrageously stupid and false is a better measure of Trump than of Biden. The fact that Mr. Hewitt did NOT push back and fact check Trump when he spouted that drivel speaks to how far, Mr. Hewitt is willing to debase himself. What vile sick garbage that we Americans must endure daily with this awful human being Trump? How did an American political party allow itself to have someone of such low character win the party's nomination? The world literally wonders.
Chris,
Kudos to you for taking on the daunting job of translating “Trump-speak.” Like yourself, I have been paying close attention to his speeches and the”lines” which you so diligently post for your readers. I honestly don’t know how anyone can keep making excuses for the venom that are his words.
Back in 2016 during his early campaign days, he stated,”I love the poor and uneducated.” It boggles the mind to think that anyone else who heard or read those words could possibly think he was suitable as a Presidential candidate.
Now stating that President Biden was “jacked up” should be the last straw for folks.
Trump doesn’t have a decent bone in his body. These trials can’t come quickly enough!
So....I love what you write and have since your days at the Post. In light of what you just wrote, might I suggest that your coverage of the "wildest things Trump said" now might need a change in tone. It has gone past the time to be astonished by him and his speeches with a nod to humour, but the time to laugh has passed. It is time to take it seriously and as intended.
Also, now that the football season has ended, you should grab Reginald to do a weekly op ed piece.
Good summary (as usual), but I'm a bit confused. About halfway down you say "The after-action report — in politics and media — was that the media had done this. In sacrificing profits for principles, they had created Trump. And now he was the single most powerful person in the world."
Could you possibly have reversed "profits" and "principles"?
Good point
It is important to understand that Trump has distorted reality for everyone. Some are fully immersed in this MAGA reality, but it reaches everyone. To the point that most of us when we hear him accuse the president of doing blow at the SOTU just go, ”Sounds like Trump.”
Consider this too, Chris - what if a lot of us are dealing with some sort of PTSD after the pandemic? Anxiety in people is rising, and how much could that be distorting our judgement? Because it feels like we've come full circle to 2015 and are again arguing whether Trump is fit for office.
Think about it. No, the man has never been ”fit” for elected office. He is far less fit now than he was in 2016, likely not capable of making sound decisions. But the point is that he doesn't really care about those decisions, because he measures human worth in money. He is also possibly criminally insane. It seems he really did do that with all those classified docs.
I also think the reality distortion flows through the Republican Party as well. It's been an institution! I hate to say but it is mostly gone. The better perspective is that the party has undergone a slow acquisition by Trump. Or perhaps a better analogy would be a long-rumored merger with the underlying hijinks and shenanigans that everyone finds out the truth about five years down the road.
Viewed this way, Trump is now attempting to purchase the Federal government. He met with big investors just this weekend. They know he will not concede and think he is a good investment. They are pretty sure he's not going to prison. Other investors will follow, and Jamie Dimon appears to be courting both sides. See, Dimon is making the correct short-term decision for investors, but the incorrect long-term one.
I think the whole acquisition could be fought with RICO charges at the Federal level.
Chris, I think these are some of the most important points you have ever made about Donald Trump. I wish I knew of a way to get this in front of more people. I do believe that if more undecided voters knew more about his lack of logic and his incoherency, it might make them think twice about voting for him.
I agree with you, Chris. I do think that Trump was covered by the media in 2015/2016 way too much. It was an insane amount of coverage and it drove ratings, which is the bottom line. However, I do agree that the media did not create him, although, less coverage could have meant a loss. Trump was the sideshow, the entertainer and he drove ratings sky high. During the Apprentice,he was in everyone’s living room and people brought his schtick of being a great businessman. Now, he’s running for president and people clung to him just due to being an entertainer and believing he was a great businessman. Add to that mix, people bought into him being for the forgotten man, the government is screwing people, etc.. However, here we are in 2024 and in some ways, I think this is all baked in. There are his base and you will never change their minds. The people that may be persuadable, IMO, won’t last 2 minutes listening to him. I think only his base are able to tolerate him. I can’t stand to listen to him or look at him. I have trouble watching Biden’s ads that target Trump…ugh.
I think you were early on all in on just focusing on the crazy, which pretty much sold me on your brand of journalism. I’m here for more but “20 most” is a signature product for us here.
He has no morals, no scruples, no humanness.
I have been reading a lot on the Trump people and why they support him
It's a mindset and I'm convinced you are not going to change that over 40% who support him
Trump didn't create them They created Trump
They are not going to be changed by peoples' analysis of what he says
"But, no, I don’t think Trump got elected president solely because CNN ran his speeches in 2015 live."
This is a really succinct way to put it. When all is said and done, millions of people (including many in my family), have voted for this man and will do so again. They see something they want in Trump, and admitting this is something I haven't wanted to do in 8 years.
The MSM - never missing an opportunity to miss an opportunity. Murrow and all the rest, the guys at the NYT who broke the Pentagon Papers and so much more - all of them - would be going through the "news"rooms today, throwing the occupants out the windows.
GOOD ARTICLE, CHRIS!!! Get onTV with this analysis!!!!!
Great writing, Chris! I’ve mentioned this to you once before—and I think you even suggest this to voters—but actually WATCHING one of these Trump interviews or campaign rallies is, in my mind, very different than reading about them (either via a transcript or a journalist’s writing). Furthermore, I even think there is a difference between an interview (where DJT can be better steered to or away from certain topics, or even back on track—which is often the case, especially with the, ahem, fully supportive interviewer in tow—as opposed to the rambling tangent that is one of his campaign rallies). So, I’d love for you to watch an upcoming campaign rally (either live or even after the fact) and then write one of your excellent “# wackiest” pieces. I think it would be interesting to get your “take” (sorry, I despise using that phrase, but I digress) on the whole visual/auditory experience.
Many thanks!