Trump began today by blaming “Fake News” for having “contributed greatly to the anger and rage that has built up over many years.”
In doing so, he was echoing a line from the El Paso shooter, a Politico reporter noted:
Michael Calderone
(@mlcalderone)“The media is infamous for fake news,” the El Paso shooter wrote in his screed. The president two days later: pic.twitter.com/dE9ZkoKiw3
The New York Post, one of Trump’s favorite newspapers that is owned by conservative media mogul Rupert Murdoch, is out with a front-page editorial today calling for “the return of an assault-weapons ban.”
But many journalists have noted that the right-leaning outlet issued a similar plea after the Parkland shooting to no avail:
Matt Viser
(@mviser)Tomorrow’s front page of the New York Post, a Murdoch-owned Trump favorite, is powerful. So was the one 18 months earlier. After which nothing changed. pic.twitter.com/3yyPUyILZd
Nadler: Trump’s response ‘reminds me of 1930s Germany’
The Democratic chairman of the House judiciary committee, Jerry Nadler, compared Trump’s response to the shootings to Nazi Germany:
Aaron Rupar
(@atrupar)Wow. On @Morning_Joe, @RepJerryNadler says Trump’s response to mass shootings in El Paso & Dayton “reminds me of the 1930s in Germany.”
“What’s connection between background checks & immigration reform? That we have to keep guns out of the hands out of the invading hordes?” pic.twitter.com/CkmZ8CTryd
And a University of Alabama law professor made this point about Trump’s morning tweet suggesting that a background checks bill should be linked to immigration reform:
Joyce Alene
(@JoyceWhiteVance)This is sinister. Why do shootings mean we need immigration reform? By linking them, Trump blames the victims for the terrorism that took their lives. He throws red meat to his base-let’s keep Hispanics out of our country-in response to the crimes of a white supremacist. https://t.co/NYVZlVDCvb
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At the same time, the president’s daughter and White House advisor Ivanka Trump called white supremacy “terrorism” in a tweet. The language echoed a New York Times editorial over the weekend.
Ivanka Trump
(@IvankaTrump)White supremacy, like all other forms of terrorism, is an evil that must be destroyed.
She was immediately criticized, including by a lawmaker who was the recent target of a racist tweet by President Trump, Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan.
In July, Trump told four female Congresswomen of color to “go back” to the nations they came from. The tweet played on old racist tropes, and was also inaccurate – all but one of the women was born in the United States.
Rashida Tlaib
(@RashidaTlaib)Your prayers aren’t working. Try checking your dad on his tweets. 251 mass shootings in the U.S. in 216 days.
He incites violence every day w/ his hate agenda & racism. More people are dying b/c he fails to fight white supremacist terrorists.
They are the ones who hate America. https://t.co/dYzF2G7fEa
Trump blames media for ‘anger and rage’
President Trump is under intense criticism following two back-to-back massacres in Dayton, Ohio and El Paso, Texas, in which dozens of people were killed with military-style assault rifles.
In the El Paso shooting, a long manifesto was posted online shortly before the massacre began, saying the attack was motivated by hatred of immigrants. He used language which echoed that often used by President Trump to stoke support for immigration restrictions.
Trump responded this morning by blaming the “Fake News” media for a contributing to “anger and rage,” calling for background checks, and “marrying” the legislation with immigration reform.
“We must have something good, if not GREAT [sic], come out of these two tragic events!” he tweeted early Monday.
Donald J. Trump
(@realDonaldTrump)We cannot let those killed in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, die in vain. Likewise for those so seriously wounded. We can never forget them, and those many who came before them. Republicans and Democrats must come together and get strong background checks, perhaps marrying….
Donald J. Trump
(@realDonaldTrump)The Media has a big responsibility to life and safety in our Country. Fake News has contributed greatly to the anger and rage that has built up over many years. News coverage has got to start being fair, balanced and unbiased, or these terrible problems will only get worse!
