Trump and the Local News Reporter Four days after the video first caught his attention, President Donald Trump this Monday morning is ratcheting up his attacks on a local news reporter who was verbally abused and stalked by anti-lockdown protesters in Long Island. In a tweet, the president again shared footage posted by News 12 Long Island’s Kevin Vesey — which showed demonstrators harassing him. They called him a "traitor" and one even told Vesey "you are the virus." Later, a man actually stalked Vesey. For that, the protesters were encouraged and praised by Trump on Friday. And again on Saturday. And on Monday, yet again. 'Basic Decency' CNN’s Brian Stelter ripped President Donald Trump on Sunday for how his war with the political press has fomented anger and aggression throughout the country. “The president is encouraging confrontations with reporters,” Stelter noted. “He’s saying it’s okay. He’s saying it’s patriotic, it’s Trumpian, to confront local TV reporters, to yell epithets while they’re trying to work, to act menacing in front of kids. It’s where we are. This is the kind of stuff you see in autocracies, not democracies.” "It helps nobody. It just causes society to fray around the edges," he said. 'Let Us Do It Without Being Harassed' Fox News correspondent Griff Jenkins came to the defense of Vesey also. “I send my support in regard for Kevin beasy for going out there. He went by himself, he had no cameraman, he was shooting with his cell phone, a reality of this time, and he was there to tell their story, and they harassed him. He even managed to muster a sort of objection to Trump cheering. "I’m not sure the president tweeting supporting them is a right move here," he said. ‘Doctor Death and Destruction’ Fox News’ Steve Hilton demanded the firing of Dr. Robert Redfied as he went off on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for how they’ve handled the coronavirus pandemic. /White House trade advisor Peter Navarro on Sunday told NBC's Chuck Todd that the CDC has "really let the country down." Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, however, does not agree. Fox News’ Chris Wallace spoke to the former head of the CDC, Tom Frieden, about whether the agency is currently being sidelined. Does anyone else smell a scapegoat? 'Creep' President Donald Trump viciously lashed out over a 60 Minutes interview Norah O’Donnell conducted with a government whistleblower on the coronavirus pandemic response. O’Donnell interviewed Dr. Rick Bright, the ousted director of a federal vaccine agency, who testified before the House last week that the administration was slow to respond to the coronavirus pandemic and pushed him out of his position for political reasons. That prompted a whistleblower complaint which has called into question the Trump administration’s handling of the pandemic. Trump, apparently a dedicated viewer of 60 Minutes, had previously lashed out at the CBS News program just last week, after it aired an in-depth report on the “disinformation campaign” hampering his administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. ‘CNN Faker’ CNN’s Kaitlan Collins pushed back on President Donald Trump’s calling her a “CNN Faker” Sunday evening because apparently this is what is the current state of discourse in America. At issue is a video clip that emerged over the weekend that came at the end of Friday afternoon’s White House Briefing in which Collins removed her facial mask shortly after Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany ended the event. The president flipped. 'Too Good to be True?' On Sunday evening, Ben Smith, former editor-in-chief of Buzzfeed and now New York Times media columnist, delivered a scathing assessment of the journalistic endeavors of Ronan Farrow, in his coverage of #MeToo scandals. It is a subject that is now open for criticism after Tara Reade made an accusation against Democrat Joe Biden. Flipping out A woman recorded herself having a public freakout after a store refused to let her enter without a face mask amid the coronavirus pandemic. After being told that a mask is necessary to enter Gelson’s Market in Dana Point, California, the woman, who identified herself as Shelley Lewis, asked to speak with the manager. 6.5.0 |