What you need to knowOn July 2, President Trump tweeted a clip of himself body-slamming a man with a CNN logo superimposed on his head. The original clip was of Trump at the Battle of the Billionaires during “WrestleMania 23.”
Why this is not normalWhat does a clip like Trump body-slamming CNN represent to our president? To Trump, this tweet is him battling the “fake” news and winning.
To journalists at large, this tweet represents a world leader acknowledging that violence against the media is an acceptable, funny-ha-ha moment shortly after a Republican congressional candidate (Greg Gianforte) still attained office after body-slamming a journalist who asked him a questions about healthcare.
To the American public, this tweet is a definitive example of a president who can only frame his administration through lenses of impulse and entertainment, rather than dignity and public service. It’s a direct nod to weaponizing distrust of media so that the Freedom of the Press never interferes with the Wants of the President.
A new “PBS News Hour” poll found that 70 percent of people believe the overall tone and civility in Washington has gotten worse since Trump took office.
As usual, Trump sees nothing wrong with his outlandish conduct. He stated his tweeting behavior was, “MODERN DAY PRESIDENTIAL.”
Patty TempletonDGO Staff Writer
