A lot has happened since I wrote the last edition of this column in April. Joe Biden got voted—or rather, forcibly removed—off the island after a disastrous debate performance; Donald Trump survived not one, but two assassination attempts; and now, we’re less than a week away from what looks to be the closest presidential election since George W. Bush fearmongered his way to a second term in 2004. One of the defining features of the race to the White House that hasn’t been talked about enough is Trump and Kamala Harris’ relationships with the press, with both candidates having moments that left journalists concerned about the future of free press.
On one hand, Trump has made his disdain of the press clear since his first march to the sea in 2016. One of his trademark attacks has been to deride any network, outlet or newspaper who disagrees with him as “fake news.” He’s largely used this against liberal-leaning outlets like CNN, but has even gone so far as to attack Fox News despite the network being his own personal propaganda machine during his presidency. He’s also been incredibly combative in interviews where reporters put him on the ropes, often responding with anger and hostility. One of the most damning recent examples came when Trump was interviewed by Rachel Scott of ABC News at a meeting of the National Association of Black Journalists over the summer. Scott started the interview asking Trump why black voters should support him, which he responded to by bashing ABC News and deriding her for asking the question. Trump reacts to questions by the press like a five-year old reacts to being punished; the only difference is the five-year old will eventually learn their lesson, something that Trump is seemingly incapable of doing.
Trump’s relentless and egotistic attacks on the press have created an environment where mistrust of the press has soared to astronomically high levels. This mistrust affects journalists at all levels, from Capitol Hill beat reporters to community reporters in rural towns. A second Trump term would further stoke this mistrust, putting journalists across the country at risk for doing their jobs. Worse, Trump has vowed to punish networks and papers that he disagrees with and has openly flirted the idea of putting reporters in jail. His rhetoric and proposed actions against journalists conflict with the very idea of the First Amendment and would make the founding fathers roll in their graves.
It’s clear that Trump is the anti-press candidate in this race. But while Harris hasn’t said anything as outwardly threatening against journalists as Trump, she hasn’t solidified herself as a pro-press candidate. After becoming the presumptive Democratic nominee while Biden was taken to tend the rabbits, Harris avoided the press like a middle schooler avoids deodorant, giving very few sit-down interviews. In the few interviews she did, her answers were vague and utilized “the art of pivoting,” as Al Franken once said. This was likely done to run a mistake-free campaign, similar to the approach of Thomas Dewey in 1948. As criticism of her avoidance of the press grew, the Harris campaign did an about-face and embarked on what has been described as a “media blitz.” But instead of focusing on policy-centered interviews with reporters, she has largely focused on appearing on podcasts like Alex Cooper’s “Call Her Daddy” and Shannon Sharpe’s “Club Shay Shay” to connect with voters better. Though Harris reached a wide audience with these appearances, it’s important to remember that Cooper and Sharpe aren’t journalists, but glorified entertainers. Her preference for these interviews with lay-up questions is a slap in the face to journalists who want to ask her real questions about the issues of the campaign.
What’s most concerning about Harris is she rarely talks on the campaign trail about the threats that journalists face. While Trump continues to bash the press, Harris hasn’t provided any sort of rebuttal to these attacks. Instead, she opts for generically calling him a “fascist” or a “Nazi.” Labeling Trump as these may get her views on X, formally known as Twitter, but does nothing to stand up for the free press. If she really wants to distinguish herself from Trump, Harris needs to firmly assert that she supports the work of journalists and will uphold the First Amendment. Calling Trump a fascist doesn’t do anything for anybody, especially for journalists who continue to face attacks from an increasingly hostile public.
Let’s make something clear: Harris’ reluctancy to embrace pro-press messaging should not be equated with Trump’s brash and violent anti-press messaging. A second Trump Reich poses an existential threat to journalists that hasn’t been seen since the Nixon administration. But for Harris to ignore this issue is simply unacceptable. If Harris wants to distinguish herself in the final days of the campaign, she needs to position herself as an ally to the press. Otherwise, this country is staring down the barrel of the Trump News Network: all lies, all the time.
Dan, Job well done .. Agree with much of what you write & especially your opinion of donald tramp …. Keerp up the good work
Dear friend of your Grandfather Nuff said Ed