The attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, broadcast live on national television, was supposed to bring the objective, unbiased coverage the country deserves at such a horrific moment.
However, some media outlets failed the test miserably.
For example, look at the following headline immediately below:
CNN: “Secret Service escorts Trump off stage after he falls at rally”
Associated Press: “Donald Trump was escorted off stage during rally after loud noises from the crowd”
New York Times: “Trump injured but safe after shooting”
Forbes: Could surviving a gunfight be Donald Trump’s next big appeal to black voters?
Politico: “In the wake of the rally shooting, Republican leaders have begun blaming Democrats for demonizing Trump.”
There’s a lot more, but that’s pretty much it.
Needless to say, it was abundantly clear that Trump had been shot when Secret Service agents helped him to his feet about a minute after the shot was fired.
Before he could crouch for cover, he heard a gunshot.
Bright red blood was splattered all over his face from his visibly bruised ear, clearly visible from a distance.
But did CNN originally report that he had fallen?
How about the Times and Politico call this a “shooting” rather than an assassination attempt?
What about Forbes magazine questioning, just hours after the attack, whether Trump would become more appealing to black voters?
And Politico scolds Republicans for seizing and assaulting Democrats, and then gets pissed that Republicans and their media allies have been calling Trump Hitler for eight years?
Margaret Brennan of CBS News, Walter Cronkite’s former office, thanked the Secret Service and read a statement from the former president explaining what happened, even going so far as to victim-blame Trump for nearly being killed.
“I noticed there was no call to de-escalate tensions, to condemn any political violence, and also to actually get the message across to their supporters not to retaliate or cause any escalation,” Brennan’s immediate response was.
I’m at a loss for words.
Somehow, things got even worse during a conversation on ABC News Sunday morning between George Stephanopoulos and Martha Raddatz, two self-described serious journalists.
“President Trump and his supporters are also complicit in this violent rhetoric,” argued Stephanopoulos, Bill Clinton’s former attack dog.
“That’s right, George,” Raddatz agreed.
“And let’s not forget January 6th,” she added.
Many of us will forever remember the iconic moment when a bloodied Trump, surrounded by Secret Service guards, raised his fist to the crowd and encouraged them to “Fight! Fight! Fight!”
It was a symbol of Trump’s strength, determination and defiance, even after having been shot in the ear just a minute earlier.
But even as the horrific scenes were unfolding, this was clearly something that should never be done on CNN.
“That’s not the message we want to send right now,” CNN’s Jamie Gangel scolded the hurt candidate. “We want to tamp it down.”
Yes, the network that has endlessly attacked Trump as a racist, fascist demagogue trying to destroy democracy was lecturing him seconds after he came within an inch of being killed.
There is no recovering from this for these outlets.
Their rhetoric has been building for years without any accountability.
The most exaggerated, personal and disingenuous attacks on President Trump by members of the media not only cost them nothing, but probably brought them raises and promotions with every new contract.
President Biden and his speechwriters have helped fuel this deadly environment.
“We’ve had enough talk of debates. It’s time to hold Mr. Trump to task,” the president said on July 8.
Read the latest Washington Post article about the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
Check out The Post’s live blog for the latest updates on the assassination attempt on President Trump.
Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) expressed a similar sentiment during an interview with Jen Paschi on MSNBC last year.
“That guy [Trump] “He should never be able to hold public office again,” Goldman said. “He must be removed.”
Psaki, a former press secretary to President Biden, offered no rebuttal.
Any questions?
The former president, who is likely to become the next president, was shot on Saturday.
It is a miracle that he survived the attempt.
What won’t survive are the last shreds of credibility that much of our media once had.
Joe Concha is a Fox News contributor and best-selling author.
