Here are a few observations regarding media coverage of the Trump administration.
PHRASES I’M TIRED OF HEARING – While they were favorite phrases of Hillary Clinton during her campaign, used in her attacks on Donald Trump, there are two that have become common phrases used by liberals. 1.) “We’re better than that.” 2.) “That’s not who we are.” The word “that” being synonymous with Trump. They used it in the Senate confirmation hearings and during interviews when voicing disapproval of policies of the new administration. Who gave them license to declare who’s better and who we are?
IF YOU MISSED THE ADVICE TO PRESIDENT TRUMP monologue by Brian Kilmeade, sitting in for Jeanine Pirro on Fox News Channel’s Justice With Jeanine Saturday night, I encourage you to take just three minutes to see it – click here. One of the hosts of Fox and Friends in the morning, Kilmeade is a likeable guy and a quick wit, who is occasionally afforded the opportunity to show his serious side. During this brief clip, Kilmeade delivers his message in a light, non-news anchor style, but making good sense. The president watches a lot of Fox programming, and I hope he saw this monologue.
HERE’S AN EXAMPLE OF THE WASHINGTON POST reporting on the Trump administration. I’m sure the paper took delight in reporting that the occasional Republican, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), “systematically dismantled” the president’s view during his speech at the Munich Security Conference last week. “(McCain) looks gamely ahead to a growing resistance,” reported David Weigel. While stating that McCain’s speech “was interpreted as a clear rebuke of Trump’s worldview,” Weigel quoted Congressional aides saying the “McCain was simply laying out his own beliefs, not trying to publicly contradict Trump.” Yeah, right.
REUTERS TOOK ADVANTAGE OF MC CAIN’S CRITICISM TOO, quoting him as saying “in many respects the (Trump) administration is in disarray, and they’ve got a lot of work to do.” No longer simply referred to as “Maverick,” The Washington Post has promoted McCain to “the irascible, quotable war hero and chief critic of President Trump.”
IN THE WASHINGTON POST’S COVERAGE of Vice President Mike Pence’s speech, Josh Rogin said, “Although his speech hit all the right notes, the European officials here at the Munich Security Conference seem far from reassured,” referring to President Trump’s campaign comments about the country’s European partners.
“Today, on behalf of President Trump, I bring you this assurance. The United States of America strongly supports NATO and will be unwavering in our commitment to our transatlantic alliance. We have been faithful for generations, and as you keep faith with us, under President Trump we will always keep faith with you.” – Vice President Mike Pence.
Rogin found one person he could attribute a negative comment, though meager. The French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault criticized the speech for not saying “a word about the EU.” An anonymous diplomat was quoted as saying, Pence offered “no real policies” that would give Europeans concrete reason to feel reassured about the Trump administration. Rogin most likely took pleasure in quoting an anonymous member of the U.S. delegation as saying, “Everything Pence said was right, but he only said the bare minimum and we shouldn’t be giving ourselves medals for saying the bare minimum.”
WASHINGTON DC’S JEFFERSON MIDDLE SCHOOL ACADEMY wasn’t pleased to host the new Education Secretary Betsy DeVos in the first place. – Remember how they initially blocked her entrance to the school? – After her visit, DeVos said, “the teachers were sincere, genuine and dedicated,” but remarked that they seemed to be in “receive mode.” She explained that “You have to have teachers who are empowered to facilitate great teaching. They’re waiting to be told what they have to do, and that’s not going to bring success to an individual child.”
Of course, school officials challenged her remarks, but how do you explain that Jefferson is five years into a turnaround effort and is considered one of the fastest-improving schools in the system, yet fewer than half of the students are meeting or approaching grade-level expectations.
