Jeffrey Toobin, a video call participant, expresses admiration for Trump’s potential to incite violence.
You can draw a direct line between the media irrecoverably soiling themselves on the fake “Palestinian hospital bombing” story and an op-ed published on Thursday in which the author gleefully predicted that someone, somewhere, will go on a violent rampage in the name of Donald Trump.
The media absolutely adore violence when they can link it to someone or something that they hate. That anyone might die because of it is neither here nor there.
The Times must have decided it still has some dignity it would like to shed, so the paper ran the piece by Jeffrey Toobin that all but encouraged some lunatic to shoot one of the judges overseeing Trump’s criminal cases. “The day is fast approaching when someone picks up a gun or builds a bomb and then seeks to follow through on Mr. Trump’s words,” wrote Toobin under the discreet headline, “Donald Trump is going to get someone killed.”
And how giddy Toobin will be should that day come. It will make for a head rush that rivals any one of his slippery work-from-home Zoom calls.
“Follow through on Trump’s words,” you say?! Sounds terrible! What was it that he said?!
In the op-ed, Toobin did what all the dishonest journalists (excuse the redundancy) have been doing since 2015: He lied about a bunch of things that are easily verifiable. Namely, things Trump said in public.
Look at this paragraph:
Mr. Trump has always employed invective as a political tool, but as his days of courtroom reckoning have arrived, his rhetoric has grown more menacing. He’s suggested that Gen. Mark Milley, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, could have been executed; that shoplifters should be shot; that the judge’s clerk in the civil case against him is Sen. Chuck Schumer’s girlfriend; and that “you ought to go after” the state attorney general who is prosecuting him. In language evoking Nazi eugenics, he has accused immigrants of “poisoning the blood of our country.”
The only one of these references I didn’t know about, and therefore wasn’t sure of (I like to check things before being sure, almost like a real journalist), was the “You ought to go after” quote.
Toobin’s suggestion is that the former president was egging his supporters to either harass or even assault one of the 50 million Democrat prosecutors charging him with crimes. Naturally, that’s not what happened.
What happened is that ahead of a legal hearing in New York earlier this month, Trump approached a gathering of cameras and reporters inside the courthouse to make some comments. He complained about the charges and said the prosecutor was unfair. “This is a disgrace,” he said. “And you ought to go after this attorney general because she’s turning off everybody from coming in. You know, I don’t know— if you take a look at the outflow of business. Businesses are fleeing New York because of horrible, horrible attorneys general and judges like we have.”
In short, Trump told reporters to scrutinize the prosecutor on his case, which involves a ridiculous set of victimless fraud allegations. (Trump might have overstated the value of his assets to get bigger loans with lower interest rates. I’m sure the creditors will never have another peaceful night’s sleep.)
That, according to Lubin’ Toobin, is just the kind of thing some nut needs to hear before committing murder. And he would surely lament the tragedy while closely monitoring royalties for the new book he’s promoting on “right-wing extremism.”
When the media hyped up the since proven false claim that Israel had blown up a hospital in Gaza, it was because they wanted it to be true. When Toobin says, without anything to substantiate it, that Trump’s speech is about to get someone killed, it’s because he wants it to be true.
What actions can journalists take to uphold higher standards of ethics and integrity?
And discussing the ongoing criminal cases against him. He was asked about the state attorney general’s investigation and whether he believed it was politically motivated. Trump’s response was, “You ought to look into what they’re doing. Look into the corruption. And by the way, I hope you do a great job. I hope you look at the corruption down in Washington because it’s tremendous corruption. You should really look at it.”
Now, anyone with a basic understanding of language and context can see that this statement does not in any way encourage violence or intimidation. Trump simply expressed his hope for a thorough investigation into alleged corruption, both at the state level and in Washington. To claim that he was inciting his supporters to harm or harass prosecutors is a blatant misrepresentation of his words.
But Toobin and his ilk have shown time and again that they have no interest in honest reporting or objective analysis. They are more than willing to twist and distort the truth to fit their narratives and fuel their own agenda. And sadly, they are not alone.
The media as a whole has become a cesspool of bias and sensationalism. They no longer prioritize accurate reporting or the pursuit of truth. Instead, they prioritize clickbait headlines, partisan opinions, and pushing their own ideological agenda. It’s no wonder that trust in the media is at an all-time low.
This reckless disregard for truth and integrity has real-world consequences. It creates a toxic atmosphere where violence and division thrive. By spreading false information and framing it in a way that demonizes their political opponents, the media is actively contributing to the polarization and animosity that plagues our society.
We saw this play out in the aftermath of the fake “Palestinian hospital bombing” story. The media’s irresponsible reporting led to widespread violence and unrest. Innocent people lost their lives, all because the media was more interested in pushing a narrative than in fact-checking and reporting the truth.
So, what can be done? It’s clear that the media needs to be held accountable for their actions. They cannot continue to operate without consequences for their lies and distortions. Journalists should be held to a higher standard of ethics and integrity. They should be required to verify their sources, fact-check their stories, and present objective and unbiased reporting.
In addition, consumers of news need to be vigilant and discerning. We must not blindly accept everything we read or hear in the media. We need to actively seek out multiple perspectives, fact-check information, and hold the media accountable when they fail to uphold their journalistic responsibilities.
The media has a crucial role in our society, but they must remember that with great power comes great responsibility. They have the power to shape public opinion and influence the course of events. It’s time for them to take that responsibility seriously and prioritize truth, integrity, and accountability.
In conclusion, the media’s love for violence and their willingness to distort the truth for their own agenda is deeply concerning. It undermines the foundations of a democratic society and fuels division and hatred. It’s time for a change. It’s time for the media to return to its core principles of honesty, integrity, and unbiased reporting. And it’s time for us, as consumers of news, to demand better.
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