OPEN SEASON ON DONALD TRUMP: CORPORATE PRESS PROPAGANDA AT BEHEST OF CLINTON CAMPAIGN

 

BY

VIVIAN LEE

October 29, 2016

 

 You don’t have to be a Trump supporter to be shocked by the anti-Trump rhetoric flooding the commercial media. Features range from gross political propaganda to pseudo-human-interest stories, economic prognostications, and pure psychobabble. The slander and libel are everywhere you look. What does Trump think about this? Is he “working for Hillary” as has long been suspected?[1] And if so, what is he getting out of the deal? A kick in the butt? The short end of the stick? Just how Trump benefits is hard to fathom.

 

“Bury Trump in a Landslide,” The New York Daily News, 10/20/16.

On October 20, the day after the third presidential debate, The New York Daily News ran a gigantic article on Trump’s many faults and follies (nydailynews.com interactive). In the introduction, we learn that Trump is a “liar, thief, bully, hypocrite, sexual victimizer and unhinged, self-adoring demagogue.” We also learn that his defeat is “all but certain,” a recurring theme in the barrage of anti-Trump propaganda. To help us negotiate this epic article, the The News has divided it into 14 chapters: Trump the Demagogue, Trump the Fraudster, Trump the Head Case, Trump the Fake Philanthropist, Trump the Liar, etc. Oh yes – and Trump the Conspiracy Theorist. We have cute cartoons, one showing Trump with a Hitler mustache and another after having plastic surgery to make him look like Lincoln.

Then there’s The New Yorker, that bastion of neo-con fake liberalism, which has been anti-Trump from the outset. In the October 31 issue (The Talk of the Town), we read that Clinton will be elected, “an event that we will welcome for its immense historical importance, and greet with indescribable relief.” We learn that Trump is “a trash-talking, burn-it-to-the-ground demagogue,”  “manifestly unqualified and unfit for office,” and “favors conspiracy theory and fantasy, deriving his knowledge from the darker recesses of the Internet.” Following this endorsement of future-President Clinton, we have “Presumptive: What Would a Fiction Writer Do with the Campaign of 2016?” and the creepy “Trolls for Trump: How the Alt-Right Spreads Fringe Ideas to the Mainstream,” by Andrew Marantz. Then “The Unconnected” (“The Democrats Lost the White Working Class. The Republicans Exploited Them. Can Hillary Clinton Win Them Back?”) by George Packer. Plus several online offerings and erudite cartoons.

 

“How Trump’s Brain Works,” cartoon by Roz Chast. The New Yorker, October 31, 2016.

Many other news/information outlets have followed suit. But nobody can match The New York Times, unrivaled in its prestige, intellectual power, and moral authority. Taking the situation in hand, The Times has set out to brainwash the public and play its part in the (s)election of Hillary. In an Op-Ed piece written by Charles M. Blow, “Trump, The Worst of America” (October 17), we hear about “the staggering magnitude of his social vulgarity and emotional ineptitude” and read that he has “embraced what seems to be most natural to him: acting like a pig.” According to Blow, “Trump is in fact the logical extension of toxic masculinity and ambient misogyny. He is the logical extension of rampant racism. He is the logical extension of wealth worship. He is the logical extension of pervasive anti-intellectualism. Trump is the logical extension of the worst of America.” Very logical. Yes, I see.

And this is just the tip of the iceberg (which is not melting due to man-made climate change, according to Trump).[2] A survey of The Times coverage for the week following the third debate yields no fewer than 68 articles and editorials bashing Trump, some in egregiously libelous language. And these are just the obvious ones. Below is a list, taken from the print version – since those reading the online Times have only the vaguest idea of what appears in the daily paper. Links to the online articles (where available) are found at the page numbers following the titles.

Thursday – 10/20/16:  8 anti-Trump articles

1. “Trump Won’t Say If He Will Accept Election’s Results: ‘I Will Keep You in Suspense,’ He Says – Clinton Calls It Horrifying.” By Patrick Healy and Jonathan Martin (page A1)

2. “Interrupting, Mocking, and Taunting, Clinton Turns the Tormenter” (“News Analysis”). By Amy Chozick and Michael Barbaro (A1)

3. “Trump’s Foreign Policy Is Not Actually about Foreign Policy” (“The Interpreter”). By Max Fisher and Amanda Taub (A15)

4. “Sticking to Truth, and Sometimes Departing from It, on a Range of Topics” (“Fact Check”). By various authors (Twohey, Appelbaum, Gabriel, Pear, Liptak, Irwin, Eder, and Lichtblau) (A16)

5. “Donald Trump’s Contempt for Democracy” (Editorial)

6. “The Debate in One Scary Answer.” By Gail Collins (Op-Ed)

7. “How Tech Leaders Treat a Trump Backer.” By David Streitfeld and Mike Isaac [re Peter Thiel] (Business, B7)

8. “‘Trumpland’ Isn’t Really about Trump.” By Neil Genzlinger [film review] (Arts, C1)

Friday – 10/21/16:  10 anti-Trump articles

9. “In ‘Nasty’ Turn, Clinton Unites Generations: Host of Women’s Issues Coalesce for Liberals.” By Farah Stockman (A1)

10. “Trump Stays Firm on Having Option to Dispute Vote: Rallying Base, He Says He Would Accept a ‘Clear’ Result.” By Alan Rappeport and Alexander Burns (A1)

11. “Experts Dispute Trump in Mosul Attack Critique: Officers and Historians Assert Criticism by Candidate Demonstrates His Ignorance.” By Eric Schmitt (A14)

12. “Trump’s Defiance Is Seen As Threat to U.S. Image.” By Alexander Burns (A16)

13. “Was That a Presidential Debate or a Pitch for an Edgy Trump Channel?” (“Critic’s Notebook”). By James Poniewozik (A16)

14. “Videos Force Democrats On Defensive about Tricks.” By Steve Eder and Jonathan Martin (A17)

15. “‘Absurd’ Trump Errs on Abortion, Doctors Say.” By Pam Belluck (A18)

16. “In Night of Punchlines, Trump’s Routine Prompts New York’s Elite to Heckle.” By Matt Flegenheimer and Ashley Parker [re the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner] (A19)

17. “Repairing Moral Capital.” By David Brooks (Op-Ed)

18. “Why Hillary Wins.” By Paul Krugman (Op-Ed)

Saturday – 10/22/16:  8 anti-Trump articles

19. “Letting Go of the Secrets: Trump Tapes Have Couples Talking about Sexual Assault.” By Jack Healy (A9)

20. “Disputing Vote Is an Uphill Battle.” By Nick Corasaniti (A12)

21. “For Some Immigrants, Trump’s Warning on Election Results Sounds All Too Familiar.” By Yamiche Alcindor (A12)

22. “The Powerful Woman: A Prime Target for Jobs” (“The Upshot”). By Claire Cain Miller (A12)

23. “How Citing Voter Fraud Became a Political Tactic.” By Michael Wines (A13)

24. “America, the Beautiful Untainted.” By Roger Cohen (Op-Ed)

25. “Nixon’s Civics Lesson for Trump.” By Mark K. Updegrove (Op-Ed)

26. “Don’t Take Donald to Dinner.” By Gail Collins (Op-Ed)

Sunday – 10/23/16:  15 anti-Trump articles

27. “Outside Money Favors Clinton at a 2-to-1 Rate over Her Rival.” By Nicholas Confessore and Rachel Shorey (A1)

28. “Trump Recording Narrows National Divide on Sexual Assault.” By Amanda Taub (A4)

29. “Trump’s Threat to Reject Election Outcome Alarms Scholars” (“The Interpreter”). By Max Fisher (A22)

30. “Trump Pledges To Heal Divisions (and Sue His Accusers).” By Ashley Parker and Amy Chozick (A 23)

31. “The Rich Vote Republican? Maybe Not This Time” (“Inside Wealth”). By Robert Frank (Sunday Business, BU3)

32. “An Election Sends America to the Couch: Safety, Secrecy, Boundaries – Therapists Say Our Deepest Worries Are Surfacing” (“Well”). By Leslie Alderman. (Sunday Styles, ST1)

33. “No Undecideds in This Audience: Hillary Clinton’s Longtime Friends Gather in Chicago To Watch Her Debate.” By Jessica Bennett (Sunday Styles, ST7)

34. “Room for Debate: The Trump Tower Bar” (“Night Out with Chelsea Handler”). By Katie Rogers (Sunday Styles, ST10)

35. “Final Debate Takes a More Somber Tone.” By Vanessa Friedman (Sunday Styles, ST13)

36. “The Media’s Moment of Truth: Donald Trump Will Continue To Rant, But Do We Have To Listen?” By Frank Bruni (Sunday Review, SR3)

37. “The Republican Lion in Winter: Will McCain Finally Stand Up to Trump?” By Evan Thomas (Sunday Review, SR4)

38. “How Kids Learn Prejudice: Psychology Suggests That the ‘Trump Effect’ is Real” (“Gray Matter”). By Katherine D. Kinzler (Sunday Review, SR9)

39. “Can Trump Help Us Bridge the ‘God Gulf’?” By Nicholas Kristof (Sunday Review, SR11)

40. “The Dangers of Hillary Clinton.” By Ross Douthat (Sunday Review, SR11)

41. “Why Hillary Clinton Needs To Be Two-Faced: To Get Things Done in Politics, You Sometimes Have To Be a Hypocrite” (“Opinion”). By Jonathan Rauch (Op-Ed)

Monday – 10/24/16:  9 anti-Trump articles

42. “Victory in Sight, Clinton Presses beyond Trump – Appeals to Vote Early: With Lead in the Polls, She Turns To Backing Other Democrats.” By Alexander Burns and Amy Chozick (A1)

43. “Clash of Two Lives at Trump Rally Reveals Layers of Nation’s Divide.” By Farah Stockman (A1)

44. “All the People, Places, and Things Donald Trump Has Insulted on Twitter Since Declaring His Candidacy for President. To an Unprecedented Degree in American History, Mr. Trump Has Made Personal Insults and Attacks Part of His Campaign. This List Represents Our Best Effort To Identify and Characterize Them All.” By Jasmine C. Lee and Kevin Quealy (A10-A11, two-page spread)

45. “Money Spent on Clinton Ads Dwarfed That Spent on Trump Ads.” By Adam Pearce (A13)

46. “Obama Assails Senate Candidate and Others in G.O.P. for Links to Trump.” By Julie Hirschfeld Davis (A15)

47. “G.O.P. Hopefuls in State Congressional Races Walk Tightrope on Trump.” By William Neuman (A16)

48. “Clinton’s Specter of Illegitimacy.” By Charles Blow (Op-Ed)

49. “It’s Trump’s Party.” By Paul Krugman (Op-Ed)

50. “Now at GQ, Keith Olbermann Takes His Outrage Online.” By Richard Sandomir (Sports, B1)

Tuesday – 10/25/16:  9 anti-Trump articles

51. “Obama Urges Voters to Reject Trump’s Message and Deliver One of Their Own.” By Julie Hirschfeld Davis (A15)

52. “Why the Justice Dept. Will Have Fewer Watchdogs in Polling Places on Nov. 8.” By Eric Lichtblau (A15)

53. “Yes, Trump Is Saying ‘Big League,’ not ‘Bigly.’ Professional Linguists Have Studied His Speech for Months.” By Liam Stack (A17)

54. “Another Accuser Comes Forward, To Be Dismissed by Trump.” By Nick Corasaniti and Alan Rappeport (A17)

55. “Bar Association Stifles Its Own Report Labeling Trump a ‘Libel Bully.’” By Adam Liptak (A17)

56. “What’s in a Name? Trump Place Residents Are Petitioning for a Change.” By Charles V. Bagli (A20)

57. “Dear Republican Voters…” By David Leonhardt (Op-Ed)

58. “The Epidemic of Worry.” By David Brooks (Op-Ed)

59. “Turning a Skeptical Eye toward the Election.” By Neil Genzlinger (The Arts, C1)

Wednesday – 10/26/16: 9 anti-Trump articles

60. “What Drives Trump? A Fear of Fading Away: Hours of Interviews Reveal a Refusal To Accept Defeat.” By Michael Barbaro (A1)

61. “Growing Costs of Health Law Pose a Late Test.” By Patrick Healy and Abby Goodnough (A1)

62. “‘A Bizarre Experience’ in North Carolina’s Races: Protests, Hurricane, and Firebomb Add Drama to 3 Tight Contests in a Swing State.” By Richard Fausset (A13)

63. “Black Voters on Trump: We’ve Heard It All Before.” By Yamiche Alcindor (A21)

64. “Poll Shows Wide Fears That Ballots Won’t Count.” By Giovanni Russonello (A22)

65. “Muslim Parents Grapple with How To Explain a Tumultuous Election.” By Samantha Schmidt (A24)

66. “Trump Wanted To Put His Name Across the Earth. New York City Said No.” By David W. Dunlap (A25)

67. “Trump, Alien to All That’s Great.” By Thomas Friedman (Op-Ed)

68. “Clinton’s Resounding Mandate.” By Frank Bruni (Op-Ed)

…

 

This trend is set to continue through November 8 – with a stand-out article on October 28: “Trump Backers See Revolution If Clinton Wins: Dark Fears and Talk of a Stolen Election.”

But wait, you say, surely The Times prints articles critical of Hillary as well. No, not really. The very few that appear to find fault actually give her a pass for her lies and bad behavior. Pandering to Wall Street? Hey – no problem.[3] Private e-mails for State Department business? Please.[4] Incriminating campaign e-mails from WikiLeaks? A Russian hack.[5] Serious health problems? A minor bout of pneumonia.[6] And videos of DNC operatives admitting to instigating violence at Trump rallies, and actually conspiring to rig the election?[7] Honestly, does anyone care? (See article 14 above.)

 

 

We do get cuddly features like “True or False? Hillary Clinton, a Native Chicagoan, Is a Cubs Fan.” Also a gauzy cover photo for a recent New York Times Magazine along with two admiring articles (“Her Way” and “How Hillary Became ‘Hillary’“). This charade masks her fealty to Israel, a word strangely absent from coverage on foreign powers conspiring to influence the (s)election.[8]

 

Clinton and Netanyahu, September 14, 2010 (one of many such photos). Image CNN.

One of the biggest anti-Trump articles is the two-page spread of October 24 (see article 44 above). This catalogs Trump’s insults on Twitter since he declared his candidacy. In tiny but readable print, we see his opinions on people, corporations, the debates, and the electoral process.

 

“All the People, Places, and Things Donald Trump Has Insulted on Twitter Since Declaring His Candidacy for President.” The New York Times, October 24, 2016 (A10-A11).

The longest string of insults is reserved for Hillary, but we also have Trump’s comments on the media. On ABC News Politics: “LIE.” On Anderson Cooper 360: “a waste.” On The Wall Street Journal: “bad at math, nobody cares what they say in their editorials anymore…so dishonest…so wrong, so often.” On The New York Daily News: “failing, failing, dead, worthless, bleeding red ink, a total loser.” On The Washington Post: “dishonest reporting, bad, big tax shelter, loses a fortune.” On The New York Times: “Just write whatever they want to write, making up sources along the way! Really disgusting, a laughingstock rag! no longer a credible source…gets worse and worse by the day…newspaper of fiction…false, malicious, and libelous…a disgusting fraud…They knowingly write lies, truly one of the worst newspapers, failing, failing, allows dishonest writers to totally fabricate stories…should focus on fair and balanced reporting…” And as for Charles M. Blow: “dishonest reporting.”

You don’t have to be a Trump supporter to agree with his take on the press.

 

VIVIAN LEE is the nom de plume of a tenured professor at an east coast university.

 

This article was also published at MemoryHoleBlog.org.

 

NOTES

[1] Redsilverj, “Donald Trump Is Running for Hillary Clinton 2016 CURVEBALL Exposed,” August 21, 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djFitvQOyhw. “Donald Trump GAME OVER Shocking Discovery EXPOSED For All To See,” May 14, 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaYf0zDGrrc

[2] “Donald Trump Does Not Believe in Man-Made Climate Change, Campaign Manager Says,” time.com, September 27, 2016. http://time.com/4509488/donald-trump-climate-change-hoax/

[3] “Clinton Could Be Tough on Wall St., Emails Hint,” New York Times, October 18, 2016. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/18/business/dealbook/hillary-clinton-wall-street-wikileaks.html. “Genial Clinton Emerges in Hacked Transcripts of Goldman Sachs Talks,” New York Times, October 16, 2016. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/16/us/politics/wikileaks-hack-hillary-clinton-emails.html

[4] “F.B.I. Director James Comey Recommends No Charges for Hillary Clinton on Email,” New York Times, July 5, 2016. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/06/us/politics/hillary-clinton-fbi-email-comey.html. BUT in the latest twist: “‘This Changes Everything’: Donald Trump Exults As Hillary Clinton’s Team Scrambles.” http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/29/us/politics/donald-trump-hillary-clinton.html. Nonetheless, The Times insists that Clinton has a 91% chance of victory. http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/upshot/presidential-polls-forecast.html

[5]  “John Podesta Says Russian Spies Hacked His Emails To Sway Election,” New York Times, October 11, 2016. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/12/us/politics/hillary-clinton-emails-wikileaks.html

[6] “Hillary Clinton Is Set Back by Decision To Keep Illness Secret,” New York Times, September 12, 2016. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/13/us/hillary-clinton-pneumonia.html

[7] Anthony Brian Logan, “Revealed: How Democratic Party Pays Agit-Prop ‘Protesters’ To Incite Violence at Trump Events.” https://memoryholeblog.com/2016/10/20/revealed-how-democratic-party-pays-agit-prop-protesters-to-incite-violence-at-trump-events/#more-35749

[8] “Hillary Clinton Addresses AIPAC March 21, 2016 [FULL SPEECH].” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzVcjPdgq0w