Yeah. We should know by now that Trump always has a plan … a lousy plan, a racist plan, but yes, a plan to stir up and energize his base.
This week, his plan was in full living color. Trump was the “star” at the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) convention. NABJ journalists battled mightily, but they still lost.
Trump’s performance included many outrageously false claims. Among them were repeated accusations that Vice President Harris had only recently claimed to be Black and equally shameless and scandalous, his claim that he had been “the best president for the Black population since Abraham Lincoln.” Somewhere in heaven, Lincoln hangs his head in shame that his legacy be used like this.
“Winner” Trump got what he wanted out of his scandalous performance., i.e., he riled up his racist cult followers.
To her credit, Vice President Harris’ responded quickly and precisely right when she called it “the same old show — the divisiveness and the disrespect.” Later, she added,
“The American people deserve a leader who tells the truth, who doesn’t respond with hostility and anger when presented with the facts, and who understands that our differences do not divide us. They are an essential source of our strength.”
Harris is correct, but Trump is all over the news today. He succeeded in knocking Harris off the front page. His kick to her teeth landed her at the bottom of Page 6, and we must not let him get away with it.
Has NABJ learned its lesson? No more giving the racist, convicted 34 felony former president a platform? Time will tell, but more organizations must learn this lesson. Most certainly, all the media — Not just NABJ!
When I searched for stories about Trump’s showboat performance, Trump’s name was all over the web—always first. It wasn’t until I got to Story #7 that the headline bothered to note that Trump had “FALSELY” accused Kamala Harris of misleading people about her race.
The search for hot headlines without truth must stop. Trustworthy journalism is hard work, and it is rarely a matter of seeking out only hot words. It counters political disinformation, low-quality sensationalist news, and poor journalism. Our democracy can only survive in truth.
Dear Journalists, PLEASE STOP giving the stage — the platform! … to people who lie to us deliberately. Just STOP! You know the difference. So do I!
MATT BROWN, Associated Press and MICHELLE L. PRICE, Associated Press, and NBC News: Donald Trump falsely suggests Kamala Harris misled voters about her race