Daily Mail U.S. Political Editor David Martosko was attacked online by current and former aides to Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton for commenting about Clinton’s tired, listless appearance at a press conference on Friday about national security. Martosko was also challenged by two reporters who defended Clinton.
Hillary Clinton at a press conference, September 9, image via screen grab.
Nick Merrill, Clinton’s traveling press secretary, and Adam Parkhomenko, who was a state coordinator for the Clinton campaign and is now National Field Director for the Democratic Party, each replied to a tweet thread by Martosko about Clinton’s demeanor with Parkomenko threatening his job and Merrill employing the ‘delete your account’ othering insult.
When reporters are publicly attacked by high ranking political operatives it is not just meant to intimidate that reporter, it is meant to ‘other’ him by separating him from the herd and intimidate other reporters from following his lead.
Martosko was off the campaign trail and commented as he watched video of the press conference.
Video of the Clinton press conference shows a tired looking, listless Clinton with heavy bags under her eyes reading a long statement before answering a few questions from the press. As she answers, Clinton’s eyelids droop repeatedly as if she is fighting off nodding off. The only time Clinton perked up was when she was walking away and was asked about her rival Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump appearing on Russian-owned RT television. However Clinton cut off her answer and ended the press conference because she had a cough coming on and didn’t want the press to film her coughing so she stepped behind a pillar to cough.
https://twitter.com/dmartosko/status/774354950742740993
“Is it just me or does Hillary Clinton sound absolutely exhausted and quiet? Seems like an illustration of Trump’s whole “tired” critique”
https://twitter.com/dmartosko/status/774355420106354688
“She sounds bored / half-awake / disinterested … not the kind of performance that inspires fear in our enemies. Where’s the caffeine?”
https://twitter.com/dmartosko/status/774355790991851520
“I half expect her to slump over and collapse any second now. if she were doing a parody of “low energy” Jeb!, it couldn’t be more spot-on.”
Martosko replied to two Reuters reporters who defended Clinton, Emily Stephenson and Ginger Gibson.
https://twitter.com/dmartosko/status/774356065538412545
“@dmartosko I think that’s how politicians do “serious.” Trump has done appearances recently that sounded on TV like he was whispering.”
“She’s not pulling it off. There’s low-volume, and then there’s low-intensity.”
https://twitter.com/dmartosko/status/774359263988908033
“This isn’t a serious tweet, right? You are trying to mock people who talk about her tone, right?”
“@GingerGibson Were you watching the same event I was watching? I found it alarmingly low-intensity. Like, borderline frightening.”
Merrill replied to Martosko, “delete you account,” to which Martosko replied that Clinton looked “zonked.”
.@dmartosko delete your account.
— Nick Merrill (@NickMerrill) September 9, 2016
https://twitter.com/dmartosko/status/774384194680188928
“@NickMerrill Dude, she looked zonked. I don’t know why, but it was striking.”
Parkhomenko threatened Martosko’s job.
You shouldn't have a job in the morning. https://t.co/Y13P6Qoz9m
— Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) September 10, 2016
“You shouldn’t have a job in the morning.”
Martosko blew off the threat.
https://twitter.com/dmartosko/status/774617651251441665
“Somehow I’m not worried.”
Video of Clinton’s press conference:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJN39AH_xCg
Video clip of Clinton stepping behind a pillar to hide her cough from the press.
https://youtu.be/HJN39AH_xCg?t=15m48s
Martosko has earned a reputation of being hard on both campaigns that has garnered him respect from those who appreciate an objective press and scorn (and threats) from partisans.
