After two mass shootings within hours left 32 dead and 52 wounded, President Trump delivered a somber statement from the White House on Monday. He laid out several avenues as potential solutions, called for unity and bipartisanship, soothed Americans as the comforter-in-chief and loudly denounced racism and white supremacy.
“Together, we lock arms to shoulder the grief, we ask God in Heaven to ease the anguish of those who suffer, and we vow to act with urgent resolve,” he said. “In one voice, our nation must condemn racism, bigotry, and white supremacy. These sinister ideologies must be defeated. Hate has no place in America,” he said. “Now is the time to set destructive partisanship aside — so destructive — and find the courage to answer hatred with unity, devotion, and love,” he said.
The New York Times captured the essence of the president’s speech with a headline for its first print edition that read: “TRUMP URGES UNITY VS. RACISM.” The headline carried no bias for either Left or Right, simply summing up the expansive message Trump had delivered.
But the Left went nuts — “absolutely crazy,” in the words of Trump.
Former Rep. Robert “Beto” O’Rourke, a candidate for the presidential nomination in 2020, found it “unbelievable” and said so as he retweeted a post from Nate Silver, a former New York Times writer.
Sen. Cory Booker, another 2020 hopeful, wrote: “Lives literally depend on you doing better, NYT. Please do,” as he retweeted the same Silver post.
“Hey, @nytimes — what happened to ‘The Truth Is Worth It?’ Not the truth. Not worth it,” wrote New York City mayor and 2020 candidate Bill de Blasio.
“That’s not what happened,” said candidate Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.
And newcomer Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the Democratic socialist the Democratic National Committee chairman called “the future of the party,” followed suit.
“Let this front page serve as a reminder of how white supremacy is aided by – and often relies upon – the cowardice of mainstream institutions,” she wrote on Twitter.
For its second edition, out was the clear and concise headline encapsulating the essence of Trump’s comments. In was a new one blasting him as weak and spineless on guns.
“ASSAILING HATE BUT NOT GUNS” read the new headline.
The paper literally changed the headline from what Trump said to what Trump didn’t say.
The change drew scorn and ridicule across the political spectrum, and on Wednesday, Trump took a whack.
” ‘Trump Urges Unity Vs. Racism,’ was the correct description in the first headline by the Failing New York Times, but it was quickly changed to, ‘Assailing Hate But Not Guns,’ after the Radical Left Democrats went absolutely CRAZY! Fake News – That’s what we’re up against…” Trump wrote on Twitter.
“Trump Urges Unity Vs. Racism,” was the correct description in the first headline by the Failing New York Times, but it was quickly changed to, “Assailing Hate But Not Guns,” after the Radical Left Democrats went absolutely CRAZY! Fake News – That’s what we’re up against…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 7, 2019
But Trump wasn’t done.
“This is an astounding development in journalism. I’ve never seen it happen before, I’ve just never seen anything like this! Is that journalism today? I don’t think so!” Mark Penn, Former Clinton Advisor. @TuckerCarlson. After 3 years I almost got a good headline from the Times!” he wrote.
..”This is an astounding development in journalism. I’ve never seen it happen before, I’ve just never seen anything like this! Is that journalism today? I don’t think so!” Mark Penn, Former Clinton Advisor. @TuckerCarlson After 3 years I almost got a good headline from the Times!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 7, 2019
No wonder Trump calls The Times “fake news.”
