Exploiting a public spat between 71-year-old Donald Trump and 65-year-old retiring Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), the U.S. press continues its relentless negative coverage of the president. Finding any reason to highlight only nefarious stories about the Trump White House, the media proves that its anti-Trump bias has violated all principles of responsible journalism. Since Trump ran against the media during the 2016 campaign, the media has been out for blood, knowing that they lost credibility. When the media backs one candidate, namely, former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, and their candidate loses, attacking Trump’s the only way to salvage lost credibility. Whether or not the current media strategy backfires in 2020 is anyone’s guess. Corker accused Trump of putting America “on a path to WW III,” referring to Trump’s banter with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un.
Corker’s indictment of Trump stems from Trump’s unwillingness to back Corker’s re-election bid or, perhaps, genuine differences with the president’s approach to North Korea. Corker knows that Trump deals with an implacable challenge to disarm North Korea from its relentless march to get a nuke-tipped Intercontinental Ballistic Missile. Three past presidents, from Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, did virtually nothing to stop North Korea’s pursuit of nuclear weapons and ICBMs. U.S. national security falls squarely now on Trump to disarm the rogue North Korean regime. When North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho said Sept. 23 that it’s “inevitable” the U.S. would be hit with a North Korean nuke-tipped ICBM, the military option became more likely. Corker’s critical remarks about Trump has been exploited by the mainstream press.
Capitalizing on rumors, innuendo and gossip, the press has done everything possible to ruin Trump’s credibility, now suggesting the Trump’s pushing the world to the brink. With North Korea’s official KCNA news agency threatening nuclear war against the U.S., Corker’s irresponsible criticizing Trump and the Defense Department’s attempt to protect U.S. national security. When Defense Secretary James Mattis asked the U.S. army to prepare for a military option in North Korea, Corker’s mum, only confining his criticism to Trump. As head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Corker’s been briefed on North Korean nuclear threats and U.S. efforts to protect national security. Yet the media only sees fit to embarrass Trump by highlighting Corker’s feud with Trump. Calling the White House Oct. 8 an “adult day care program,” Corker didn’t hold back the insults.
Instead of covering the North Korean crisis or Iran’s collaboration with Pyongyang’s nukes and ballistic missiles, the media prefers to cover Corker’s feud with Trump or alleged disputes between Trump and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. With no new information about Trump’s alleged collusion with Russia, the press seems fixated on tabloid gossip. Accusing Tillerson of calling Trump a “moron” Oct. 4, the media seeks to exploit divisions inside Trump’s Cabinet, highlighting only negative news about the White House. “He would have to concern anyone who cares about our nation,” said Corker, referring to Trump’s handling of North Korea. Most media outlets were incensed when other Republicans would not take the bait, jumping in to the Trump-Corker feud. “Thank goodness tomorrow is recess,” tweeted retiring Sen. Orin Hatch (R-Ut.), refusing to jump in.
Asking other members of Congress to comment on the Trump-Corker feud, the media hoped to fan the flames against Trump in anyway possible. Since Trump’s 2016 campaign, the media relished asking Trump’s worst GOP critics like former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Sen. John McCain (R-Az.) to routinely slam Trump in the mainstream press. Many of Trump’s critics have open invitations on CNN, MSNBC, CBS, NBC and ABC to join the biased news hosts and pundits routinely in a frenzy ripping Trump. “Both ought to cool it,” said Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa). “I’ve got more important things to do doing my job then to go tell Corker to keep his mouth shut or tell the president something.” Grassley showed that not all GOP elected officials readily take the media bait. Calling Corker’s comments about WW III “hyperbole,” Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) refused to go join in.
Trump asked today whether or not networks reporting fake news should have their broadcast licenses revoked by the Federal Communication Commission [FCC]. “With all the Fake News coming out of NBC and the networks, at what point is it appropriate to challenge their license? Bad for the country!” Trump tweeted today. Fabricating the story about Tillerson or, more recently, fixating on a spat with Corker, the anti-Trump media bias was exposed for all to see. When Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government’s Shorenstein Center published May 18 its study proving media bias against Trump, the press yawned. Trump raises a real Constitutional issue about limitation to the media’s free speech. If news outlets are hijacked by political parties, the press cannot do its job of protecting free speech. Watching the media salivate finding Republicans to bash Trump gets hard to stomach.
