Yet Again, Trump Attacks a Prominent Black Journalist

There’s a pattern here.

Ronen Tivony/ZUMA

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On Saturday morning, President Donald Trump tweeted an attack on MSNBC host Joy-Ann Reid.

While the timing of the attack could be explained by the fact Reid recently wrote a book targeting the president—The Man Who Sold America: Trump and the Unraveling of the American Story—it was far from the first time Trump has made it a point to insult a prominent journalist of color.

In August 2018, he called CNN anchor Don Lemon “the dumbest man on television.”  In November 2018, the National Association of Black Journalists wrote an open letter protesting Trump’s recent “disrespect” toward three black female journalists in public question and answer sessions; he’d called them or their inquiries  “nasty,” “racist,” and “stupid.”

“The most powerful man in the free world is verbally abusing journalists… The past two years have been filled with assaults on the media and Donald Trump’s comments this week have reached an all-time low,” NABJ President Sarah Glover said at the time, adding that his remarks were “appalling, irresponsible, and should be denounced.”

One of the journalists attacked by Trump and cited in the NABJ letter, American Urban Radio Networks longtime White House correspondent April Ryan, wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post with a simple conclusion: “He leaves little doubt about what he really thinks of us.”

 

 

 

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“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things they don’t like—which is most things that are true.

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BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things they don’t like—which is most things that are true.

No one gets to tell Mother Jones what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

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