America Gripped By Bomb Threats
By Trevor K. McNeil
Not All
Not everyone who voted for Donald Trump is evil or even stupid. Many are, but not all. It is truly sad, yet also understandable, the large number of people who had once voted for Obama that swung to Trump in 2016. What brought about this radical change? Was it just a terrible Democratic candidate? Or was it an honest, if misguided, wish for change? As far as I can tell the root of Trump’s popularity is that he is not an establishment politician. Something which appeals strongly to the latent, borderline anarchist, anti-government streak in this country dating back to Tomas Paine. It is in our national DNA as shown by the founding documents; which were willfully engineered to maximize individual rights and limit direct government control.
Media Coverage
Until recently Trump’s anti-statist position remained camouflaged. It is popular, and fun, to point out how Trump is the worst president in history; who has done things no one ever has, only to be countered by professional smart ass comedian Adam Conover and opinionated op-ed writers, observing that there is historical precedent for everything Trump has done and is doing. There is, however, one area in which Trump is a true and terrifying original. His relationship with the media is the worst of any President in American history. An ironic fact given the key role media coverage, both positive and negative, has played in his success.
The Historical Record
Looking to history, there have been political leaders in America who have had strained, if not a
borderline adversarial relationship with the press, but until Trump there has never been the fierce and unrelenting daily attacks on the media by a president of the United States. The difference between Trump and the leaders of the past is that the leaders of the past had the knowledge and political experience to hide their disgust of the press and play the political game. Richard Nixon an astute politician knew enough to talk football with the notorious journalist Hunter S. Thompson, who would later become one of his greatest opponents and detractors.
