White House chief of staff says take Trump seriously when he calls press "the enemy"

[andy58-in-nh]

We're living in a nation with a president who declares the press to be the enemy, accuses other candidate's fathers being presidential assassins, and attacks the appearances of candidates and their spouses.  I find it kind of ironic that his fans think the rest of us should hold ourselves to a higher standard than the president.

People can want me silenced all they want but silencing me wouldn't make a bit of difference, I wouldn't be heard here but I would still be saying the same in a dozen other places.

I find most of those to be legitimate opinions, and I would never castigate you for holding them. The press for its part has lost its collective sanity, and is behaving in a more than merely adversarial manner, cooperating gleefully with Federal employees who are leaking protected information, including classified documents uniquely in the service of the interests of one political party. I would aver that such behavior is not healthy in a democratic republic, and can be dangerous when unchallenged. 

Nevertheless, all I ask from our members is respectful treatment of those with who they disagree, and perhaps, a more collegial tone and a sense of humor. 

[Wingnut]

I find most of those to be legitimate opinions, and I would never castigate you for holding them. The press for its part has lost its collective sanity, and is behaving in a more than merely adversarial manner, cooperating gleefully with Federal employees who are leaking protected information, including classified documents uniquely in the service of the interests of one political party. I would aver that such behavior is not healthy in a democratic republic, and can be dangerous when unchallenged. 

Nevertheless, all I ask from our members is respectful treatment of those with who they disagree, and perhaps, a more collegial tone and a sense of humor.

I wish you would stop with all this crazy talk Andy.   

[Sanguine]

@mystery-ak why do you allow comments like the above?

Because it's a political forum?  Perhaps you would be happier on Etsy or Pinterest?

[andy58-in-nh]

I wish you would stop with all this crazy talk Andy.   

It must be the liquor taking. And today, it's whiskey.

[XenaLee]

He can't call somebody the enemy if he doesn't intend to do something about it, so what is the little boy going to do about the enemy?

I happen to think Trump is a lying treasonous piece of garbage. That makes me the enemy. Does he have the man parts to do anything about it or is he the coward I believe him to be?

I get it.... that you don't like him.   I'm not that overly fond of him myself.  But when it comes to what he's saying about the media, the leftist-run/leftist biased media.... he is spot-frickin on.  They do represent America's enemy within and they do carry the water for and report to that radical left, extremist fringe of anti-American leftists.  In my mind..... they really ARE the enemy, therefore.

As for Trump being treasonous.... what, exactly, has he done that qualifies him for that label, in your mind?  I'm just curious.

[Wingnut]

Because it's a political forum?  Perhaps you would be happier on Etsy or Pinterest?

Nice! 

[ABX]

Because it's a political forum?  Perhaps you would be happier on Etsy or Pinterest?

[ABX]

Have no doubt, when a government says 'the press is the enemy' it is declaring you, the free citizen, the enemy. You may not feel it now because you agree with the establishment government over what is magnified in certain areas of the media, and the 'us versus them' game is being played, but when it gets down to it, you are only on the good side as long as you are in compliance with the government.

The First Amendment did not define a specific media or press class, it says every citizen is the press. This has been reinforced several times by the Supreme Court in cases where Congress has tried to regulate and license who the media is- in all these cases, SCOTUS sided with the Constitution and said NO!  Each and every citizen in this country is the press and we all have the right to our voices.

You are the press. You may not have a big publication house, you may not have a printing press, but your voice has the same rights as everyone else.

When you hear blanket statements that 'the press is the enemy', you should very much fear for that means your rights, as seen by the government, is just as much subject to the whim of populist attitude as it is against many media outlets now.

[geronl]

If Trump thinks its his job to fight the media, then he is an  enemy of the Constitution

[Sanguine]

If Trump thinks its his job to fight the media, then he is an  enemy of the Constitution

Not when the press thinks it's its job to fight the Constitution.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/chris-wallace-grills-priebus-on-trumps-enemy-tweet-you-dont-get-to-tell-us-what-to-do/

[ABX]

The President IS acting within the Constitution @Cripplecreek    He is free to ridicule the press and call out their lies. 

Since you seem so unhappy that Trump is not "backing up" his ridicule---exactly what would you like him to do?

Trump swore and oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States. He has every right to ridicule and call out specific lies, however, his statement was not specific, it was a blanket statement against The Press, not just CNN/ABS/CBS/NBS/MSNBS. The Press (as I stated above) as defined under the First Amendment and reinforced by many SCOTUS cases on the matter, refers to every single citizen and the right we have to speak out.

If he declares, blanket statement. The Press, as the enemy, that is an attack on every single citizen and our rights. That is a direct attack on the Constitution he swore an oath to protect.

Now, we can always give him the benefit of the doubt that all he was using was a bit of that Trump hyperbole he is known for and he really didn't mean it that way, either out of ignorance or just because he wanted to fire up people against a perceived enemy (Rules for Radicals tactic). Only slightly better of an option than his declaring war on the Constitution.

[XenaLee]

Have no doubt, when a government says 'the press is the enemy' it is declaring you, the free citizen, the enemy. You may not feel it now because you agree with the establishment government over what is magnified in certain areas of the media, and the 'us versus them' game is being played, but when it gets down to it, you are only on the good side as long as you are in compliance with the government.

The First Amendment did not define a specific media or press class, it says every citizen is the press. This has been reinforced several times by the Supreme Court in cases where Congress has tried to regulate and license who the media is- in all these cases, SCOTUS sided with the Constitution and said NO!  Each and every citizen in this country is the press and we all have the right to our voices.

You are the press. You may not have a big publication house, you may not have a printing press, but your voice has the same rights as everyone else.

When you hear blanket statements that 'the press is the enemy', you should very much fear for that means your rights, as seen by the government, is just as much subject to the whim of populist attitude as it is against many media outlets now.

Are you really going to attempt to deny..... that over the past decade, especially, the lamestream media/press has become an arm of the radical leftists in the Democratic Party.... and as such, they have rivaled Pravda of the Soviet Union in their propagandizing of and for the left in the USA?

As such. the leftist press does not and has not EVER represented me as a free citizen.

[ABX]

@mystery-ak why do you allow comments like the above?

@Cripplecreek was simply stating what many people believe. He was just not being politically correct and saying what a lot of people are afraid to say.

Isn't that what we've been told for the past year is ideal?

OR, does that only apply when it supports what you want, not when it goes against what you like?

[DCPatriot]

Trump swore and oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States. He has every right to ridicule and call out specific lies, however, his statement was not specific, it was a blanket statement against The Press, not just CNN/ABS/CBS/NBS/MSNBS. The Press (as I stated above) as defined under the First Amendment and reinforced by many SCOTUS cases on the matter, refers to every single citizen and the right we have to speak out.

If he declares, blanket statement. The Press, as the enemy, that is an attack on every single citizen and our rights. That is a direct attack on the Constitution he swore an oath to protect.

Now, we can always give him the benefit of the doubt that all he was using was a bit of that Trump hyperbole he is known for and he really didn't mean it that way, either out of ignorance or just because he wanted to fire up people against a perceived enemy (Rules for Radicals tactic). Only slightly better of an option than his declaring war on the Constitution.

You're soooo anal, @AbaraXas         There's nothing sinister going on with this man.

He's fighting back against an enemy that would destroy any other person not named Obama or Clinton. 

Make some more popcorn!

[geronl]

@Cripplecreek was simply stating what many people believe. He was just not being politically correct and saying what a lot of people are afraid to say.

Isn't that what we've been told for the past year is ideal?

OR, does that only apply when it supports what you want, not when it goes against what you like?

The Trump side has their own version of PC and their own version of SJW's. They are a mirror image of the left.

[ABX]

Are you really going to attempt to deny..... that over the past decade, especially, the lamestream media/press has become an arm of the radical leftists in the Democratic Party.... and as such, they have rivaled Pravda of the Soviet Union in their propagandizing of and for the left in the USA?

If it is, we have let it. We let it because we have given up understanding that a media company is the only form of press. They aren't. What CNN/ABS/CBS/NBS and so on are, are publishing/media/entertainment companies. They are not actually The Press. You and I and every other citizen are The Press.

By stating that, and acting like they are the only press, we are giving them more power than they should.

CNN, by License under Turner Broadcasting, is a publishing company.
ABC, owned by Disney, is licensed as an entertainment company.

We have allowed entertainment to define what our press is.


Saying that 'The Press' is the enemy is like saying 'Food' is the enemy because McDonalds makes kids fat.

[driftdiver]

Have no doubt, when a government says 'the press is the enemy' it is declaring you, the free citizen, the enemy. You may not feel it now because you agree with the establishment government over what is magnified in certain areas of the media, and the 'us versus them' game is being played, but when it gets down to it, you are only on the good side as long as you are in compliance with the government.

The First Amendment did not define a specific media or press class, it says every citizen is the press. This has been reinforced several times by the Supreme Court in cases where Congress has tried to regulate and license who the media is- in all these cases, SCOTUS sided with the Constitution and said NO!  Each and every citizen in this country is the press and we all have the right to our voices.

You are the press. You may not have a big publication house, you may not have a printing press, but your voice has the same rights as everyone else.

When you hear blanket statements that 'the press is the enemy', you should very much fear for that means your rights, as seen by the government, is just as much subject to the whim of populist attitude as it is against many media outlets now.

@AbaraXas

To most of the press we the American people are the enemy.  We are only tolerable when we do what we are told and believe what they want us to believe.

They truly believe they are the only ones worthy of free speech.

[XenaLee]

The Trump side has their own version of PC and their own version of SJW's. They are a mirror image of the left.

I'm not on the Trump side, per se.  I'm on the truth side.  And I'm seeing an awful lot of untruths being spewed against him here.  I call BS when I see BS.  (just funny that way)

Trump is correct about the US, Pravda-like, media.   That he is fighting back against the left and speaking out about it is refreshing, considering the FACT that I sat by and wished for/dreamed of George Bush doing the same for .... quite literally.....years.

[ABX]

You're soooo anal, @AbaraXas         There's nothing sinister going on with this man.

He's fighting back against an enemy that would destroy any other person not named Obama or Clinton. 

Make some more popcorn!

I didn't say there was anything sinister- but it is like the old slippery slope. If we cheer for making 'The Press' the enemy of the State, and that becomes the norm, how much longer does that come to its logical next step that you and I are declared the enemy of the State for speaking out against what is happening (and believe me, I've been called that many times in the past year in one way or another).

At that, it doesn't even have to be sinister.

Look at many of the problems we have in society now. How many were actually created by the government under the guise and belief of good intentions- not sinister motive.

[EC]

Trump swore and oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States. He has every right to ridicule and call out specific lies, however, his statement was not specific, it was a blanket statement against The Press, not just CNN/ABS/CBS/NBS/MSNBS. The Press (as I stated above) as defined under the First Amendment and reinforced by many SCOTUS cases on the matter, refers to every single citizen and the right we have to speak out.

If he declares, blanket statement. The Press, as the enemy, that is an attack on every single citizen and our rights. That is a direct attack on the Constitution he swore an oath to protect.

Now, we can always give him the benefit of the doubt that all he was using was a bit of that Trump hyperbole he is known for and he really didn't mean it that way, either out of ignorance or just because he wanted to fire up people against a perceived enemy (Rules for Radicals tactic). Only slightly better of an option than his declaring war on the Constitution.

In other words: be careful what you wish for. The monkey's paw is far more likely than the genie from Aladdin.

[DCPatriot]

The Trump side has their own version of PC and their own version of SJW's. They are a mirror image of the left.

says the person with the Alinsky-rule and insulting/demeaning avatar of President Trump.

If we mirrored the Left, @geronl , you'd would be getting letters from the IRS, or even a 3AM knock on the door.   

So stop with the "Hair on Fire!!" routine.

[XenaLee]

If it is, we have let it. We let it because we have given up understanding that a media company is the only form of press. They aren't. What CNN/ABS/CBS/NBS and so on are, are publishing/media/entertainment companies. They are not actually The Press. You and I and every other citizen are The Press.

By stating that, and acting like they are the only press, we are giving them more power than they should.

CNN, by License under Turner Broadcasting, is a publishing company.
ABC, owned by Disney, is licensed as an entertainment company.

We have allowed entertainment to define what our press is.


Saying that 'The Press' is the enemy is like saying 'Food' is the enemy because McDonalds makes kids fat.

I disagree.  Is that the royal "we"?  Cause I, personally, haven't let them do a damned thing for decades.  I have done everything in my power to thwart them, but it never seemed to make much difference. 

So you do, in fact, disagree that the US media is like the Soviet Pravda then?  You never did make that clear (with that "if it is").

[ABX]

@AbaraXas

To most of the press we the American people are the enemy.  We are only tolerable when we do what we are told and believe what they want us to believe.

They truly believe they are the only ones worthy of free speech.

As I pointed out in another comment above, you are mixing up media and entertainment companies (and specifically just the ones you don't like) with 'the press'. We are the press, they are just publishers.

Declaring 'The Press' as the enemy because some are bad for you is like declaring Food the enemy because McDonalds makes kids fat.

[EC]

So you do, in fact, disagree that the US media is like the Soviet Pravda then?  You never did make that clear (with that "if it is").

I do disagree.

Pravda was (and is, along with it's offspring Russia Today) a tool of the state.

US media is a willing accomplice to the Democrat party - not the state.

It's a substantial difference.