Trump: Tweeting is 'my only form of defense'

[mystery-ak]

Trump: Tweeting is 'my only form of defense'
by John Gage
 | July 30, 2019 07:28 PM



President Trump defended his use of Twitter in an interview, saying it was his only way of defending himself.

"They read the tweets. Do you think that you're a uniter as president?" Steve Scully, C-SPAN's senior executive producer, asked the president in a Tuesday interview.

"If I got fair coverage, I wouldn't even have to tweet," Trump responded. "It's my only form of defense."

"But they don't cover me fairly," he added.

Trump then went on to give the example of his speech in Jamestown, Virginia, as proof that the press covered him unfairly, saying they choose to focus on a single protester rather than his speech.

The president's defense of his Twitter usage comes after he tweeted at four progressive congresswomen to "go back" to their home countries and told Democratic Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings that his district is "rat infested."

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https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/trump-tweeting-is-my-only-form-of-defense

[rustynail]

Even in tweeting trump lacks the proper decorum that so many need.

[PeteS in CA]

The MSM have been lying about things Trump says for over four years. Twitter lets Trump bypass the MSM filter and lies. As to his manner, slanderers don't deserve "proper decorum". Further, Reagan, Bush, and Bush tried going the "proper decorum" route and, frankly, that was an utter cascading failure. Being polite to Haters just dignifies their slander and encourages and enables them to be worse. Trump, I think, noticed that and is trying a different route. It hasn't lessened the slanders, but his strategy has drawn the Haters into displaying their full crazy.

I'd love for there to be "proper decorum" and all that, but the Dems and their MSM shills started abandoning that back in the 70s. It's just taken a few decades for there to be an R President willing to respond. That's part of what freaks out the Dems and their MSM shills. Trump isn't laying back and taking it the way a R President is supposed to.

[Fishrrman]

Mr. Trump is right once again.

I don't use twitter. I don't read the president's tweets, unless I see them posted here.

But Mr. Trump's use of it is ingenious in his ability to "go around the media" and get his thoughts directly to his constituents, as unvarnished as those thoughts and words may appear.

It's called "fighting back".
No Republican has done it better in the last 30 years.
NOT ONE.
Nobody.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

and if he stops, the media will step in and report what he is saying instead, in their twisted way.

[truth_seeker]

Beto be sayin that African American women be the biggest part of democrats.

[DCPatriot]

Even in tweeting trump lacks the proper decorum that so many need.

Who gives a damn about 'Proper Decorum'?

We're at war for the very soul of the country and you still want to "...be the better man"?

It's 'YOUR' way that put us in the position we're in today.

Screw that.   Rip off their face and show it to them.

[roamer_1]

Who gives a damn about 'Proper Decorum'?

We're at war for the very soul of the country and you still want to "...be the better man"?

It's 'YOUR' way that put us in the position we're in today.

Screw that.   Rip off their face and show it to them.

Thus lowered to their position... and there is no longer a 'better man'.

So much for the 'soul of the country' 

[Applewood]

The White House has its official Twitter account which can be used to disseminate the facts. 

Trump uses his Twitter account to bully, harass, pick fights, whine , complain and generally waste time he could spend being productive as president.
 

[Jazzhead]

Thus lowered to their position... and there is no longer a 'better man'.

So much for the 'soul of the country' 

Quoted for wisdom.   

[Right_in_Virginia]

Thus lowered to their position... and there is no longer a 'better man'.

Oh good grief what nonsense.  GWB was a "better man" and was so damaged by his surrender to the media he was barred from speaking at the 2008 and 2012 GOP Conventions --- in fact he didn't even attend either. 

I'm sorry you're having such a difficult time accepting that the political playbook has changed.  The neat and controlled messaging (which failed us miserably) is over.  There are tens of millions of voters on social media and it's smart to meet them on their turf speaking to them in their language.  It's actually one the President's natural gifts.

Why not join the rest of us living in the 21st Century?

[Right_in_Virginia]

Quoted for wisdom.

Or ignorance.

[mystery-ak]

Trump tells C-Span why he’s upset with John Roberts and Fox News
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2019/07/31/trump-tells-c-span-why-hes-upset-with-john-roberts-and-fox-news-780087

excerpt:

Trump pointed out that Fox News’ White House correspondent John Roberts focused on a single protester at a recent rally instead of the important issues he raised, like the booming Trump economy and the need for immigration reform.

“There was one protester who stood up…he held up a sign and he said whatever,” Trump recounted. “And it was on Fox with John Roberts. He talked about the protester for almost an entire segment of that. And I said, ‘Isn’t that a shame?’ One guy stands up, not an impressive person. He stood up and he got all of this attention. He took the whole thing away. One person.”

Fox News viewers may not be surprised to learn that John Roberts previously worked at CNN from 2006 to 2011. Before that, Roberts worked at CBS News. Roberts is married to ABC News reporter Kyra Phillips, who worked at CNN for 13 years.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

Trump is right.  That doesn't mean that he doesn't occasionally shoot himself in the foot with some tweets, but I think twitter has been a net positive for him, often because the mainstream press misreads how the American people will react to some of his tweets.  Things they believe will damage him often don't.

[skeeter]

The rats close ranks and defend each other.

Trump has to use Twitter to defend himself, then others in the GOP kick his ass for it.

Nice party y'got there.

[PeteS in CA]

The White House has its official Twitter account which can be used to disseminate the facts. 

Trump uses his Twitter account to bully, harass, pick fights, whine , complain and generally waste time he could spend being productive as president.

When the truth hurts, tendentious terms like in your post are an ineffective salve. You know as well as I do that the first time a MSM lie about one of Trump's speeches got called out using the WH official Twitter account there'd be howls that Trump had violated the Hatch Act. Trump knows that too, which is why he does not do that.

[Jazzhead]

Trump is right.  That doesn't mean that he doesn't occasionally shoot himself in the foot with some tweets, but I think twitter has been a net positive for him, often because the mainstream press misreads how the American people will react to some of his tweets.  Things they believe will damage him often don't.

I guess we won't know until the votes are counted.   From what I can see from speaking to neighbors, friend and colleagues,  there is enormous weariness over the daily tweetstorms and the media's pavlovian reactions to them.    And those who are generally supportive of his policies keep quiet about it out of embarrassment or weariness in having to defend a man portrayed (unfairly but nevertheless constantly) as a cruel, hate mongering racist.

It is not a good situation.   

 

[Bigun]

The White House has its official Twitter account which can be used to disseminate the facts. 

Trump uses his Twitter account to bully, harass, pick fights, whine , complain and generally waste time he could spend being productive as president.
 

So you don't think the president has a right to express himself in his own words?

[Jazzhead]

So you don't think the president has a right to express himself in his own words?

C'mon.   The issue isn't whether Trump has the right to express himself in his own words.   Of course he does.   The issue is whether he is wise, day in and day out, to use his twitter account to "bully, harass, pick fights, whine , complain and generally waste time he could spend being productive as president."

And on that score,  I agree with @Applewood
 

[Bigun]

C'mon.   The issue isn't whether Trump has the right to express himself in his own words.   Of course he does.   The issue is whether he is wise, day in and day out, to use his twitter account to "bully, harass, pick fights, whine , complain and generally waste time he could spend being productive as president."

And on that score,  I agree with @Applewood

Well, in that case, I LIKE what he is doing with those tweets!  Bypassing the media filter we have become accustomed to and all!

[Applewood]

When the truth hurts, tendentious terms like in your post are an ineffective salve. You know as well as I do that the first time a MSM lie about one of Trump's speeches got called out using the WH official Twitter account there'd be howls that Trump had violated the Hatch Act. Trump knows that too, which is why he does not do that.

My contention is, for the most part, Trump is not putting out his version of the truth in a situation where he believes the MSM is wrong.  If  he was, he would say something like, this story is wrong and here is the audio of what I really said at this rally, --  offer some proof to refute the media story.    Calling the media names, making fun of certain reporters -- that isn't refuting.  And using Twitter to call Biden "Slow Joe," or otherwise trashing whoever the enemy du jour is on any given day -- that's not doing anything but work up his fans. 

Pete, he's just stirring up trouble and more importantly, he's wasting time -- time that could be better spent doing something productive. 

[Jazzhead]

Well, in that case, I LIKE what he is doing with those tweets!  Bypassing the media filter we have become accustomed to and all!

Bypassing the media filter is all well and good,  but not if you're just handing ammunition to the media to label you a racist.   The task isn't to persuade Trump's base,  but those independents who voted for Obama and then switched to Trump.   Those are the folks who being beat over the head with the media's meme that their choice is beyond the pale.   

[Bigun]

Bypassing the media filter is all well and good,  but not if you're just handing ammunition to the media to label you a racist.   The task isn't to persuade Trump's base,  but those independents who voted for Obama and then switched to Trump.   Those are the folks who being beat over the head with the media's meme that their choice is beyond the pale.

http://www.gopbriefingroom.com/index.php/topic,370460.msg2021915.html#msg2021915

[libertybele]

In the beginning I found Trump's 'tweets' childish and a waste of time.  As time as gone one it is obvious that if he didn't tweet the MSM would be more than happy to fill us all in on how they chose to convey what he is doing. 

As far as his productivity; I don't think the tweets have hindered that in the least.  In spite of the MSM and DEM obstruction, I'd say he's accomplished quite a bit considering his 1st term isn't up.

[Jazzhead]

http://www.gopbriefingroom.com/index.php/topic,370460.msg2021915.html#msg2021915

The quoted article is correct that when the Dems have no other winning argument, they play the race card.   But that doesn't excuse Trump, on an almost daily basis, handing them a race card on a silver platter.   

It is no coincidence that Dems, more than anyone else, are hoping and praying that Trump is the GOP nominee.   Trump is their ticket to the promised land.