'Get back to reporting instead of sensationalism': Trump ridicules 'terrible' NBC reporter

[mystery-ak]

'Get back to reporting instead of sensationalism': Trump ridicules 'terrible' NBC reporter
by Mike Brest
 | March 20, 2020 12:55 PM



President Trump issued a personal rebuke to a reporter who asked him about Americans "who are scared" about the coronavirus pandemic.

"I say, I think you are a terrible reporter, that's what I say," Trump told the reporter, NBC News' Peter Alexander, at Friday's White House coronavirus press briefing. "I think that's a very nasty question and I think it is a very bad signal that you are putting out to the American people."

"The American people are looking for answers are they're looking for hope and you're doing sensationalism, the same with NBC and 'Con-cast.' I don't call it Comcast, I call it 'Con-cast,' whom you work," he said.

"Let me say something," the president continued. "That’s really bad reporting. You ought to get back to reporting instead of sensationalism. Let’s see if it works. It might, and it might not. I happen to feel good about it, but who knows? I have been right a lot. Let’s see what happens."

This is not the first time Trump has ridiculed Alexander.

The president's blow-up came as more than 14,000 people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with the coronavirus cases in the United States. It has resulted in at least 187 deaths, according to CBS News, while more than 120 people have recovered.

video
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/get-back-to-reporting-instead-of-sensationalism-trump-ridicules-terrible-nbc-reporter

[libertybele]

    I'm still tuned in -- yes ... Trump has done well in stomping on the media and their crap!  Lots of people are tuned in and seeing the b.s. coming from the press.

[skeeter]

It was a worthless, counterproductive question.

[jafo2010]

Trump was brilliant.

I loved every second of his dress down of that numbskull!  And I believe they need to kick these morons out of the press corp.  I believe it should have as many from conservative media/publications as the dishonest media, i.e. CNN and the stinking NYT.

[sneakypete]

I gotta admit it,I LOVED watching that.

[Formerly Once-Ler]

I know Trump's base salivates when he takes on the media, but the people who came to the conference to find out what President Trump is doing to stop the virus, might be less easily distracted.  Dr Fauci looks like he thinks the President's rant about reporting is unlikely to help stem the rising dead.

[LilLamb]

I know Trump's base salivates when he takes on the media, but the people who came to the conference to find out what President Trump is doing to stop the virus, might be less easily distracted.

Exactly, they came to find out about the virus and a stupid excuse for a journalist tried to get a gotcha moment. Most people are just as tired as the President is at the media’s distraction from important matters.

[Formerly Once-Ler]

Exactly, they came to find out about the virus and a stupid excuse for a journalist tried to get a gotcha moment. Most people are just as tired as the President is at the media’s distraction from important matters.

@LilLamb Thanks for your response, and of course you have a right to your opinion.  I don't want to put words in your mouth, so correct me, but it sounds like you too would rather President Trump fight about the media.

I thought it was a perfectly legitimate and really a softball question and Trump blew it.  The only way it was a set up is if the reporter knew Trump was incapable of saying something nice to the people so scared they are hoarding food, panic selling stock, and refusing to go out to the pub and self-medicating from home...like myself.  Then we could say President Trump was set up to get frustrated and angry and the reporter got what he wanted.  very easily.

S.V. Dáte @svdate

Hey, remember when Monday's briefing became the (latest) moment Trump Became President?
That was only four days ago.

[Formerly Once-Ler]

https://morningconsult.com/2020/03/20/trump-approval-coronavirus-response/

Perceptions of President Donald Trump’s handling of the U.S. response to the coronavirus pandemic jumped this week as his administration, Congress and state and local officials took more dramatic steps to contain the contagion presently spreading across the nation.

A Morning Consult poll conducted Tuesday through Friday found 53 percent of voters approve of Trump’s handling of the spread of coronavirus, compared with 39 percent who disapprove. Taken together, it marks an increase of 10 percentage points in net approval of his coronavirus response since polling conducted March 13-16.

The uptick was largely driven by 8-point bumps in approval among Democrats (from 18 percent to 26 percent) and independents (from 43 percent to 51 percent), while positive sentiment among GOP voters rose from 83 percent to 87 percent.

This was the good will President Trump had earned for a week of steady leadership.  I hope he will figure out that wasting time blaming others while the death count rises does not help him.  If that message must be communicated then surrogates should do it.  The American people look to the President for calm evenness in this crisis.  They expect him to focus on solutions, not a scapegoat.

[Formerly Once-Ler]

https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1241052727855153154

CSPAN@cspan

.@PeterAlexander
: "What do you say to Americans right now who are watching and who are scared?"

@VP
 Pence: "I would say do not be afraid. Be vigilant."

Video at link

Trump/Haley 2020 
Pence 2020