FRANKEL: Trump Is Right: The Media Are The Enemy Of The People

It’s no secret that President Donald Trump has severe disdain for the media. He lambasts them constantly, much of the time deservedly so, as the “enemy of the people.” Many on both the Left and Right have taken issue with this, ranging from claiming that Trump’s language is unbecoming for a President, to worries that it could put journalists at risk. Others have said that while the media is generally anti-Trump, it doesn’t do anything to the population other than inform.

However, Trump is right in his critique of the media—they are the enemy of the people.

Here’s why.

Throughout both Trump’s candidacy for the presidency and his tenure as Commander-in-Chief, the media has labeled him as a white supremacist, likened him to Adolf Hitler and blamed him for the country’s racial tensions. However, they cross a line when the smears spread to Trump’s supporters, which include 63 million Americans who voted for him.

And this happens on a frequent basis. For example, CNN political analyst Joe Lockhart tweeted: “Anyone who supports a racist or a racist strategy is a racist themselves. 2020 is a moment or reckoning for America. Vote for @realDonaldTrump and you are a racist. Don’t hide it like a coward. Wear that racist badge proudly and see how it feels.”

AZ Central also ran a column last month with the headline, “If you can’t condemn Trump’s racist tweets, we can no longer be friends.” Still more, Rolling Stone, a publication most known for settling a defamation lawsuit brought by a University of Virginia fraternity about a fake gang-rape story, ran a headline stating that “Republicans Can’t Explain Why They’re Condemning the Racism of Trump’s Supporters But Not Trump’s.”

But perhaps the most egregious smear of Trump supporters in recent memory came from Donny Deutsch of MSNBC, when he stated that “if you vote for Trump, you own the blood that happens.” Appearing on “Morning Joe,” Deutsch stated that every Trump voter owns whatever happens in the Trump presidency, and advocated for shaming swing voters. He made the case that you can’t just disagree with Trump on certain issues without also condoning his racism.

Deutsch stated, “ … I think that’s the message that’s got to get out there: ‘You own it. You own the blood that happens. You own Charlottesville. You can’t do it. You get the whole package … [A]nd that’s what swing voters have got to understand and be shamed into.”

There are countless examples of the media shaming Trump supporters and conservatives at large. From blaming the NRA and lawful gun owners for every mass shooting, to blaming xenophobia and racism for opposition to open borders, to NBC’s Chuck Todd not allowing “climate deniers” on his show, it’s obvious that the media despises half the country.

In light of this, Trump isn’t just railing on the media because it’s as biased as it is towards him alone. The president understands that the media clearly despise his supporters too; the 63 million Americans who voted for him. And if that doesn’t constitute, by definition, that the media are actually the enemy of the people, what does?