The Los Angeles Times faced backlash online late Friday afternoon over a report that it published comparing President Donald Trump’s coronavirus diagnosis to the assassination attempt of former President Ronald Reagan, writing in a headline that Reagan “hadn’t spent months downplaying assassins.”
“When President Ronald Reagan was shot and nearly killed by a would-be assassin, the country rallied around him,” Del Quentin Wilber wrote. “But he also hadn’t spent eight months downplaying the threat of deranged gunmen.”
The Los Angeles Times writer highlighted Reagan being shot and then claimed that it was “very much in doubt” whether Trump would garner the type of sympathy that Reagan did “not only because of the events leading up to his illness, but also the sharp differences between the personalities of the two men, which can be seen by their immediate reactions to their health crises.”
The report attacked Trump’s credibility, claiming that it has been “nearly four years of repeated falsehoods and disinformation.”
There was widespread backlash to the report online with many calling out the classlessness of the piece, while others noted that it was not even listed as an op-ed, but was published as a news story.
Journalist Yashar Ali wrote on Twitter: “I thought this was like an opinion piece but it’s a news story? Just an insane way to frame this. Other publications did stuff like ‘After months of downplaying Coronavirus threat…’ but they didn’t involve presidential assassinations.”
I thought this was like an opinion piece but it's a news story? Just an insane way to frame this.
Other publications did stuff like "After months of downplaying Coronavirus threat…" but they didn't involve presidential assassinations. https://t.co/Mr5aL838Zw
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) October 2, 2020
Political commentator Tatjana Pasalic wrote: “This is absolutely vile.”
This is absolutely vile. https://t.co/wmYH4er1oZ
— Tatjana Pasalic (@Tattytats) October 2, 2020
Political commentator Stephen Miller wrote: “How the f*** are you people struggling to keep it together more than the guy with COVID-19? How? This is a miracle.”
How the fuck are you people struggling to keep it together more than the guy with COVID-19? How? This is a miracle. https://t.co/GdXIcRagiW
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) October 2, 2020
Democrat and former CIA officer Bryan Dean Wright wrote: “A new low in American journalism.”
A new low in American journalism. https://t.co/Wy5lUbZDDv
— BDW (@BryanDeanWright) October 2, 2020
Seattle based conservative radio host Jason Rantz wrote: “Whenever I think I can’t actually be shocked at tasteless framing from the media, things like this get posted to remind you that some media outlets are enjoying the @realDonaldTrump news. These people are unhinged.”
Whenever I think I can't actually be shocked at tasteless framing from the media, things like this get posted to remind you that some media outlets are enjoying the @realDonaldTrump news. These people are unhinged. https://t.co/55Bc4QePNO
— Jason Rantz on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) October 2, 2020
Australian political commentator Rita Panahi wrote: “Just when you think they’ve hit rock bottom, they start to dig.”
Just when you think they’ve hit rock bottom, they start to dig. https://t.co/EMrjHe424t
— Rita Panahi (@RitaPanahi) October 2, 2020
Conservative columnist Kurt Schlichter wrote: “The people who think this way are not going to like living in the world that they create”
The people who think this way are not going to like living in the world that they create https://t.co/Ra91gLohU9
— Kurt Schlichter (@KurtSchlichter) October 2, 2020
Human Events Managing Editor Ian Miles Cheong wrote: “Literally delete your entire newspaper.”
Literally delete your entire newspaper. https://t.co/2cdGHzsgzL
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) October 2, 2020
FOX LA reporter Bill Melugin: “These newspaper hot takes just keep getting worse.”
These newspaper hot takes just keep getting worse. https://t.co/WlktB8IUGq
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) October 2, 2020