A national correspondent for Yahoo News compared journalists covering the Trump presidency to soldiers fighting on D-Day in a recent article for The Atlantic.
Alexander Nazaryan, who has worked for Yahoo News since 2018, made the comparison in a Thursday article originally titled “I Miss the Thrill of Trump,” which was later changed to “I Was an Enemy of the People.” The lengthy piece, which details his time covering Trump, claims the past four years reminded journalists of their need to maintain an “adversarial” position toward those in power.
What earned him the most attention, however, was his mention of the Allied invasion of Normandy.
“Covering the administration was thrilling for many journalists, in the way that I imagine storming Omaha Beach must have been for a 20-year-old fresh from the plains of Kansas,” Nazaryan wrote. “He hadn’t signed up for battle, but there he was, liberating France.”
Nazaryan then segued from his analogy to hit at Trump, writing, “France, by the way, is where Trump called American soldiers who’d fallen in combat ‘suckers’ and ‘losers.’ When this magazine first reported those comments, Trump’s supporters denounced the Atlantic story as preposterous and offensive, even as outlet after outlet confirmed the reporting. They failed to realize that the preposterous and the offensive were the twin beacons of the Trump presidency. Journalists were merely going where he led. This was our Omaha Beach. I, for one, would have rather been in Hawaii.”
The Atlantic’s story alleging that Trump scoffed at World War I soldiers buried in France was based on anonymous sources and has since been disputed by former national security adviser John Bolton, who is no fan of the former president.
Nazaryan’s article was met with scorn on Twitter.
“Storming Omaha Beach was not ‘thrilling,'” wrote Townhall journalist Katie Pavlich. “It was terrifying and a death sentence for thousands. How despicable this description is for endless reasons. Incredible ignorance and arrogance.”
Storming Omaha Beach was not “thrilling.” It was terrifying and a death sentence for thousands. How despicable this description is for endless reasons. Incredible ignorance and arrogance. https://t.co/TyvpFdFRl6
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) February 11, 2021
“When you accidentally publish your journal in the Atlantic,” mocked journalist Katie Herzog, who also pointed out the headline change.
Note the headline change https://t.co/3U0HO88ux9
— Katie Herzog (@kittypurrzog) February 11, 2021
Washington Examiner editor-in-chief Hugo Gurdon also excoriated the piece, writing, “It’s amazing, and also wrong from the display type on. Journalists’ should not necessarily have an adversarial relationship with power. They’re not supposed to be the opposition. Their governing relationship should be with the truth.”
It’s amazing, and also wrong from the display type on. Journalists’ should not necessarily have an adversarial relationship with power. They’re not supposed to be the opposition. Their governing relationship should be with the truth.
— Hugo Gurdon (@hgurdon) February 11, 2021
Jeff Blehar, a journalist and cohost of a podcast for National Review, described Nazaryan’s Omaha Beach comparison as “just an utterly breathtaking paragraph.”
Just an utterly breathtaking paragraph. pic.twitter.com/A2W9j7Pc2d
— Jeff B., who on earth is this guy?? (@EsotericCD) February 11, 2021
“If you imagine that storming Omaha Beach was ‘thrilling’ for a young kid watching his friend’s heads exploding to his left & right while taking hails of machine gun fire, then you might want to reevaluate your imaginative capacities. Also, comparing that to covering Trump…” Blehar continued.
“These people really are our best and bravest,” added sarcastically. “I thank God there’s someone like this man, willing to go out there on the firing line in mortal danger every morning and risk it all.”
These people really are our best and bravest. I thank God there's someone like this man, willing to go out there on the firing line in mortal danger every morning and risk it all.
— Jeff B., who on earth is this guy?? (@EsotericCD) February 11, 2021