Article in The New Republic Greg Sargent, 10/28/24

Headline: “Michelle Obama’s Brutal Takedown of Trump’s Mental State Shames Media”

Subhead: “As Michelle Obama harshly indicts Trump, a former GOP strategist working to win swing voters explains why her message might reach undecided women—and reflects on how the media is failing us.”

“Over the weekend, Michelle Obama delivered an extraordinary speech that reminded us how catastrophic Donald Trump’s presidency was, harshly criticized his debased moral character, and asked why the press expects Kamala Harris to meet basic standards of public conduct that aren’t expected of Trump. Could this closing message win over the undecided voters who will decide the race? ”

https://newrepublic.com/article/187583/michelle-obamas-brutal-takedown-trumps-mental-state-shames-media

Article in The Guardian by Jason Wilson, 10/28/24

Headline”  ” ‘Expect war’: leaked chats reveal influence of rightwing media on militia group”

Subhead:  “Disinformation and conspiracy theories – some spread by Elon Musk – fuel group’s vitriol and paranoia

“Leaked and public chats from Arizona-based “poll watching” activists aligned with a far-right militia group show how their election paranoia has been fueled by a steady drumbeat of conspiracy theories and disinformation from rightwing media outlets and influencers, including Elon Musk.”

“. . .materials offer a window into the way in which the rightwing information environment – and the unverified, distorted or false information it proffers – erode faith in elections, and encourage those who would violently disrupt them.

“, , , The Guardian’s review of the materials found many instances in which disinformation or exaggerated claims in the media or from rightwing public figures led directly to violent rhetoric . . .”

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/28/rightwing-media-influence-militia-group

Update

Article in New York Times by Annie Karni, 10/28/24

Headline: “Trump Hints at ‘Little Secret’ With House Republicans, Setting Off a Panic”

Subhead: “The former president seemed to delight in fueling speculation about what he is cooking up with House Republicans, prompting Democrats to worry about election fraud. Speaker Mike Johnson refused to explain.”

“Speaker Mike Johnson was taking in former President Donald J. Trump’s grievance-fueled closing rally at Madison Square Garden on Sunday afternoon when the main actor onstage turned to him and drew him into the drama.

“I think with our little secret we’re going to do really well with the House, right?” Mr. Trump said, addressing Mr. Johnson directly. “Our little secret is having a big impact. He and I have a little secret — we will tell you what it is when the race is over.

“This aside, delivered with a small chuckle, set off a frenzy among frightened Democrats who have been living with something akin to post-traumatic stress disorder caused by the last two presidential election cycles, and who are now primed to fear the worst.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/28/us/politics/trump-secret-house-republicans-panic.html

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Article in The Daily Kos by Dan K,10/28/24

Headline: “Trump’s ‘Little Secret’ is starting to Get Media Notice [\update: Don’t Panic. Sort Of]”

“Last night and this morning much of the media reporting on the MSG rally was focused on the racism, the misogyny, and the sheer and utter stupidity of pissing off large numbers of voters in crucial swing states. Not much attention was paid to another, equally alarming, claim by Trump that he and Mike Johnson had a “secret plan” to fix the election, so he wasn’t worried about the vote.

“It took 12 hours, but that is starting to change.

“NYT just posted this a few minutes ago: Trump Hints at ‘Little Secret’ With House Republicans, Setting Off a Panic”

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/10/28/2280418/-Trump-s-Little-Secret-is-Starting-to-Get-Media-Notice?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=trending&pm_medium=web

Owners kowtowing to . . . ?

Article in The Guardian 10/26/24 by Lois Beckett

Headline:  “ ‘Anticipitory obedience’:  newspapers’ refusal to endorse shines light on billionaire owners’ motives”

Article in Politico by Rachael Bade, 10/26/24

Headline:  ” ‘All Trump, All the Time’: Inside the Trump Campaign’s Media Strategy”

Subhead: “A top Trump adviser opens up about the effort to court a different set of voters.”

“Perhaps the most surprising thing about Donald Trump sitting down with podcast heavyweight Joe Rogan on Friday was that it hadn’t already happened. The former president has been on an expansive nontraditional media tour during the 2024 race, sitting down with a range of podcasters, but often those targeting young men in search of the Bro vote.

“Helping chart the course is one of Trump’s most trusted advisers, Jason Miller, who laid out the campaign’s approach in an interview with the Playbook Deep Dive podcast.

“Miller and Trump have a long history together. He’s worked on each of Trump’s campaigns since 2016, in roles ranging from comms guru to senior strategist, and he isn’t afraid to elaborate on the campaign’s strategy or defend Trump’s most controversial comments.”

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/10/26/trump-podcast-campaign-2024-elections-00185619

Article in Media Matters by Charis Hoard, 10/25/24

Headline:  “John Kelly warned that Trump is a fascist. Right-wing media absurdly claim by citing him that Kamala Harris is inspiring “assassins.”

“. . .  ‘If you keep calling someone Hitler, eventually, someone will feel morally obligated to take action’ ”

“This week, retired Gen. John Kelly — former chief of staff to former President Donald Trump — asserted in interviews with The New York Times that he believed Trump ‘falls into the general definition of fascist’ and that he has previously praised Adolf Hitler.

“Vice President Kamala Harris echoed the sentiments during her town hall on Wednesday night when asked about Kelly’s comments, sending right-wing media into an uproar.

“In a desperate attempt to spin the serious remarks about Trump into a negative story about Harris, right-wing media figures attacked the Democratic nominee, calling her hypocritical, claiming that she was repeating unsubstantiated claims, and suggesting she’s inciting violence against Trump by agreeing with Kelly’s comments.”

https://www.mediamatters.org/kamala-harris/john-kelly-warned-trump-fascist-right-wing-media-absurdly-claim-citing-him-kamala

Article in Media Matters by Jack Winstanley, Jack Wheatley & Reed McMaster, 10/24/24

Headline:  “Far-right media figures are reviving their conspiratorial crusade against Dominion Voting Systems”

Subhead:  “With early voting underway, some right-wing media figures are falsely claiming that Dominion voting machines are “switching the votes”

“As early voting gets underway in many states, far-right media outlets and personalities have begun promoting a conspiracy theory that Dominion voting machines have “switched” votes, which echoes the debunked conspiracy theory about Dominion voting machines that was heavily promoted by far-right and right-wing media, such as Fox News, in 2020.”

https://www.mediamatters.org/foxdominion-lawsuit/far-right-media-figures-are-reviving-their-conspiratorial-crusade-against

from “The Producers”

Article in The Intercept by James Risen , 10/25/24

Headline:  “Mainstream Media Was Afraid to Compare Trump to Hitler. Now the Press Has No Excuse.”

Subhead:  “Statements by John Kelly, Trump’s former chief of staff, have made it nearly impossible for the media to avoid Hitler comparisons.”

“For decades, reporters have been taught not to make Hitler analogies in stories about American politics. Adolf Hitler was so uniquely evil that any comparison of an American politician with the Nazi leader was considered unfair and out of bounds.

“And then came Donald Trump.

“Trump is the first modern American political figure to force journalists to reassess whether Hitler references meet their editorial standards.

“In my columns and other articles for The Intercept, I have drawn attention to the increasingly obvious parallels between Hitler and Trump and between the Nazi movement and the MAGA cult. Yet most mainstream journalists have stubbornly stuck to the de facto ban on Hitler analogies and have refused to compare the two.”

“. . . But in explosive new statements, Trump’s own former White House chief of staff has made it virtually impossible for the press to justify a continued ban on Trump/Hitler references..”

https://theintercept.com/2024/10/25/trump-hitler-john-kelly-medi/