The thing the media still doesn’t seem to get is that trust in it eroded long before candidate Donald Trump called out “fake news” at his campaign rallies; that was just an affirmation of what conservatives had seen through the eight years of the Obama administration — a clear leftist bias and softball questions about what “enchanted” Barack Obama most about being president.
But now that President Trump is bypassing the media by going straight to Twitter, reporters feel they’re under attack — literally under attack at Trump campaign rallies, with loud chants of “CNN sucks!”
So it’s in that spirit that attorney general nominee William Barr was asked if he could see a situation where journalists would be jailed “for doing their jobs.”
Here’s how Yahoo News wrote it up:
President Trump’s nominee for attorney general was asked during his confirmation hearing whether, if confirmed, his Justice Department would “jail journalists for doing their jobs.”
He said he could envision that happening. https://t.co/dW95SSjIu7 pic.twitter.com/AP8twF0Qmx
— Yahoo News (@YahooNews) January 15, 2019
No, he didn’t say he could envision that happening. He did say there could be a situation where somebody could be held in contempt.
That's not at all what he said. Good grief. The American journos have the worst martyr complex I've ever seen. Calm down, ladies. You're safe. Obama can't jail you or hack your computers anymore. https://t.co/ouAg8HuMh4
— Jesse Kelly (@JesseKellyDC) January 15, 2019
This is not even remotely what he said. This is a prime example of why people don't trust the media.
— Maddy Ferguson (@maddystl) January 15, 2019
That’s not what he said… ?
— Jeff Smith (@Jeffsmith5084) January 15, 2019
Not what he said at all. This is a prime example of why we don't trust the media at all.
— AJB (@ajb_mn) January 15, 2019
Judith Miller might want to put out a comment right about now.
— Jwood (@Jwood62776145) January 15, 2019
Follow-up question: Can Barr foresee a situation in which a reporter — say Fox News’ James Rosen — could be named a co-conspirator in an espionage case and have his and his parents’ phone records secretly seized?
— Clint L (@ClintLongwell) January 15, 2019
Ma'am I'm not familiar with the hypothetical "journalists doing their job."
— Skunk Hunter (@skunkhunter13) January 15, 2019
Too bad. I wish he did promise to jail journalists
— MuhPoem (@MuhPoem) January 15, 2019
Why this silly charade? Republicans vote the guy on so he can start tomorrow.
— Michael Lamar (@bigfestus28) January 15, 2019
Related:
‘Bloviating WINDBAG’: Sen. Mazie Hirono makes an A*S of herself questioning Barr about ‘sexual assault and harassment’ https://t.co/G2nbBh8wEE
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) January 15, 2019
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