Trump is a dangerous media mastermind

Source: CNN:::

July 22, 2019 at 11:53

Ever since the start of the television age, politicians have understood that the news coverage of controversial messages can do more than anything to advance a single cause.

Editor's Note: Julian Zelizer is a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University and author, with Kevin Kruse, of the new book "Fault Lines: A History of the United States Since 1974." Follow him on Twitter at @julianzelizer. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his own. View more opinion at CNN.

(CNN)The media have spent several days covering the noxious chant -- "Send them back" -- that broke out at President Donald Trump's North Carolina rally. The chant was inspired by a tweet from the President, saying that congresswomen Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley and Rahida Tlaib should "go back" to the "broken and crime infested places from which they came."

Critics rightly condemned the President for encouraging this racist message among his loyal base. No longer shy about calling out Trump's use of racist tropes, politicians and reporters came down hard on his injection of dangerous rhetoric into his reelection campaign. And though Trump later said he didn't like the chant, he did nothing to stop it.

Read More (...)