There is no reason for news networks to cover Donald Trump’s 1/6 press conference, and they should not televise it.
Trump Is Pulling His Press Conference Con On 1/6
Donald Trump spent four years in the White House pulling the fake news conference trick on the press.
The con always followed the same pattern. Trump would announce a “press conference,” the mainstream media would hype it all day. The press would send reporters to the event. Trump would eventually show up, ramble on for 20 minutes or more, then walk off of the stage without taking a single question.Â
There is no reason to believe that Trump’s 1/6 “press conference” will be any different.
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The Media Must Provide Trump No Live Coverage
Trump won the presidency based on free media coverage in 2016, and he is looking to replicate that grift for 2024.
Donald Trump is almost certain to repeat his lies about the 2020 election being stolen and the 1/6 attack on the Capitol. Anyone who covers Trump live without debunking his lies in real-time will be helping the former president attack democracy.
Angelo Carusone, President of Media Matters for America, said in a statement provided to PoliticusUSA, “Donald Trump’s January 6 press event should be recognized for what it is: an opportunity for Trump to lie to downplay the violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and set up his 2024 presidential campaign. It is critical that news networks do the right thing — refuse to carry it live, so they do not uncritically promote the lies and disinformation that is generated from Trump’s speech in real time.”
The Media Must Debunk Trump, Not Give Him An Unregulated Platform
Ignoring Trump only helps him to spread his authoritarian message and grow stronger. Instead, the press must stop Trump’s lies dead in their tracks live before they can take root.
Too often, the corporate media has chosen the lazy way out and provided Trump an unfettered platform to spread his lies.
Trump deserves no live coverage on 1/6, and anyone who gives him an unchecked platform is assisting an attack on America.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
