Everyone knew things were going to get ugly in the final week of the presidential campaign, but who knew things would sink to this level?
Just last month, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued a statement warning that a Donald Trump presidency would represent “a threat to press freedom unknown in modern history,” but it turns out Trump wasn’t content to wait until his inauguration to make good on that threat; heck, he’s didn’t even wait for his traveling press to show up before kicking off a campaign rally in North Carolina Thursday.
Hey, where are you, traveling press? We're starting in Concord.
— Emily Ngo (@emilyngo) November 3, 2016
They’re en route; tell the crowd to hang tight.
Donald Trump is now taking the stage in Concord. His traveling press isn't here.
— Ben Jacobs (@Bencjacobs) November 3, 2016
And he took the stage early. (Hi from the bus, with his entire traveling press corps.) https://t.co/0nuJnfGFjt
— Jeremy Diamond (@JDiamond1) November 3, 2016
Trump takes stage in Concord, NC – and his traveling press is still driving to venue. He started without us
— Jonathan Lemire (@JonLemire) November 3, 2016
EN ROUTE TO CONCORD —
Trump taking the stage before traveling press has arrived at the venue.
— Kevin Cirilli (@kevcirilli) November 3, 2016
https://twitter.com/dmartosko/status/794265778551980033
Rather than having his audience gather at the airport, it seems the Trump campaign stuck the press on a bus and had them travel to the audience instead.
5 days before election and Trump holding a rally 45 min drive from an airport. Surprised we're not going to more hangar rallies
— Noah Gray (@NoahGrayCNN) November 3, 2016
Oh and guess what! Trump just took the stage without the pool and entire traveling press corps- again https://t.co/8Cp34hO63e
— Noah Gray (@NoahGrayCNN) November 3, 2016
"How dare he?", said every pearl clutching journalist gladly lassoed by Clinton
— The LizWarrenton Post (@tcat0169) November 3, 2016
As far as we know, Hillary hasn’t had her handlers literally corral journalists inside a moving rope line for over a year.
I'm the pool reporter for the Trump traveling press today and me and the entire traveling press are still in a van as Trump speaks on stage.
— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) November 3, 2016
I assume: the van has doors, and at least 1 person inside of the van has hands
I suggest: person uses hand, opens the door and y'all get out https://t.co/T3bmPjULMx— TLC (@TracyLConnors) November 3, 2016
Hey, now. Trump chose to go on ahead and start early; blame him. Hopefully the local press can step up and cover if he does something outrageous, like put on sunglasses.
https://twitter.com/RosieGray/status/794271185269882888
Seriously, it’s not the fault of the press. Trump has gone rogue in the final days of the campaign and isn’t catering to anyone — not even the Backstreet Boys.
Unswayed by Backstreet Boys protest, "I Want It That Way" playing at Trump rally in Orlando right now https://t.co/01mbbgRKzt
— Tim Mak (@timkmak) November 2, 2016
the madness continues https://t.co/UFX2EgWcCo
— Asawin Suebsaeng (@swin24) November 3, 2016
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Related:
Journalists protest White House ban on photographers http://t.co/4Q8hYBhMy8
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) November 23, 2013
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