Search in Google and you’ll see just how much of a commotion it caused when a political strategist suggested that the media takes Donald Trump literally, but not seriously.
It’s a particularly big problem in print media, where it’s the job of reporters to paint the picture for people who weren’t there in the room — a picture that doesn’t always match the video that eventually pops up online.
Writer Geraldine DeRuiter, for example, was particularly triggered by a line in the Washington Post’s story about President Trump’s visit to Puerto Rico:
Trump passed out yellow bags of rice and then started tossing rolls of towels into the crowd as if he were shooting free throws. The crowd laughed and cheered him on. When he contemplated doing the same with the cans of chicken, the crowd gently told him no.
What? This calls for a red underline!
TRUMP. CONTEMPLATED. THROWING. CANS. OF. CHICKEN. AT. PUERTO RICANS. pic.twitter.com/lSyO4Ru30W
— Geraldine (@everywhereist) October 4, 2017
He was just joking with them, right?
NO!
To everyone who's screaming "HE WAS JOKING", oh, my bad, I bet the people who'd lost everything and needed water thought it was hilarious.
— Geraldine (@everywhereist) October 4, 2017
He's tossing supplies like that one substitute teacher in middle school who would throw candy so we wouldn't go Lord of the Flies on him.
— Geraldine (@everywhereist) October 4, 2017
"Oh, but they were laughing!"
Of. Course. They. Were. You humor the petty narcissist who holds your fate in his tiny little hands.
— Geraldine (@everywhereist) October 4, 2017
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First you laugh, then you get the chicken, then you get the FEMA money.
https://twitter.com/sergioaruizh/status/915723465956536320
Oh, god, I do LOVE it when SEOs are assholes to me on Twitter.
— Geraldine (@everywhereist) October 4, 2017
https://twitter.com/sergioaruizh/status/915726483598872576
You mansplained, sir.
Oh, okay, right, you were being totally awesome to me when you told me I was a liar. My bad.
— Geraldine (@everywhereist) October 4, 2017
If DeRuiter reads in the Washington Post that Trump contemplated raining down missiles of canned chicken on Hurricane survivors, you’d better damn well believe it.
Although it does remind us and a lot of people of the infamous Thanksgiving episode of “WKRP in Cincinnati.”
We're approaching WKRP territory here. https://t.co/O7FDYlwAW3
— Noah Shusterman 孫達文 (@ncshusterman) October 4, 2017
Looking forward to Trump throwing live turkeys out of a helicopter for Thanksgiving. #WKRPinCincinnati https://t.co/ysFiYS1xhE
— Turkeytime Zarban (@TystoZarban) October 5, 2017
he just wanted them to fly free https://t.co/NtNWEF4YNd
— Ben McDonald (@Bmac0507) October 5, 2017
Guys, he “contemplated” hurling cans at brown people … that shows racism and premeditation and intent.
IMPEACH!
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