Michael Goodwin: The press hates Trump more than it loves the truth and the hyperbolic fear-mongering weve seen is proof
When there is a Republican president, the leftist-dominated White House press corps likes to gang up and try to put him on defense.The ultimate fantasy is repeating the glory days of Watergate by driving the president from office.That was certainly the aim in Donald Trump’s first term, where the hunt by Democrats with press passes — and the help of a corrupt FBI — was so intense that they produced a near-daily flood of lurid allegations, with the Russia, Russia, Russia hoax being the grand climax.But Trump 2.0 is turning out to be a far different story, though not because the press has decided to be fair in its coverage.Far from it.Many editors and reporters are still predicting the end of the world every time he says or does something they don’t like.
Their definition of a scandal is when he deviates from past presidents, as if the Oval Office is a straitjacket.Take recent front page headlines in The New York Times describing the president’s moves and agenda:“A Fusillade of Actions That Have Upended American Life”“Behind The Rush To Discard Rules And Reshape Life”“Driven by Vengeance, Trump Shreds Rules On His Crusade”It’s hyperbolic fear-mongering, and largely explains why public trust in the media has plummeted since Trump entered politics.The press hates him more than it loves the truth.Although the media haven’t changed, the rules of the game they’re playing this time around have changed — because the president and his new team have learned how to fight back much more effectively.So much so that they are flipping the script in a big way.Now the media are being forced to play defense in a desperate bid to fight off the president’s effort to upend their monopoly on access to him and the administration.Given the technology revolution and Trump’s determination, the legacy outlets are fighting a losing battle.Make no mistake — the monopoly they hold is extremely valuable, both financially and in the power it gives them to set the...