2016 presidential hopeful Donald Trump surrounded by the media.
We're still a year out from the 2016 presidential election, and already press coverage is a circus.
One of its most popular sideshows is "Donald Trump vs. the media." Regardless of how you feel about the real estate mogul's campaign, mainstream media is being irresponsible...
On Monday, executives from ABC News, NBC News, CBS News, FOX News, and CNN conferred to address grievances they have with the billionaire and his campaign's alleged mistreatment of their journalists. The meeting was prompted by an incident at a Trump rally last Tuesday. One of Trump's top aides threatened to revoke CNN reporter Noah Gray's credentials after he left the designated press area to cover a "Black Lives Matter" protester.
Media jumped on the incident, calling Trump a "fascist" and accusing him of trying to block reporters from recording protests by activists.
But Trump doesn't appear to be the one doing the blocking...
Check out some of the most recent incidents in which the mainstream media accidentally let its biases slip...
The Latest Attacks in the Donald Trump vs. the Media Battle
Trump started a firestorm when he first made the claim at a Nov. 21 rally in Birmingham, Ala., that he saw "thousands and thousands" of Muslim Americans cheering in New Jersey following the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Several media outlets claimed this story was false. The Washington Post even went so far as to call him a "liar" on Nov. 23. But for the mainstream media to go out and say that this didn't happen is just factually inaccurate, said Trump's campaign manager Corey Lewandowski to American Way's Right Wing Watch. In fact, it was the media itself that reported it did happen - on Sept. 18, 2001. According to a Washington Post article from that very day: "In Jersey City, within hours of two jetliners' plowing into the World Trade Center, law enforcement authorities detained and questioned a number of people who were allegedly seen celebrating the attacks and holding tailgate-style parties on rooftops while they watched the devastation on the other side of the river."
Trump has made bombing Islamic State-controlled oil fields a centerpiece of his plan to combat the terrorist group since he entered the race on June 16. On Aug. 11, Trump again discussed his plan to bomb the oil fields in an interview on FOX News. This was met a day later with criticism by U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno, who publically disagreed with the real estate mogul's idea.
Undeterred, on Nov. 16, Trump told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" that the United States was "just starting ... as of two days ago" to heed his advice to "attack the oil" fields controlled by ISIS. This was after ISIS claimed responsibility for the Paris attacks on Nov. 13. The billionaire even opened up about people's reaction to his attack plan. "You remember when I said, attack the oil, because that's their primary source of wealth. Attack the oil," the Republican presidential front-runner reiterated. "People smiled and they laughed and they thought it was a joke, and they thought it was funny."
In the meantime, the United States has changed its policy. Though it happened more than four weeks ago - not two days ago - the U.S. has indeed begun to attack the oil fields.
During the third Republican debate on Nov. 10, Donald Trump criticized the Trans-Pacific Partnership by claiming that China would use it to "take advantage of everyone" - generating jabs and scoffs from journalists. Even GOP rival and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul jumped in with a refutation: "We might want to point out that China is not part of this deal." But Trump never suggested that China was part of the TPP, only that the country would "come in, as they always do, through the back door" of the agreement.
And he was right. In short, the deal would indeed allow China and other non-members to enjoy benefits from the TPP without having to abide by any of its terms.
Stay tuned to Money Morning for more on the 2016 presidential election, including more news on the unending Donald Trump vs. the media battle. You can follow us on Twitter @moneymorning or like us on Facebook.
So You Want to Be a Hillionaire:Recent history suggests Hillary Clinton could rise to the top and, in the process, make savvy investors millions.We hope so. What we have to tell you is a story based as much on rhetoric as reality. It's built on an opportunity that cuts deeply and, to be perfectly blunt, may be offensive depending on your personal views...
