NYT Gets Absolutely Dragged for Charting Trump’s Insults: ‘WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!’
The New York Times took a beating on Memorial Day weekend for a second time over a story detailing the insults Trump has hurled at Democratic presidential candidates, complete with a handy chart.
The “Gray Lady” was already black and blue after writing that former Trump official Hope Hicks faced an “existential question” over whether to comply with a subpoena, and getting blasted for their trouble.
Then, the paper published an article entitled “The Insults Trump Has Hurled at 2020 Democrats,” which featured a chart listing each insult, as well as a timeline. The effort drew widespread scorn from journalists and politicos alike, who criticized the paper for amplifying Trump’s attacks without comment.
Among those slamming the Times were former Obama officials like Tommy Vietor and Dan Pfeiffer, and Obama White House photographer Pete Souza:
What a deeply stupid article. Truly embarrassing. https://t.co/X0PauKQOzw
— Tommy Vietor (@TVietor08) May 27, 2019
This is why the Times needs a public editor https://t.co/kw2ndezE5C
— Dan Pfeiffer (@danpfeiffer) May 27, 2019
This is a stupid story. Why stoop to this, NYT? https://t.co/p8xbXNeiSh
— Pete Souza (@PeteSouza) May 27, 2019
Reason’s Nick Gillespie accused the paper of having a Trump mole on staff:
With some introspection and reassessment of core commitments, 2020 could have been less terrible than 2016. It is going to be much worse. https://t.co/rN4cQm2pHO
— Brian Beutler (@brianbeutler) May 27, 2019
Celebrities like comedian David Cross and actors Debra Messing and Zach Braff lamented the potential effect on the paper’s reputation:
What a bad look for a great paper. https://t.co/b4VXGVUC46
— Zach Braff (@zachbraff) May 26, 2019
“All the news that’s fit to print”. Used to mean something… https://t.co/GmiMr6BGjp
— )))David Cross((( (@davidcrosss) May 27, 2019
@NYT WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! This is shameful. Do your job. https://t.co/F2rtH8dYCt
— Debra Messing (@DebraMessing) May 27, 2019
Parkland survivor and activist Delaney Tarr had a novel suggestion:
hear me out- cover the candidate’s policies instead https://t.co/n0HvWAxnke
— Delaney Tarr (@delaneytarr) May 27, 2019
Esquire’s Charles Pierce asked the question that was on a lot of people’s minds:
A fcking chart?
What is wrong with this damn newspaper? https://t.co/ezzjhrj0oX— Charles P. Pierce (@CharlesPPierce) May 27, 2019
Journalist Soledad O’Brien used the occasion to slam NYT’s entire political coverage:
Why would the @nyt do this? Why does the @nyt political coverage suck so frequently and consistently? https://t.co/BG6L9F3l9Q
— Soledad O’Brien (@soledadobrien) May 27, 2019
Perhaps the unkindest cut of all came from Tony Posnanski, who called the paper “the Chris Cillizza Of newspapers”:
Today is the day the New York Times became the Chris Cillizza Of newspapers. https://t.co/VRU928wj1G
— Tony Posnanski (@tonyposnanski) May 27, 2019
Sorry, there should have been a content warning for that one.
The paper’s “analysis” showed that Trump has insulted former Vice President Joe Biden 21 times, making him the winner of the Trump insult primary.
[Featured photo by Bryan R. Smith /AFP/Getty Images]
