Opinion | Is media coverage of Trump’s indictment over the top or just right?
On Monday, they covered his every step from Mar-a-Lago to New York.
Former President Donald Trump arrives at Trump Tower in New York on Monday. He is expected to be arraigned today on charges arising from hush money payments during his 2016 campaign. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)
Today’s coverage figures to be even more breathless.
Today’s the big day, eh?
Donald Trump becomes the first president, former or otherwise, to be arrested. He will be arraigned in Manhattan today on upward of 30 counts stemming from hush money payments made to an adult film star before the 2016 presidential election. After that, Trump is expected to head back to his place in Florida and make a speech.
So what about the media coverage?
Here’s an interesting place to start. Trump’s team asked the judge in the case to bar cameras from the courtroom because it “will create a circus-like atmosphere … raises unique security concerns and is inconsistent with Trump’s presumption of innocence.”
Wait, he’s worried about creating a circus-like atmosphere? It’s too late for that. Did you see Monday’s cable news coverage? The networks followed Trump’s every move from Mar-a-Lago to New York, including shots of his motorcade going to the airport. It started to look like the overhead shots of O.J. in the white Bronco. (Check out this tweet.) The Washington Post’s Paul Farhi pointed outthat “O.J. Simpson” briefly trended on Twitter on Monday.
It got so ridiculous that Trump’s son, Eric, actually put out a funny tweet: “Watching the plane … from the plane.” It was a photo of him inside the plane with the TV inside the plane showing the plane on the runway. Get all that?
Media journalist Brian Stelter tweeted, “This picture is a thousand-word media critique.”
Journalist Aaron Rupar tweeted a photo of Trump’s plane on the runway and made up a fake quote from a fake media person saying, “We’re getting reports that they were just asked to fasten their seatbelts and put away electronic devices. Peanuts and cookies will be served when they reach a cruising altitude. Trump asked for a window seat.”
Actually, I’m only pretty sure that Rupar made up that quote.
That was just the taking off part of Trump’s trip. Then came the landing, which was covered just as intently.
My favorite headline Monday was this one on a story from Mediaite’s Ken Meyer: “Fox Host Complains Americans Are Obsessing Over Trump Indictment During Hour-Long Show on Trump Indictment.”Sounds like an Onion story, doesn’t it?…