Trump’s disastrous visit to Arlington was too much for the press to handle

https://www.cjr.org/analysis/trumps-arlington-national-cemetery-campaign-afghanistan-press.php

43 comments

  1. Reporter who’s also a retired Marine explains how the press, most of whom don’t have prior military service, poorly reported the Trump incident.

    “Readers needed to know that, when you visit Arlington, you might not know exactly what you’re supposed to do when confronted by those rows of headstones, but you damn sure know what you’re not supposed to do. But the coverage this week left many readers with the impression that the whole thing might have been a bureaucratic mix-up, or some tedious violation of protocol.”

  2. I have never in my life seen an action so fucking disrespectful as this one. Never. Nothing compares. This is by far the most disrespectful act taken by anyone in American history and I don’t think there is a close 2nd. It makes me utterly utterly embarrassed. I don’t see how any active duty military or veteran could even think about voting Trump after he basically wiped his ass with the fallen at Arlington and then pissed on their graves.

  4. Yeah they really couldn’t downplay this to continue their horse race. Suck it media!

  5. The press does an absolute shit job dealing with fascists because they have a bias towards capital all the way up until capital starts having to step outside constitutional law.

  6. The Media knows exactly what they are doing. Trump is their Golden Goose. They won’t stop treating him with kid gloves until he is no longer their guaranteed money maker.

  7. Well written article – thanks for sharing it.

    One of the things that saddens me about what happened is that Trump was Commander in Chief for 4 years. He led those men and women as their President.

    That he didn’t have the respect for the military, it’s men and women, and those who died in service to us all, is reprehensible.

    How can he have been President for 4 years and not have known it was inappropriate to campaign there? More importantly, how could he have been President and wanted to campaign there?

    I just don’t understand it.

  8. Trump gets every benefit of the doubt possible. I do not get it. I never will get it.

  9. Y’all are missing one very important thing. The right back in the sixties had this ingenious plan on how to reclaim power. one of the key tenants of that plan was to get rid of the Fairness Doctrine, which would present both sides of a situation, make colleges unaffordable for the masses, and most importantly, control the media. That meant they had to get rid of the rule that prevented people from owning more than one major newspaper or TV station or radio station in a market. Now that that’s gone, the right controls the overwhelming majority of the media from coast to coast. All the while claiming that the media is biased and controlled by leftists and Jews and undesirable. It’s h. So if you’re expecting the right to report that Trump had a major violation good luck with that.

  11. look at the picture: thumbs up, smiling: what’s so funny about the dead in a cemetery ? Moron

  12. This is the best tl;dr I could make, [original](https://www.cjr.org/analysis/trumps-arlington-national-cemetery-campaign-afghanistan-press.php) reduced by 87%. (I’m a bot)
    *****
    > The coverage of former president Donald Trump's visit to Arlington National Cemetery, on August 26, showed the difficulties newsrooms have in covering unprecedented events, especially when it involves the nation's military, veterans, and Donald Trump.

    > On Tuesday, NPR's Quil Lawrence and Tom Bowman broke the news that Trump and members of his campaign appeared to violate federal law during an appearance at Arlington to mark the third anniversary of the deadly attack on US troops that punctuated the deeply flawed withdrawal from Afghanistan.

    > For some reporters and editors, Arlington is a Metro stop on the way downtown.

    *****
    [**Extended Summary**](http://np.reddit.com/r/autotldr/comments/1f5zlny/trumps_disastrous_visit_to_arlington_was_too_much/) | [FAQ](http://np.reddit.com/r/autotldr/comments/31b9fm/faq_autotldr_bot/ “Version 2.02, ~693177 tl;drs so far.”) | [Feedback](http://np.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%23autotldr “PM’s and comments are monitored, constructive feedback is welcome.”) | *Top* *keywords*: **Arlington**^#1 **report**^#2 **veteran**^#3 **Trump**^#4 **military**^#5

  13. I’ve been to a national cemetery for fallen military.  There are signs say no photo ops for personal or political gain.  Politicians only show during important ceremonies including recent fallen soldiers.  I was personally told because I was seen with a camera to not take pictures of the grave stones from recent wars.  I was there for a memorable service for memorial day.  I was allowed to take pictures of the event and certain monuments.   It was simple to respect their wishes.   That case in Arlington isn’t just a nit picky staff.  I’ve seen this as a tourist some people feel entitled to break the rules of hallowed ground.  It’s gross when families do it and former commander and chief does it.  

  14. You mean the felony he committed? Call it what it is.

  15. The sadness here is that a horrible human, Trump, and his equally horrible cohort, the MAGA party, can be this close to having control of the country again.

    This must not be allowed to pass. Go vote in November and vote straight Blue to rub them out of power once and for all!

  16. Y’all can laugh at me, but I swear, I cannot believe that they pushed Army personnel.

    I mean I believe it, I just don’t believe it.

    There is literally NO BOTTOM for these scum.

    I am very disappointed there were no formal charges filed – but I get it – the woman is in fear of her life.

    I am begging the Feds to start putting MDMA in the water. We need it!

  17. Editors at the major national outlets are afraid to get the morning phone calls. They’re afraid of Trump and his thugs and they’re afraid of MAGA militia members known to harass and intimidate. Easier to either look the other way or downplay any news that might agitate the candidate. Sad.

  18. If the Press can’t spin it into a positive for Trump, they just ignore it.

  19. This is why independent media is stepping into the breach.

    The 4th estate has foundational rot.

  20. Okay but remember that time Obama wore a tan suit? Or got a burger with arugula on it? Unforgivable!

  21. Meanwhile, lamestream media doesn’t give it the attention it deserves and his cult followers just don’t care.

  22. Corporate news media is not journalism it’s entertainment.

  23. They aren’t flummoxed by him. They’re lazy and treat every utterance as gospel truth. They’re failing because they suck ass at this point. Minus teen Vogue (of all things) and rolling stone.

  24. I am no fan of state violence, but there are few things that affect me as heavily as being in war cemeteries. I, like other visitors to Arlington, sure as hell know how not to act.

  25. I was born the same year as Trump 1946. I served honorably in the Marine Corp for four years. I went to Vietnam for 13 months.
    My father was at the Normandy invasion in June of 1944. My given name James is derived from my father’s friend who was KIA in Normandy.
    Three years ago I took my entire family including one of my grandsons on a guided tour of Normandy and Omaha Beach. And yet I feel most depressed by the amount of veterans who still support this disrespectful unpatriotic slob.

  26. I checked their media bias before I opened the article, and this publication is left of center and highly factual.

    Perhaps. But whoever wrote this article is flummoxed, to borrow their own word.

    I only subscribe to a few MSM news channels on YouTube, but every video discussed *why* this was a serious breach of not only protocol, but common sense. They discussed why it is especially egregious that area 60 was used this way (more recent deaths, more family and friend foot traffic) and why Arlington itself deserves solemnity and respect.

    I’ve seen soldiers discuss their disgust at this breach.

    I heard quotes from people whose family members are buried in that section, and they are appalled.

    There really isn’t much more, but there were facts presented, and some military insight to why this should be condemned for the travesty it was and still is.

    But to take the press to task over the coverage?

    This reads like an article by someone who didn’t know what else to say about the subject, just like they are accusing others of doing.

  27. It should tank his presidential bid, but his voting base is dead from the neck up.

  28. If only the press would actually hold him accountable to his face

  29. I don’t understand why this is so surprising to anyone. The dude had a peaceful gathering of protesters, bystanders and news media tear gassed and beaten so he could get that sweet, sweet photo op holding a random bible in front of a church. Why wouldn’t he have an Arlington worker pushed out of the way and ignored for that sweet, sweet thumbs up in front of a few grave sites?

  31. If Trump wins it proves all those soldier really were losers and suckers.

  32. But it isn’t violation of protocol or disturbance of etiquette. They actually have rules. Regulations. Proper warnings that this asshole and his cult like minions ignored.

  33. I have friends buried in Arlington. The line from the article that says when you’re at Arlington National Cemetery and you “might not know what you’re supposed to do when you see the rows of headstones, but you damn sure know what you’re not supposed to do” is the best way to explain how overwhelming of a mix of feelings I get every time I’ve been.

    There’s a life’s worth of stories that every marker tells that you’ll never hear. I get emotional just thinking about it.

    The level of how absolutely absurd what Trump’s campaign did there is unspeakable to me. It’s like, to them, the place is just a set location and the rows of headstones are just props in his campaign’s shitty commercial.

  34. Then maybe the press should stop indulging him. Him being the candidate for one of the two major parties doesn’t make him a legitimate candidate. He’s the leader of a failed coup, a stochastic terrorist, a fascist, a convicted felon, rapist, pedophile, and a fraud to name a few. He should be treated as such instead of having a circus around him.

  35. Justice department should be able to handle it just fine.

  38. WTF does it mean when you give a thumbs up at a gravesite? You congratulating the guy for being dead? You congratulating him (dead soldier) for being in Arlington? You congratulating the soldiers family? WTF does it mean?

  39. Now. Schedule a visit to the tomb of the fallen soldier & go do a photo op with one of those guards as they are patrolling.

  40. The family who gave him access, don’t realize they’re just being pimped by a shyster, and even though they’re mad at Biden, they basically just allowed every other veteran to be disrespected.

  41. This is why it’s critical for everyone who’s able & eligible to vote BLUE all the way down the ballot on Nov. 5th!!!!

  43. My question is: will this *finally* be the last straw that loses him support from military members and veterans?

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