On Thursday, a local TV reporter tweeted video footage of him being berated by anti-shutdown protesters in the New York City borough of Long Island shouting “fake news” and “the enemy of the people.” “You’re disgusting. You are the virus!” shouted one attendee. “Traitor!” said another. News 12 Long Island reporter Kevin Vesey shared the video writing, “The level of anger directed at the media from these protestors was alarming. As always, I will tell a fair and unbiased story today.” In the video you can see people getting in Vesey’s face using anti-media rhetoric. Extremely disconcerting. Making matters worse, Donald Trump, who opened the door for this ever-devolving public discourse, retweeted the video attacking the reporter with his own ugly attacks of “FAKE NEWS IS NOT ESSENTIAL” and praising the protesters as “great people!” Sad.
“FAKE NEWS IS NOT ESSENTIAL!”https://t.co/5286zgRVWQ
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 16, 2020
People can’t get enough of this. Great people! https://t.co/b4HM0C298h
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 16, 2020
These folks are in Suffolk County – 4th most cases in the entire country! pic.twitter.com/vM7Ode2oKC
— Amy Siskind 🏳️🌈 (@Amy_Siskind) May 14, 2020
87,000 Americans dead, 1.3 million infected, and the president is attacking a local TV news reporter who was trying to do his job and cover a protest. Indecent, vile. https://t.co/fPBfz0MWak
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) May 16, 2020
It’s discouraging enough to watch the tape of these knuckledraggers harassing a reporter who’s just doing his job by covering their protest (and who produced an even-handed segment for his local newscast).
But to see the President pile on, bullying a civilian… it’s nauseating. https://t.co/XCdsqwAqqO
— Tim Alberta (@TimAlberta) May 16, 2020