Sammie Jones-
The L.A Review journal has endorsed Donald Trumps candidacy, as the Republican nominee launched a scathing attack on the U.S media on Saturday.
The L.A Review‘s endorsement was in stark contrast with the general stance taking by the mainstream media , and appeared well-timed with Trump’s promise to control the power of the media if he is voted president in 17 days time. The controversial presidential candidate fiercely criticised the U.S media for intentionally negative and biased coverage of his campaign. In a calculated attack on the media, he accused the media of trying to suppress his vote and the American. Underpinning Trump’s bitter criticism is the billionaire mogul’s suspicion that the U.S media is plotting his downfall.
No mention was made of the UK media, most of which has also been critical of Trump every bit of the way. Perhaps the straight- talking Republican believes has no qualms with the UK media, since they are not likely to influence voters from across the pond. Either he accepts the UK media are at least reporting from their independent genuine perspective, or he may say the U.K media is generally adopting the stance of the American press. The truth is that the media have generally not used any adjectives or terms to describe Donald Trump that does not fit the facts we have before us.
“They’re trying desperately to suppress my vote and the voice of the American people,” Trump said, as he vowed to restrict the ability of large US media corporations to abuse their power by directing news coverage. Showing the strong hand he will use to control the media, he stated that, if he becomes president, Trump said he will thwart a media merger between telecommunications conglomerate AT&T and Time Warner, which owns CNN and HBO.
“As an example of the power structure I’m fighting – AT&T is buying Time Warner and, thus, CNN, a deal we will not approve in my administration because it’s too much concentration of power in the hands of too few,” Trump stressed.
Trump said that he would never have approved the acquisition of NBC Universal by Comcast Corp in 2013, as he believes such mergers “destroy democracy” and “poison the mind of the American voter.”
“The Comcast purchase of NBC concentrates far too much power in one massive entity that is trying to tell the voters what to think and what to do,” he said. “Deals like this destroy democracy and we’ll look at breaking that deal up and other deals like that. This should never ever have been approved in the first place. They’re trying to poison the mind of the American vote”.
TRUMP VOWS TO SUE
Presenting his closing arguments, just over 2 weeks before the presidential elections, Trump vowed to sue all the women who came forward to make allegations against him, branding them as ”lairs’‘, who have indulged in total A legal suit will be tricky because Trump will have to prove they were lying, in the sense that the acts he has been accused of, never took place. Surprisingly, the L.A Review said little in their article to discredit or condemn the sexual allegations made against Trump by 11 women for sexual misconduct.
FABRICATION
Vowing to sue the women who have recently appeared in the news accusing him of sexual misconduct, Trump lashed out at the media system in its entirety, saying it “fabricates” stories, while forgetting to check the facts.
“Every woman lied when they came forward to hurt my campaign,” he said on Saturday. “Total fabrication. The events never happened. Never. All of these liars will be sued after the election is over.”r campaign represents the kind of change that only arrives once in a lifetime,” he added.
L.A REVIEW ENDORSE TRUMP
The L.A Review is the first major newspaper to endorse Mr. Trump. However, the paper is said to be owned by billionaire Sheldon Adelson- a woman described by The Washington post as a Trump supporter and longtime Republican benefactor. Despite this, the paper was too aware it would lose all credibility if it turned a blind eye to Trump’s obvious weaknesses.
Its endorsement statement for Trump acknowledged a fraction of Trump’s weaknesses, discrediting Clinton, before stating how Trump will restrict powerful elites from pursuing their own interests at the expense of the public. Very little was stated to make a strong case for Trump’s candidacy.
HUMILITY
In a call for humility, the endorsement began by stating “ Mr. Trump’s impulsiveness and overheated rhetoric alienate many voters “. He has trouble dealing with critics and would be wise to discover the power of humility.”
“But neither candidate will ever be called to the dais to accept an award for moral probity and character,” the editorial continued. “And we are already distressingly familiar with the Clinton way, which involves turning public service into an orgy of influence peddling and entitlement designed to line their own pockets — precisely what a disgruntled electorate now rises up to protest.”
WARNING
The editorial piece warned that an administration headed by Mrs. Clinton “would indulge the worst instincts of the authoritarian left and continue to swell the bloated regulatory state while running the nation deeper into the red in pursuit of ‘free’ college and health care.” The endorsement is believed to have been timed to help Trump, who is trailing Clinton in the polls, mount a comeback. Recent polls show Clinton ahead by 50% o Trump’s 38% In discrediting Clinton’s administration, the endorsement did not do well in highlighting the strengths and positives that Trump will bring to the table.
DISRUPTION
The closest the L.A Review came to offering any tangible support for Trump was in its statement :“Mr. Trump represents neither the danger his critics claim nor the magic elixir many of his supporters crave,” the endorsement said. “But he promises to be a source of disruption and discomfort to the privileged, back-scratching political elites for whom the nation’s strength and solvency have become subservient to power’s pursuit and preservation.”
PRIVILEGED ELITE
It is all good suggesting that Trump will be a disruption and discomfort to the excesses of privileged elites, but what voters and the world want to know is whether he has the tools, maturity and know how to lead and manage America. Whether a man who admits to what amounts to sexual misconduct against women can truly lead a country like America is something the L.A journal review did not touch.It may be that Trump can actually bring some positive leadership to America that moves the country forward, but he hasn’t presented us with much to think so.
Hilary Clinton may be no saint, but she is a much more reliable option than Donald Trump on the evidence we have seen. Trump looks likely to struggle to win this election, but stranger things have happened in life before.