The frustrated petulance of Donald Trump’s childish refrences to “fake news” and “the failing New York Times” is just one piece of his unending insult to the intelligence and morality of the American public. Meanwhile, the Times and other responsible newspapers around the country hew to the announced goal of Adolph S. Ochs, when he took over as publisher of the Times in 1896--“. . . to give the news impartially, without fear or favor, regardless of party, sect, or interests involved . . .” A free and fair-minded press will persevere and prevail, as history records the egomaniacal lunacy of one man’s quest to become king.

The product of twisted little minds is everywhere these days. One can hardly turn around without stepping in it. What Trump and his posse aren’t producing comes largely from his personal suck-up, Fox News.

Fox is claiming that pro-journalism slogans such as “Journalism Matters” are “anti-Trump.” On March 14, a supposed “news” report by Fox & Friends (a program praised by Trump as his favorite) fretted over “newspapers cashing in on t-shirts splashed with anti-president rhetoric”—the Washington Post’s “Democracy Dies in Darkness” (left in illustration above), the Los Angeles Times’s “Journalism Matters” and the Chicago Tribune’s “Speaking Truth to Power Since 1847.” They called it examples of “media bias on full display.” GIVE ME A BREAK!

Here is some response from the Washington Post—the paper that broke the Watergate scandal that led to Nixon’s resignation and one of the icons of American journalism—that has been continuously insulted in broad, vague terms by Trump for quite a few months: “It is amazing that Republicans can have a problem with shirts bearing the new Washington Post slogan, ‘Democracy Dies in Darkness’ yet have no problem at all with t-shirts bearing the slogan, ‘Rope. Tree. Journalist. Some Assembly Required.’ (see at right in illustration above)

“A shirt, we scarcely need to remind you, that was popular at Trump rallies this past year. And Fox News, even when it remarked on the shirt, did not cast the blame where it squarely belonged: Donald Trump. It was a shirt about which former All-Star pitcher Curt Schilling said in a tweet, ‘OK, so much awesome here . . . ‘  Schilling, pretending to be a journalist himself for Breitbart these days, deleted the tweet but claimed it was a ‘joke’ and was angry that people didn’t get that. Because lynchings are all kinds of funny. . .”

Considering Trump’s all-out war on the press, which he has called “the enemy of the people” while describing reporters as “evil scum” and the “lowest form of life,” it’s beyond ridiculous that anyone would have the unmitigated gall to call a two-word slogan such as “Journalism matters” biased rhetoric. This latest flap by Fox News Channel should make it pretty clear to even the most sluggish-minded that it is unashamedly pro-Trump—and feels that journalism doesn’t matter.

By reasonable extrapolation, it follows that Trump must not associate Fox with either America’s traditional Free Press or with Journalism, the responsible manifestation of that freedom. Which would be one thing he’s finally gotten right.

As the Post commented: “Donald Trump is waging a war on the press. Worse, he is waging a war on reality itself, trying to redefine it to suit his needs of the moment.”

When I get out and around, you will recognize me by the Washington Post or LA Times slogan on my t-shirt. Calm, simple, yet meaningful expressions, they make the crude bombast of Donald Trump and Fox News look pretty silly.

DID YOU KNOW? In New Zealand, the number of Americans who applied for a grant of citizenship rose by 70% in the 12 weeks following the election of Donald Trump when compared to the same period a year earlier.—immigration records obtained by the Associated Press

THE USUAL HYPOCRISY and misdirection--As Donald Trump was speaking the other day during a meeting with the German chancellor, he spouted the usual about bringing back thousands of jobs from overseas, ranted about working conditions in China, etc. So I hastened to call up a story I’d saved from March 13 at

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/ivanka-trump-china-clothing-import-donald-father-buy-american-a7626471.html

The headline read: Ivanka Trump was importing 50 tons of Chinese clothing as her father was saying “Buy American.” Customs bills reportedly show Trump’s daughter’s company had 53.5 tons of Chinese goods steaming towards American ports during his inauguration speech. The news story began:

“More than 50 tons of Ivanka Trump-branded clothing was imported into the US as her father told the country ‘we will . . . buy American and hire American,’ it has emerged. At least 82 shipments also reportedly passed through US customs from China between the election of 8 November and 28 February. The investigation news agency Agenca France-Presse (AFP) also revealed more than two tons in ladies’ polyester woven blouses, 1,600 cowhide leather wallets and 23 tons of footwear entered the country during this period.

“Analysis last July found not one of 25 different Trump-branded clothing items at New York City’s flagship Macy’s store were made in the US but mostly in China and Vietnam. During Mr. Trump’s inauguration speech at Capitol Hill on 20 January he said ‘We will follow two simple rules: buy Amrrican and hire American.’ As well as talking of ‘American carnage,’ he castigated domestic and foreign manufacturers for using overseas labor . . .”

The goods were made in China by three US companies which hold Ivanka Trump licenses—G-III, Mondan Handbags and Marc Fisher footwear. Apparently more than 1,200 shipments of Trump-branded products have flowed into the US from China and Hong Kong over the past decade.

P.S.—I know, I know; I may not sound “impartial.” However, while newspapers report the actual news impartially, editorial writers and columnists traditionally evaluate and express opinions on that news—as do letter-writers. It’s all part of a truly Free press.

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