New York (CNN) 鈥� Moments after聽Donald Trump聽was rushed to safety following a failed assassination attempt at a Saturday night rally, some of his supporters turned toward the press pen with obscenities as they fingered reporters for blame.
鈥淭his is your fault!鈥� one attendee emphatically yelled, pointing at individual journalists as he approached the fence line separating them from attendees. 鈥淭his is your fault!鈥�
鈥淚t is your fault!鈥� exclaimed another.
Axios聽reporter聽Sophia聽Cai, who quoted some in the crowd warning the press, 鈥測ou鈥檙e next鈥� and that their 鈥渢ime is coming,鈥澛犅燼 few rally goers tried to breach the barriers establishing the press pen, but that they were stopped by security personnel.
In the immediate wake of the horrific shooting attempt on Trump鈥檚 life, which resulted in the tragic death of one rally attendee and the severe wounding of two others, the news media has quickly emerged among some Trump supporters as a body to assign blame.
While the Trump campaign urged its staff to 鈥渃ondemn all forms of violence鈥� and said it 鈥渨ill not tolerate dangerous rhetoric on social media,鈥� some of the former president鈥檚 supporters in聽MAGA Media聽vehemently assailed the press for its hard-knuckled reporting on Trump, which has sounded the alarm on what four more years under the former president would look like.
Over the course of the campaign cycle, news organizations have, among other things, reported at length on Trump鈥檚 plans to warp the federal government for his own ends, including to seek vengeance against his political opponents. That reporting is now facing scrutiny, with some Trump supporters blaming it for producing a charged atmosphere that gave way to the assassination attempt, while mostly looking past the incendiary rhetoric of the former president himself.
Immediately after the attack, top figures across the news media condemned the shooting, underscoring that violence against a political candidate is an attack on democracy itself. Top liberal commentators also expressed their disgust in strong terms.聽MSNBC鈥檚聽Rachel Maddow, the country鈥檚 most recognized liberal personality, said she did not 鈥渉ave adequate words to describe how disgusted and horrified鈥� she was.
鈥淭here is no *no* *no* *no* violent solution to any American political conflict,鈥� Maddow聽. 鈥淚 am grateful the former president is going to be ok, and miserably sad and angry about the other people hurt and killed. This is a very dark day.鈥�
The reaction from the press and liberal media figures stood in stark contrast to how right-wing media personalities have responded in the aftermath of attacks on Democrats. Instead of raising the volume or fanning the flames of false flag conspiracy theories, which top figures on the right have done after attacks on聽Paul Pelosi聽and聽Gabrielle Giffords, they urged for calm.
Nevertheless, the anti-press attitude in MAGA circles has unquestionably increased. Despite the accuracy of the news media鈥檚 reporting on Trump, supporters of the former president have moved to vilify and scapegoat journalists for the heinous attack, sending anti-media attitudes to alarming heights.
鈥淥n a daily basis, MSNBC tells its audience that Trump is a threat to democracy, an authoritarian in waiting, and a would-be dictator if no one stops him,鈥� conservative radio host聽Erick Erickson聽wrote on X. 鈥淲hat did they think would happen?鈥�
Donald Trump Jr.聽blasted聽CNN,聽The Washington Post, and the press at large for recent coverage of his father.
鈥淒ems and their friends in the media knew exactly what they were doing with the 鈥榣iterally Hitler鈥� bullshit!,鈥� he wrote on X.
With just over 100 days until the November elections, the inflamed disposition toward the press has prompted cause for concern among news executives and spurred discussion inside newsrooms about safety and security precautions 鈥� especially with the聽Republican National Convention聽set to start on Monday. That four-day event, which was already a security concern prior to the assassination attempt, will bring together scores of journalists, alongside thousands of Trump supporters.
鈥淛ournalists are always among the very first to run towards a crisis, and we collectively are working in overdrive to keep everyone safe,鈥� one news executive told me. 鈥淭hat is the absolute top priority.鈥�
The-CNN-Wire
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