On Monday, Lisa Grouette, a reporter for the Globe Gazette, revealed on X, formerly Twitter, that she and a colleague had been denied entry to a Trump campaign event in Iowa. The journalist’s request for credentials was later granted, but the episode sparked reminders of Trump’s controversial approach to members of the media.
Entry denied
“I just reapplied for credentials for me and our political reporter,” Grouette wrote on Monday, “but as it sits, it looks like, without any explanation, we’re not being allowed to cover the Trump rally in Mason City on Friday.”
No explanation
Grouette posted a screenshot of the denial email, which did not explain the rejection. “It’s our job to cover these things,” she wrote in response to a comment, “and provide some insight and highlight local voices. I’m kinda mad, honestly.”
Oversight or emerging pattern?
“Happened to us at The Daily Iowan,” Liam Halawith responded, “when [Trump] was in Coralville!” It was also weird cause we were approved (different staffers) at a Cedar Rapids event.”
Decision reversed
“My second request for credentials was approved,” Grouette revealed in response to a user wondering which outlets had received credentials. “But still not sure why they would have been denied in the first place.”
Little help
When Newsweek reached out to the Trump campaign to ask about the incident, a spokesperson responded by asking, “What the f…ck are you even talking about? We have Globe Gazette reporters at our events.”
Concerning attitude
Trump’s attitude toward the media, and that of his allies and followers, has been a concern for years. The international NGO Reporters Without Borders has repeatedly condemned the former president for his comments about the media and journalists.
Dictator
via Depositphotos.com
The group’s most recent criticism came last month, after Trump said he would be a dictator on “day one” of his presidency, should he be reelected. Reporters Without Borders said it was “appalled by the remark.”
Dangerous comments
The group urged “Americans, regardless of political affiliation, to reject this authoritarian impulse that threatens the right to information.”
Frequent attacks
Of the more than 11,000 tweets Trump sent while in office, more than 1,300 attacked news organizations, according to an analysis by the New York Times. Thirty-six of Trump’s tweets called the news media the “enemy of the people.”
Allies
Many of Trump’s allies have spread similarly dangerous rhetoric about the media. Last month, for example, former Trump official Kash Patel told Steve Bannon, “We’re going to come after” journalists “who lied about American citizens who helped Joe Biden rig presidential elections.”
Warning
No evidence supports the claim that Biden stole the 2020 election. Still, Patel promised to “come after” those journalists, “criminally or civilly. We’ll figure that out. But yeah, we’re putting you all on notice.”
Words have consequences
Such rhetoric is particularly dangerous because it can increase attacks on journalists. In 2020, there were more than 600 recorded assaults on journalists, a far higher figure than in the years before or after. For comparison, there were 147 recorded in 2021, and just 33 in 2022.
Loud and proud
“I say up front,” Trump wrote on Truth Social in September, “that when I WIN the Presidency of the United States, [NBC and MSNC] and others of the LameStream Media will be thoroughly scrutinized for their knowingly dishonest and corrupt coverage of people, things, and events.”
Direct threats
The media “are a true threat to Democracy,” Trump continued, “and are, in fact, THE ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE! The Fake News Media should pay a big price for what they have done to our once great Country.”
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