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Yesterday I wrote a very well received (thanks for the Rec list!) diary talking about the final dawning of the media of Trumps habit of using blatantly stupid statements to distract media attention from more serious gaffes with more severe consequences. But it turns out that the situation is even better than I had dared to dream!
Now that the blinders are off of the media's eyes, the gloves are coming off too. And most gratifyingly, not just on Trump, they're turning on Trump surrogates like a pack of Junk Yard Dogs too. This would be bad enough for a well prepared surrogate, but considering the fact that the campaign(?) is giving them no direction or instructions, it's getting ugly, or smashing, depending on your point of view. Here's just a quick overview of some of the things the last 48 hours have brought us.
CNN -- Chris Cuomo spent :31 riding Rudy Giuliani like a bucking bronco. It was beautiful to watch! He hit Rudy with simple questions, kept hammering on his points, interrupted Giuliani repeatedly, and repeatedly called him "Rudy," at one point almost laughing out loud at him. Rudy got so riled up he was sputtering, and at one point I was actually worried that he was going to blow out that pulsing vessel in his temple. A work of journalistic art.
CNN-MSNBC -- Take your pick of anchors, they have all taken turns taking Trump Spokeswretch Katrina Pierson over the falls on a variety of subjects. They have doggedly dragged her back on point when she obfuscates, and they have almost ridiculed her for some of her responses. Yesterday, she got so excoriated that she literally was almost screeching, I completely expected her to snarl "I'll get you, and your little dog too!" That woman is seriously starting to crack under the pressure, and she deserves every second of it.
CNN -- Jake Tapper had a panel with Kayleigh McEneny, Van Jones and Bill Kristol. Wisely Jones was in between the other two. Tapper had to do very little, they savaged each other without him. Kristol berated Hugh Hewitt for trying to throw Trump a lifeline, saying that Trump was an embarrassment who didn't deserve one. McEneny launched into a full throated defense of Trump, his words and his honor. Kristol put a pitying smile on his face and said, "Kayleigh, I understand you supporting your candidate, but can you honestly sit there and say you're proud to support Trump?"
Kayleigh got all offended and said something like "Yes! I am proud to support Donald Trump, he is a man of principles!" Kristol threw his hands in the air and said "Kayleigh, how can you sit there and say that?! How can you say that about a man that you wouldn't let into your personal life for one minute?! He's a bully, he's sexist and he's a racist! How can you say that?" Van Jones just sat in the middle, hands lightly clasped and smiling like a cat that just got a whole quart of cream. Tapper saved McEneny further embarrassment by going to break.
CNN -- Poppy Harlow had a panel with Ana Marie Cox and Boris Epshteyn. Boris started spouted silly, debunked excuses about Trump. Cox raised a finger and opened her mouth, but didn't interrupt. When Poppy turned to her, Ana Marie put up a finger and told Poppy, "Before you ask me anything I want to respond to Boris. I am not a paid surrogate. I'm not a Trump supporter, and I didn't support Hillary in the primaries. I'm a journalist, and you've got me sitting here trying to debate a paid shill who can't even stay on point?" Then she turned on Epshteyn and shredded him like the branch chopper scene in "Fargo." Through it all Epshteyn just sat there, hands folded, with a blank, vapid, serene smile on his face. he was getting paid after all.
That is just a quick recap. I'm sure there was probably more that I missed. The point is, and I made this point in another diary a couple of days ago -- when is enough enough? Whatever Trump is paying these people, it can't be enough, in the army they'd be getting hazardous duty pay. At what point do these people finally have to defend their own honor, and jump off of the rapidly sinking Trump sloop if they ever hope to have enough integrity to work on another campaign for another candidate? But for a serious political junkie, the "silly season" just got a whole lot more entertaining!
Thanks as always for reading!
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