48 Comments
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The Wright Stuff's avatar

American reporters need to take a master class from you, Mehdi. We’re way too polite in this country. Without an aggressive press the insanity will continue unabated. I particularly appreciated your epic takedown of Matt Taibbi. I linked to it in this piece. https://open.substack.com/pub/thewrightstuff1/p/how-the-vampire-squid-scribe-became?r=3t1kwq&utm_medium=ios

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Johnny Too Bad's avatar

Our media sucks ballz. really they lack the spine to stand on an issue even when they're 100% factually correct, the "journalistic" sense says, let's move on.

Two reasons why we're in the state we're in.

1) Democrats fighting harder with progressives than they fight with Republicans.

2) The corporate media being in the tank for the establishment, regardless of sides.

3) Money in politics.

Couldn't help myself on the last point, it just snuck in there.

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Nevin Horace Oliphant's avatar

Donald Trump is the King of Stupid. Unfortunately, there are lots of people in the US that are either willing to pretend to be stupid or really are stupid. And, I'm not quite sure what the difference is between actually being stupid and pretending to be stupid.

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Kev Moore's avatar

I’m open mouthed watching this. Then I’m screaming at the journalist ‘DON’T MOVE ON! HOLD HIM TO ACCOUNT!’ Utter insanity.

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Diana's avatar

This is how I handle it when my grandma won't stop repeating Fox News talking points. That's the level of attention this goon's opinions deserve, but he is, unfortunately, the president. And Terry Moran is a reporter, not me just wanting to have a nice peaceful Easter dinner

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Robert Reisler's avatar

Dear God, Mehdi, You're sooo right. Where is the spine on the journalist. I so wish you were granted an interview. Even if we know it would be your last with him, as well.

Robert Reisler

Author, The Four Myths

RobertReisler.com

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Davena Turvey's avatar

I’m not sure I agree. What else could Terry Moran have done? Repeated ‘it was photoshopped’ while trump repeated ‘Terry, Terry, Terry’? The photoshop was clearly fake, most people knew it, and the spectacle of trump bleating ‘Terry, Terry, Terry’ was the whole point of the interview.

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Robert Reisler's avatar

Although you ask a valid question, I’m not a journalist and mehdi is. So I’d really like to hear a reply from him to your reply. Honestly.

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Cindy Wiggins's avatar

I agree the press is unwilling to challenge Trump and GOP liars directly. But this reporter at least had the courage to challenge Trump several times and to flat out say Garcia does not have MS13 tattooed on his hands and that it was photoshopped. You wouldn't find CNN reporters being as bold as he was.

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Mohammed Ahmed Khan's avatar

While the interview was hilarious to watch I honestly don't blame Trump!!! I'm not a Trump supporter but just hear me out: Trump thought MS-13 was written on his knuckles... It look photoshopped but for the benefit of the doubt lest assume trump didn't look carefully. Trump assumed it was written. The way the reporter handled it was inexcusable. As evidence he should have shown the unphotoshopped picture and put the matter to rest then and there. He as a journalist should have done his job thoroughly. But instead, him avoiding Trump and trying to skip to the next question gave Trump the opportunity to take the narrative against the media as a general "That's why no one believes the news!". I have to agree with Trump. It made the reporter look like an idiot, seemed like a bumbling buffoon; who has no clue what he is doing, instead of unmasking Trump's idiocracy. He made Trump more believable.

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Nevin Horace Oliphant's avatar

You are being obtuse. Trump is President of the United States, he has advisors, he knows it's not real. He repeated the lie about immigrants eating people's pets in a televised debate. He knows how stupid his supporters are, and that's why he acts as if he says it, it's true no matter what the external evidence shows,

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Gleann Donnchaidh's avatar

Is Trump really that stupid that he believes those superimposed letters and numbers are real? Whoever photoshopped it put them there to not to make them look real but to show what the symbols 'allegedly' meant which is BS in itself because even gang tattoo experts have said they've never seen an MS13 tattoo like that. This is proof that Trump will believe anything yes told by those around him. He needs to be removed from office, it's plain as day job that he's only a puppet for Project2025

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Ginger's avatar

somehow... it was actually interesting since dump wouldn't let go...dump tells him how lucky he should be that he is interviewing him... dump wouldn't stop..now he's on record, as well, 7 times insisting it was real...he couldn't stop ..it was almost laughable .."who's on first" routine

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Sunday Harrison's avatar

It's not even Photoshop - in PS you could actually make it look like a tattoo. This is Paint. Just letters dropped on. Ridiculous. They can't even get a real graphic artist to make their fakes.

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Eulonda's avatar

While Terry Moran's push back was limp, I don't think a stronger response would have mattered or done any good. Trump's ridiculous insistence that the photo was real was purely for HIS base. Trump got to do what Trump does, put dumb stuff out there for his people to lap up, then stick to the story.

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Quratulanne Jan's avatar

Please God, have mercy on us.

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Carole Langston's avatar

His racist, misogynist, homophobic base will only view this as a strong white man. That's what they want. He rose and the scum floated to the surface with him. Hopefully, others will see what he really is. As for Moran. Gutless pandering. Afraid. Edward R Murrow wish you were able to be here!!!!!

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Neghet khan's avatar

This is what happens when facts don't matter & lies are left unchallenged...

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John McInerney's avatar

They're all worried about access, and not just for the reporters, but for the outlets as a whole. Remember the insane reason for barring AP.

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