John,
We don’t normally chase Donald Trump’s latest social-media distractions. But today, as he scrambles to deflect attention from the imminent release of the Epstein files, we need to highlight a particularly unhinged Truth Social post — because it shows how the legacy press “sane-washes” Trump, sanitizing his destruction of democratic norms, including his direct calls to political violence.
In his post, Trump didn’t hint. He didn’t imply. He explicitly called for the death of Democratic lawmakers who recorded a video addressed to members of the military and intelligence community that urged them not to follow illegal orders.
Here’s what he said:
“SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!”
Now juxtapose that with this Washington Post headline about Trump’s post:
In his post, Trump explicitly called for Democratic lawmakers to face death — and some of the country’s top news outlets still softened their headlines into something that sounds almost routine and procedural.
Just look at these headlines:
- Politico headline: “Democrats’ message to troops sparks backlash from Trump allies”
- The Hill headline: “Democratic lawmakers’ video to troops draws criticism from Trump”
- Wall Street Journal headline: “Trump Calls for arrest of Democrats who urged troops to disobey illegal orders”
Backlash. Criticism. Arrests.
While most of these articles go on to quote Trump’s actual truth social posts, you wouldn’t know that the President of the United States called for the death of his political opponents from the headline.
This is how Trump’s dangerous rhetoric gets normalized: Water down the threat in the name of “both sides” journalism → dull public alarm → let authoritarian behavior blend into the news cycle.
COURIER won’t do that. We refuse to launder extremism through euphemism. We tell the truth courageously, because democracy depends on a press that puts its mission to protect democracy first.
In solidarity,
COURIER Newsroom