When Trump tweets, how should the media respond?
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Liz Marlantes Politics Editor
| Washington
Dear readers:
It鈥檚 a perpetual question for the reporters who cover President Donald Trump: How to handle his tweets?
If you cover every blip and blast Mr. Trump sends out into the Twittersphere, some say, you are allowing the president to dictate the news cycle 鈥� and distracting attention from real events by hyping phony controversies.
Why We Wrote This
To some, Trump鈥檚 tweets are simply a distraction from real news events. Others say they鈥檙e the president鈥檚 most direct form of communication with the world 鈥� and we should pay attention.
If you ignore his tweets, however, some say you鈥檙e 鈥渘ormalizing鈥� behavior that is at best unpresidential, and at worst alarming.
This morning, Mr. Trump lashed out at George Conway, the husband of presidential adviser Kellyanne Conway, calling him a 鈥渟tone cold LOSER & husband from hell.鈥� (Mr. Conway, a sharp critic of the president, had in recent days questioned Mr. Trump鈥檚 mental health.) Mr. Conway fired back: 鈥淵ou. Are. Nuts.鈥�
The bizarre exchange came on the heels of , in which the president took aim at everything from a 鈥淪aturday Night Live鈥� rerun to certain Fox News anchors. Most notably, Mr. Trump , accusing him of having conspired with Democrats against him. Last night, Mr. McCain鈥檚 widow she said she received from a Trump supporter as a result.
It all proved too much for even some allies. Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson of Georgia that 鈥渢he McCain family deserves better.鈥� Utah Sen. Mitt Romney (R) tweeted: 鈥淚 can鈥檛 understand why the president would, once again, disparage a man as exemplary as my friend John McCain.鈥�
Which brings us back to the original 鈥� and perennial 鈥� question: Did we just fall down another Twitter rabbit hole? Or are the president鈥檚 tweets deserving of our attention and analysis?
鈥淭rump has had lots of oh-my-God-did-you-see-what-he-just-tweeted days,鈥� . But, he contends, Twitter 鈥渋s where the truest form of Trump comes out. It鈥檚 his Twitter feed 鈥� not official White House statements or signing ceremonies 鈥� where we find out what is on Trump鈥檚 mind.鈥�
Regardless of how you view it, it鈥檚 what the president of the United States is choosing to say to the world.
Let us know what you鈥檙e thinking at csmpolitics@csmonitor.com.
