Rachel Maddow showed several instances where an American Secretary of State or an American President came out swinging in defense of American Journalists. Unfortunately, our America First Administrations’s Secretary of State Rex Tillerson only smiled as an American reporter was shouted at and insulted by a Russian diplomat.
Rachel Maddow exposes Rex Tillerson’s failure to defend an American journalist
One would think that the cadre of patriarchal males that control the Trump’s America First administration would allow no country to disparage its journalists. That was not the case in Russia.
Rachel Maddow showed the incident that occurred when Andrea Mitchell was pushed out because she asked an undesired question in Sudan. Not only did a member of the diplomatic core emphatically shout “Don’t ever touch our journalists again,” but then Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice demanded an apology and assertions that they would never do that again.
Maddow also showed the incident in Cuba when President Obama forced President Raul Castro to address Andrea Mitchell’s question. President Obama referred to Mitchell as “one of our most esteemed journalists.” The Cuban president obliged.
The testosteronic administration did not respond like previous administrations. No one came to the defense of the American Washinton Post journalist Carol Morello. She shouted a question. The Russian Prime Minister responded with a stare down and a yell and insult.
“Who was bringing you up,” the Russian Prime Minister snarled. “Who was giving you your manners.”
What was Rex Tillerson’s response? He smiled and put on his glasses. Talk is cheap. It is evident not only from these actions but from Trump and his administration’s inability to stand up for any policy they promised their constituents that this is a weak president and cabinet members.
Rachel Maddow ending statement was prescient.
“That is not how the U.S. government behaves in situations like this,” Rachel said. “That is doing it wrong when it comes to the basic expectations for the behavior of the U.S. government. That is screwing up even the easy stuff you are expected to do on behalf of longstanding noncontroversial American values. Sometimes when these guys screw stuff up it is funny, or it is embarrassing, or it is insulting. Sometimes it is potentially life or death. No matter how much you dislike or disagree with any American president, this kind of stuff is the reason nobody should ever root against an American president. Because when they fail, when they can’t be even basically competent. When they can’t do even the basic day to day easy stuff, it can very quickly get very scary.”
Day after day Trump proves he and his administration are all talk. Resist.