A weekly column contributed by The George Mason Democrats and the George Mason College Republicans. Topics are selected by the Fourth Estate Editorial team with input from readers. This week’s opinion: Trump Tweets. What is your position/opinion on his use of the Twitter platform and the messages of his tweets? Are there any positive aspects or any concerning aspects about his use of Twitter?
“The George Mason College Republicans is a club dedicated to educating students on campus about the Republican Party; we are actively involved in fundraising and campaigning for local and national candidates.” –gmucollegerepublicans@gmail.com
“The George Mason Democrats – a registered student organization, the official Democratic group on the Fairfax campus of George Mason University, and a charter member of the Virginia Young Democrats. We work closely with our local Democratic groups, including the Braddock District Democrats, the Fairfax County Democratic Committee, and the Fairfax Young Democrats. We seek to get Democrats elected, up and down the ballot. We are primarily a campaign organization, however we also focus on advocating for policies that affect all young people, regardless of political affiliation.” –info@gmudems.com
By John Kielbowicz, Secretary, George Mason College Republicans
President Trump, keep tweeting.
A casual observer of the U.S. media’s coverage of Donald Trump’s presidency would realize that a majority of the coverage surrounding him is negative. In fact, a recent poll from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government shows that 80 percent of media coverage surrounding President Trump is unflattering to say the least. Whether the stories are flat out false, contain misleading headlines, or are trying to promote an agenda they are preventing the President from getting a fair shake in pitching his vision to the public. To avoid this mischaracterization of his agenda, President Trump has taken his message directly to the American people via Twitter.
The media’s mischaracterizations of President Trump’s statements and his follow-up tweets setting the record straight has been seen throughout the past week. On Sept. 22, while campaigning for Luther Strange to represent Alabama in the Senate, President Trump made comments that NFL players who take a knee during the National Anthem should be fired.
Backlash to his comments were swift. CNN published an article with the title “NFL chief, team owners, NBA stars slam Trump.” President Trump shot back at his opposition, tweeting “If NFL fans refuse to go to games until players stop disrespecting our Flag & Country, you will see change take place fast. Fire or suspend!” and “NFL attendance and ratings are WAY DOWN. Boring games yes, but many stay away because they love our country. League should back U.S.”
While the media tries to portray President Trump’s tweets as out of touch, the exact opposite is the truth. Polling conducted by Fox News reveals that a majority of respondents agreed with his position that kneeling during the National Anthem is an inappropriate form of protest.
While President Trump’s Twitter habit may concern some people, the concerning aspect of his tweeting is the media’s obsession with it. While the media is obsessing with his tweets, President Trump is accomplishing his agenda. Overreaching EPA regulations are being repealed, prototypes of the wall are being built, the U.S. has left the Paris Climate Agreement, Neil Gorsuch filled the seat vacated by the late Justice Antonin Scalia, the Keystone XL pipeline has been approved. While the media is worrying about his next tweet, President Trump is Making America Great Again.
The George Mason Democrat’s take on Trump Tweets can be read here.
Illustration by Mary Jane DeCarlo
