This Is Legitimately Terrifying

By Dustin Rowles | Politics | August 1, 2018 |

By Dustin Rowles | Politics | August 1, 2018 |

I was going to take a break from writing about politics this morning, because I couldn’t care less about the infighting between the Koch Brothers and Trump, nor am I that interested in the fact that White House counsel Don McGahn hates Rudy Giuliani with the “intensity of 1,000 suns,” nor am I surprised that North Korea continues to work on its missile program, and I really don’t care about another bullshit Trump rally where he whips up his base promising to kick immigrants out of the country and make Voter ID the law in all 50 states because:

@realDonaldTrump in Florida says "The time has come for voter ID…
if you go out and want to buy groceries, you need ID."

— Cecilia Vega (@CeciliaVega) July 31, 2018

Donald Trump has clearly never been in a grocery store in his life.

What did strike me not as interesting, but as terrifying, is how Trump supporters in these rallies have turned on the media with a particular brand of hateful nastiness, and in particular, CNN and Jim Acosta. Guys, no kidding: This is scary.

WATCH: Supporters of President Trump Chant ‘CNN Sucks’ During Jim Acosta’s Live Spot at Florida Rally pic.twitter.com/2fwQQRVsQf

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) July 31, 2018

Just a sample of the sad scene we faced at the Trump rally in Tampa. I’m very worried that the hostility whipped up by Trump and some in conservative media will result in somebody getting hurt. We should not treat our fellow Americans this way. The press is not the enemy. pic.twitter.com/IhSRw5Ui3R

— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) August 1, 2018

This is what’s happening at the Trump rally in Tampa as @Acosta does a live shot. Folks booing, shouting “traitor,” and “you’re a liar.” pic.twitter.com/aUoUF4cwcB

— Ali Vitali (@alivitali) July 31, 2018

This is the fucking free press, and not only are Trump supporters engaging in hostile behavior toward them, but the President and his son are actively encouraging it. This was Retweeted by the President:

#Truth @Acosta https://t.co/aCfFoeqL1f

— Eric Trump (@EricTrump) August 1, 2018

Jim Acosta is a man doing his job. He’s reporting on the facts, but because those facts are different from the Fox News’ “facts,” and because these people only receive their news from Fox News and do not realize that they live in an alternative universe made up almost entirely of conspiracy theories, they legitimately believe that Jim Acosta is reporting lies. And they look as though they want to murder him.

The real concern is: Someone might. A month ago, five reporters were killed at a Maryland newspaper, but Donald Trump doesn’t give a shit. He called the media the enemy of the people. He bans a CNN reporter from an event for asking him a question about Michael Cohen. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has exhibited hostility toward CNN her entire tenure because Acosta asks questions that she doesn’t like. It’s crazy.

People like Acosta have to be wondering: Is it worth it? And that’s exactly what Trump wants them to think.