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To Understand Trump and the News Media, Watch the Clips of Harambe the Gorilla Trump, 800-Pound Media Gorilla, Pounds His Chest at Reporters
(35 minutes later)
At a news conference in Trump Tower on Tuesday morning, the presumptive Republican nominee Donald J. Trump shared his thoughts about the political press and Harambe, the gorilla that Cincinnati Zoo officials shot and killed after a small child wandered into his enclosure.At a news conference in Trump Tower on Tuesday morning, the presumptive Republican nominee Donald J. Trump shared his thoughts about the political press and Harambe, the gorilla that Cincinnati Zoo officials shot and killed after a small child wandered into his enclosure.
Mr. Trump had nicer things to say about the gorilla.Mr. Trump had nicer things to say about the gorilla.
The news conference — which Mr. Trump called to defend himself over questions about fund-raising for veterans’ charities — was a textbook example of the candidate’s need to devour media attention and deplore it at the same time.The news conference — which Mr. Trump called to defend himself over questions about fund-raising for veterans’ charities — was a textbook example of the candidate’s need to devour media attention and deplore it at the same time.
The offense reporters committed this time: asking whether the money he said he had raised at a January benefit — organized in place of a Fox News debate he was skipping — had really made it to the beneficiaries, and if so, how much.The offense reporters committed this time: asking whether the money he said he had raised at a January benefit — organized in place of a Fox News debate he was skipping — had really made it to the beneficiaries, and if so, how much.
A candidate said he would do a thing; reporters tried to confirm whether he had. (Last week The Washington Post reported that Mr. Trump had not yet made his own donation.) This, to Mr. Trump, was an outrage, an affront, not very nice treatment at all. He said he had not wanted to claim credit for his deeds — which he promoted, allowed to be covered on television and referred to during the campaign — but the nosy press had forced his hand.A candidate said he would do a thing; reporters tried to confirm whether he had. (Last week The Washington Post reported that Mr. Trump had not yet made his own donation.) This, to Mr. Trump, was an outrage, an affront, not very nice treatment at all. He said he had not wanted to claim credit for his deeds — which he promoted, allowed to be covered on television and referred to during the campaign — but the nosy press had forced his hand.
So he showed up at the news conference with a list of donations and recipients, as well as a list of grievances. Tom Llamas, a reporter from ABC News, was a “sleaze,” he said; Jim Acosta, of CNN, “a real beauty.”So he showed up at the news conference with a list of donations and recipients, as well as a list of grievances. Tom Llamas, a reporter from ABC News, was a “sleaze,” he said; Jim Acosta, of CNN, “a real beauty.”
The event, carried live on the major cable networks, showed how Mr. Trump uses his media omnipresence to control his message. By railing at the questions, he was able to send a headline to voters, repeated on the chyrons — that the candidate raised money for vets — while mostly pushing past questions of when he did it and whether his earlier claims had been truthful at the time he made them.The event, carried live on the major cable networks, showed how Mr. Trump uses his media omnipresence to control his message. By railing at the questions, he was able to send a headline to voters, repeated on the chyrons — that the candidate raised money for vets — while mostly pushing past questions of when he did it and whether his earlier claims had been truthful at the time he made them.
The reporters pushed back, pressing Mr. Trump not just on the donations but also on his continued attacks against detractors in the Republican Party, on his press-bashing, on whether he is too thin-skinned for the presidency. Mr. Trump, of course, believes that his skin, like all other parts of him, is fine as it is.The reporters pushed back, pressing Mr. Trump not just on the donations but also on his continued attacks against detractors in the Republican Party, on his press-bashing, on whether he is too thin-skinned for the presidency. Mr. Trump, of course, believes that his skin, like all other parts of him, is fine as it is.
And he essentially promised that, should he be elected, this news conference would be a preview of White House press room sessions to come.And he essentially promised that, should he be elected, this news conference would be a preview of White House press room sessions to come.
Mr. Trump may dish out abuse to the press, but at least he’s a source of constant quotes. His likely fall opponent, Hillary Clinton, is more polite but also more guarded. (Or as a New York magazine profile by Rebecca Traister this week bluntly put it, “Clinton hates the press”— even if she doesn’t pummel them for the cameras.)
This relative silence has helped Mr. Trump dominate airtime and make the news cycle his floor-to-ceiling mirror. Mrs. Clinton has lately tried to fill the vacuum by doing more interviews; Tuesday afternoon, she phoned in, Trump-style, to Jake Tapper on CNN and Chris Hayes on MSNBC. Both of them led their interviews by asking her what she thought of Mr. Trump’s news conference.
Mr. Trump is not the first candidate to bash the news media while craving its attention. He’s just made the contradiction, like everything he builds, bigger and gaudier.Mr. Trump is not the first candidate to bash the news media while craving its attention. He’s just made the contradiction, like everything he builds, bigger and gaudier.
He’s collected, by a New York Times estimate, $2 billion in free media. And he attacks, mocks and threatens news outlets when they aren’t “nice,” building bona fides with a voter base that has been encouraged for decades to see Big Media as the enemy.He’s collected, by a New York Times estimate, $2 billion in free media. And he attacks, mocks and threatens news outlets when they aren’t “nice,” building bona fides with a voter base that has been encouraged for decades to see Big Media as the enemy.
He can glad-hand journalists, then turn peevish and furious. The whole impetus for the news conference, remember, was an event he held when he was angry at Fox News. Now he has nothing but nice things to say about Fox News, because he’s sewn up the nomination, and the network has become very, very nice to him.He can glad-hand journalists, then turn peevish and furious. The whole impetus for the news conference, remember, was an event he held when he was angry at Fox News. Now he has nothing but nice things to say about Fox News, because he’s sewn up the nomination, and the network has become very, very nice to him.
And then there came the question about Harambe, because it is 2016, and this is what we do now: We ask the reality TV star who may become the leader of the free world how tough he would be on large zoo animals.And then there came the question about Harambe, because it is 2016, and this is what we do now: We ask the reality TV star who may become the leader of the free world how tough he would be on large zoo animals.
It was poetically fitting. For almost a year, Mr. Trump has been the 800-pound gorilla whose unpredictable rampages have obsessed the news media. Now he was completing the circle by commenting on the 400-pound gorilla who briefly stole the spotlight from him for one holiday weekend.It was poetically fitting. For almost a year, Mr. Trump has been the 800-pound gorilla whose unpredictable rampages have obsessed the news media. Now he was completing the circle by commenting on the 400-pound gorilla who briefly stole the spotlight from him for one holiday weekend.
For the record, Mr. Trump said that he thought zoo officials had little choice but to shoot Harambe. But, he added: “There were moments with the gorilla, the way he held that child, it was almost like a mother with a baby. It looked so beautiful and calm. And then there were moments when it looked pretty dangerous.”For the record, Mr. Trump said that he thought zoo officials had little choice but to shoot Harambe. But, he added: “There were moments with the gorilla, the way he held that child, it was almost like a mother with a baby. It looked so beautiful and calm. And then there were moments when it looked pretty dangerous.”
So it is with Mr. Trump and the news media, and their volatile symbiosis. Tuesday morning, he was in raging silverback mode, glowering, posturing and verbally dragging the press around his gilded Manhattan lair.So it is with Mr. Trump and the news media, and their volatile symbiosis. Tuesday morning, he was in raging silverback mode, glowering, posturing and verbally dragging the press around his gilded Manhattan lair.
But viewed from another vantage point, it can look as if he were holding them very close.But viewed from another vantage point, it can look as if he were holding them very close.