Today is the one year anniversary of the 2018 Capitol Gazette mass shooting, in which a gunman shot and killed 5 people, and injured more.
At the G20 summit today on the other side of the world, illegitimate United States president Donald Trump shared a chuckle with his boss, Russian president Vladimir Putin, over their shared wish to “get rid of” of journalists.
Trump expressed mocking disdain for “fake news,” and mockingly dismissed the seriousness of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential elections.
The Committee to Protect Journalists says 26 journalists have been murdered in Russia since Putin became president. Here are their names.
At the G20 photo op in front of news photographers, Trump appeared to bond with Putin over their shared scorn for journalists and the press in general.
“Get rid of them,” said Trump of journalists.
“Fake news is a great term, isn’t it? You don’t have this problem in Russia, but we do.”
“We also have,” Putin replied to Trump, in English. “It’s the same.”
Then they shared a laugh.
Here is the bizarre video clip right before that of Trump telling Putin not to meddle in the 2020 elections. Trump wags his finger at Putin, appears to do it to appease the idiot journalists, mocking all of us.
WATCH: President Trump can be heard telling Russia's Putin not to meddle in the upcoming U.S. election ▶ ? https://t.co/THyCggUA5Z pic.twitter.com/EbfOcKBna6
— Bloomberg Politics (@bpolitics) June 28, 2019
More from journalists who were there, and who observed the pool footage of the Trump-Putin theatrics.
After watching original pool video played back on larger screen, White House pool, with lip reading, has determined Trump told Putin:
“Don’t meddle in the election, president. Don’t meddle in the election.” pic.twitter.com/IyDpKmKgFS
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) June 28, 2019
Trump also bonded with Putin over a scorn for journalists.
“Get rid of them. Fake news is a great term, isn't it? You don’t have this problem in Russia, but we do.”
“We also have,” Putin answered, in English. “It’s the same.”
They shared a chuckle. pic.twitter.com/atGGYxnwfc
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) June 28, 2019
Trump also bonded with Putin over a scorn for journalists.
“Get rid of them. Fake news is a great term, isn't it? You don’t have this problem in Russia, but we do.”
“We also have,” Putin answered, in English. “It’s the same.”
They shared a chuckle. pic.twitter.com/atGGYxnwfc
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) June 28, 2019
“Like the Academy Awards used to be,” Trump also said of the press corps, in his conversation with Putin, as the Russian and US reporters noisily pushed and jostled their way into the bilat room. pic.twitter.com/lgtxlUivJ8
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) June 28, 2019
Russia is one of the world’s most dangerous countries for journalists. The Russian journalists I met when I was based there are heroes. https://t.co/ZB1oIWTD9O
— Clifford Levy (@cliffordlevy) June 28, 2019
This is disgusting. Thinking of all my murdered, censored , and unemployed journalist friends in Russia now. https://t.co/iGymw0ijw6
— Michael McFaul (@McFaul) June 28, 2019
A year ago today was the massacre in the Annapolis newsroom. Glad their service is being remembered today https://t.co/uKnp7p1Fzt
— Gary Craig (@gcraig1) June 28, 2019
Trump just "joked" with Putin about getting rid of journalists.
Here's an extremely important point from @paulwaldman1: Trump knows about the deaths of journalists in Russia, because he's repeatedly been asked about them:https://t.co/q6hmKC5gKC
— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) June 28, 2019
OSAKA, Japan (AP) — Smiling together on a global stage, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin cheerfully dismissed Russian interference in U.S. elections, shared their contempt for the world’s news media and generally flaunted their personal bond on Friday.https://t.co/Fq4ZeqQK9C
— S.V. Dáte (@svdate) June 28, 2019
Excusing MBS for Khashoggi just now, joking with Putin about election meddling and “getting rid of” journalists, and requesting another meeting with Kim, Trump signaling once again that human rights are not a priority for his admin.
— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) June 29, 2019
[via MediaGazer]