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Just dropped · Trial Balloon · Ep. 195

Shake Up

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Trial Balloon · Ep. 195: Shake Up

The Story Is the Rule of Law

August 4, 2023 · 2:00 pm ET · Leave a Comment

Jonathan Last: “I am not suggesting that Trump’s arraignment shouldn’t be covered. There is a school of thought that seeks to minimize this story in the hope that depriving Trump of oxygen will make him go away. This is foolishness masquerading as prayer.”

“Here is my simple ask of our broadcast media overlords: Trump’s criminal trials should not be covered as if Donald Trump is the star. The star of the story is the rule of law.”

“I know: ‘The rule of law’ doesn’t drive ratings. It doesn’t have influencers with hundreds of thousands of followers. People don’t wear rule-of-law regalia to massive rallies and fly rule-of-law flags in boat parades.”

“But if you don’t present the Trump trials as stories about the rule of law, then they become stories about Trump.”

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Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire -- which for more than two decades has been one of the nation's most influential political news sites.

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