Fox News and President Trump: Child’s Play
The questionable feud between Trump and a leading conservative media outlet
By Ritwik Tati
The Progressive Teen Staff Writer
Of all the manipulative, pandering, incompetent media outlets out there, Fox News is the one that marks a huge bullseye for Democrats. Sly…Fox?
Of course, by sly I mean that Fox News is very partisan in its reporting, which comes as no surprise to many. The outlet has a reputation for siding with conservatives and slandering the Democratic Party. Although today’s young generation associates the eccentric reporters of Fox News with loyalty to President Trump, this biased reporting style extends back to the early 2000s during President Bush’s administration.
Throughout the 2016 presidential race, Fox News covered President Trump extensively, often throwing in a few “zingers” about purported scandals of the Obama administration (obviously targeting then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton).
One would think that our humble president would side with the news outlet that has supported him day in and day out: the outlet which chose to discuss his golf courses and plane landing instead of the Orlando nightclub shooting.
One would think that our ambitious President would side with the news outlet that consistently increases his media presence, bashing innocent rival Democrats for the most trivial things instead of addressing the real problem of inhumane treatment of children at the Mexican-American border.
One would think that our President, who can get away with virtually anything, would side with the news outlet that has dealt with his tantrums (like his recent tweet), egging him on instead of questioning state-level reversals of the long-upheld abortion case, Roe v. Wade.
But no.
He doesn’t.
Wait, the supposed feud between President Trump and Fox News is fake?
Yes, the president of the United States of America, the Commander-in-Chief, the leader of the Free World, the role model for young citizens everywhere, is leveraging a right-wing news outlet for personal advantage.
And one may ask, why should we care? Why, in this day and age, should we follow what the media says religiously? Why should “shocking” news about the current administration be of any special concern to us?
Because our very country’s integrity is at stake.
We as a nation have been divided by politics for far too long. From the First Party System implemented by Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson, the United States has been a country not united but divided. We’ve been divided over the institution of slavery, our perception of Communism, gender inequality, and finally this: our party leanings.
It has divided communities, families, and coworkers. It has divided friends, classmates, and teachers. It has divided mentors, activists, and celebrities. And instead of truly addressing the problem of toxic partisanship, our president actively worsens it.
The political divide in this nation is intensifying. It’s possible that we could see a national divide so great that it could parallel the turmoil between the Civil War-era Union and Confederacy. Solving problems progressively (or finding more conservative solutions) won’t be viable options if we work independently or argue about what to prioritize for policymaking.
Working together is the only way to solve our nation’s truly pressing problems. But we can’t do that when our President is childish.
We need a real, motivated President in the Oval Office that will work for American people. There’s no need to make America great again. The United States has its problems, but its fundamental tenet of freedom serves as the basis for why it is a great country. When our leader isn’t the most mature person for his job, the burden of our country’s problem shifts onto others.
As for the feud with Fox News, listen up. Take everything that you hear or see in the media with a grain of salt.
The moral of the story? A president that fights useless and nonsensical battles online won’t fare well as a leader in reality where the issues are much more sensitive and pervasive.
Fighting a petty battle with a news outlet that has been on your side this far into your nationally polarizing presidency? It seems like someone is starting controversy because they can’t find anything to do in the Oval Office.
