Opinion: The President of the United States is Blackmailing Private Citizens
By: William Fairfax and Kayla Pasacreta
Well, America, Donald Trump is crazier than we thought. Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough of MSNBC's Morning Joe penned an open letter in the Washington Post about Donald Trump and his outrageous tweets. Despite Trump's seemingly bizarre claims that he does not watch the show, the cohosts have been the victims of several of Trump's Twitter attacks because of remarks made about him on their show. This is yet another example of Trump trying to discredit very credible news outlets, for fear of the public's increasingly growing negative perceptions of him. This is scary: Trump is trying to cut down on the rights of the press by means of public intimidation.
The President of the United States has clearly decided to declare war and use his power as a pawn against any private citizens who dare speak negatively about him. Joe and Mika state in their open letter that Trump wanted an apology for their negative coverage of him so badly that he sent White House aides to demand an apology or else he would let the “National Enquirer” (talk about “Fake News”) run a story about the couple.
Scarborough and Brzezinski, photo via Reuters
Joe Scarborough insists that every time they called he told them to go ahead and run it, refusing to give into the intimidation attempts from the administration.
“This year, top White House staff members warned that the National Enquirer was planning to publish a negative article about us unless we begged the president to have the story spiked. We ignored their desperate pleas.”
Based on Scarborough and Bzezinski’s accounts, the Trump administration made various attempts to blackmail the couple. Trump, who is a good friend of the owner of the National Enquirer, used this to make a very clear message to them: be loyal to him publicly, ad he would make sure the magazine didn’t run a sensational headline on them. This is textbook blackmail.
Mika Brzezinski added that not only did the aides call them multiple times to no avail, but that he sent reporters after her two teenage daughters. These are some of the most disturbing things you will ever hear about anyone, let alone the highest office in the land. And Trump isn't stopping anytime soon. Despite backlash from his Thursday morning tweets, he took to Twitter again, just two days after, with more words for the couple. Trump tweeted, "Crazy Joe Scarborough and dumb as a rock Mika are not bad people, but their low rated show is dominated by their NBC bosses. Too bad!" Is it coincidental that Trump didn't acknowledge their claims of blackmail in his latest tweets? Probably not.
Trump keeps going further and further with his vehement attacks, and I ask Trump Supporters, Republicans, and right wingers, when is enough going to be enough. This all should’ve ended on the campaign trail when Trump attacked a disabled reporter. But, it didn’t and we have to live with our electoral process even though the people didn’t vote him in. This is a 71-year-old man who cannot take any negative coverage or remarks about him. He also happens to be President of the United States.
It's time start holding him accountable, GOP. Your president is about to cost you your jobs. This is no longer about 2016, this may cost Republican lawmakers their jobs in 2018 midterm elections. Every GOP senator and representative that supports him is slowly losing their constituent base. Republicans, for the love of God – please find a backbone. Being “disappointed” by Trump’s comments are no longer enough, Trump’s comments are so deeply deplorable that Republicans must condemn him and separate him from the party. Trump has the honor of serving the highest office of the land – and it does not treat this office with respect nor dignity.
