Trump Rails Against NY Times Columnist Paul Krugman: One Day Paper Will ‘Beg for Forgiveness’
President Donald Trump is continuing his Twitter binge Tuesday morning but introduced a phrase previously unused in hammering what he sees as unfair critics of his administration.
Trump first blasted NY Times columnist Paul Krugman who recently penned a column that called out the Republican party’s reaction to details of apparent malfeasance and irresponsibility of the Trump administration highlighted in the recently released Mueller Report. The column is titled “The Great Republican Abdication” with a dek that reads “A party that no longer believes in American values.”
It is fair to say that Trump did not agree with Mr. Krugman’s take, as he tweeted insulting words designed to undermine his authority. To wit:
Paul Krugman, of the Fake News New York Times, has lost all credibility, as has the Times itself, with his false and highly inaccurate writings on me. He is obsessed with hatred, just as others are obsessed with how stupid he is. He said Market would crash, Only Record Highs!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 23, 2019
But dinging Paul Krugman was not enough — and one could argue, a “punching down” move for the Leader of the Free World. So his follow up tweet took on perhaps the news outlet with the most august reputation, Krugman’s employer, the NY Times itself:
I wonder if the New York Times will apologize to me a second time, as they did after the 2016 Election. But this one will have to be a far bigger & better apology. On this one they will have to get down on their knees & beg for forgiveness-they are truly the Enemy of the People!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 23, 2019
Trump’s suggestion that the NY Times needs to “get down on their knees & beg forgiveness” is a curious turn of phrase that does nothing to dismiss the mafia-style management style that has colored his presidency.
Trump has received a lot of criticism for what many see is the unsafe and Stalinist use of the term “Enemy of the People,” particularly as there have been legitimate threats of violence threated against many members of the press, in particular by individuals who identify as Trump supporters.
President Trump has been on a rather epic Twitter binge since the Mueller Report came out, acting not at all like someone who is confident that they will be able to survive this current set of scandals that are hampering his administration.
(Photo by Chris Kleponis-Pool/Getty Images)
