On Thursday, CNN host S.E. Cupp weighed in on President Donald Trump‘s speech to the rally crowd on Wednesday night that started with a call for unity and ended with a rebuke of his critics and the media by noting that the president has created a “culture of comfort” for violence.
When asked for her response by Wolf Blitzer, Cupp said that the “most alarming part” about Trump’s speech was “that it was scripted.”
She then stressed that the implication was that Trump’s media shaming words were not an unplanned riff but “intentional.”
“So it’s very clear now his office, his administration, his press shop has decided that this is not a bug but a feature. This is something they’re going to embrace. This is a strategy they are going to move forward with, even in the face of literal bombs sent to the news media and Democrats,” the self-avowed Republican commentator said.
Blitzer then noted that the president’s remarks did not mention the victims of the attacks.
Do you “believe as a courtesy he should have or even as a bigger courtesy actually made a phone call and called them to reassure them that the government was doing everything possible to find the terrorist or terrorists involved?” Blitzer asked Cupp.
“Courtesy is not a word…I think anyone really associates with President Trump,” Cupp replied. Look, let’s be clear. The president is not responsible for these bombs. He didn’t order anyone to send a bomb to CNN or to Joe Biden’s house. And even if we had, we are all free to ignore him.”
She then said this: “The problem is the president has created a cult of comfort for violent rhetoric and actual violence. Attacks like this have been organized against members of the media and against politicians for centuries, but in the past they would find no refuge, no safe space. When a journalist was attacked for doing his job, that would have been condemned, not congratulated. When a political opponent was sent a bomb, the president would not only denounce this but defend the intended target instead of blaming them. That’s what he’s doing in fact. He’s blaming the targets of those attacks.”
Watch above, via CNN
[image via screengrab]
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