Prior to departing Wisconsin, I was briefed on the shooting at Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland. My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. Thank you to all of the First Responders who are currently on the scene.
Donald Trump tweeted about the Capital Gazette shooting on June 28: “Prior to departing Wisconsin, I was briefed on the shooting at Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland. My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. Thank you to all of the First Responders who are currently on the scene.”
The tweet came over two hours after the gunfire was first reported to have erupted in the newsroom. CNN’s Jim Acosta reported that Trump was briefed on the shooting around 90 minutes before he tweeted about it. Bloomberg’s Jennifer Jacobs reported that Trump was watching Fox News’ coverage of the shooting while on board Air Force One.
Five people are reported dead with multiple people injured after the attack. A suspect is in custody and is said to not be co-operating with authorities. Police say there is no further threat to the community.
In 2013, Eye on Annapolis published an article examining alleged political bias within the Capital Gazette. Although the newspaper has been known to take “strong stands” on certain issues, there was little evidence of overt political bias within the newspaper. In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland called the newspaper “local” and “not controversial.’
Donald Trump has spent much of his political career attacking the media. Most recently, Trump called the coverage of the North Korea summit “almost treasonous.” Some of the phrases used by Donald Trump to describe the media have been, “the enemy of the American people,” “our country’s biggest enemy” and “fake news.”
CBS News’ Lesley Stahl reported in May 2018 that Trump had told her candidly that his constant attacks on the media were simply meant to discredit them. Republican Senator Jeff Flake has said in the past that Donald Trump has used the words of Joseph Stalin to attack the media.
