The assault on America's mainstream media has entered a scary new phase.
Trump operatives have formed an organization that is devoted to publicizing damaging information about journalists who write anything negative about Trump.
Arthur Schwartz, a combative 47-year old conservative consultant and informal adviser to Trump Jr., is one of the main players in the campaign against Trump's detractors.
It's the latest step in a long-running effort by Trump and his minions to undercut the influence of legitimate news reporting.
Trump's new hit squad has been busy compiling dossiers of potentially embarrassing social media posts and other public statements by hundreds of people who work at some of the country's most prominent news organizations.
This hit squad of alt-right wackos has already released information about journalists at CNN, The Washington Post and The New York Times.
The one thing the three outlets have in common is they have been publishing articles that the minions believe might harm Trump's re-election prospects.
The game plan is to intimidate journalists so much they're afraid to write news reports on Trump, or doing any commentaries that aren't praising the orange ape.
To that end this is what they've done thus far:
** Minions have closely examined more than a decade's worth of public posts and statements of targeted journalists.
** Thus far the hit squad has only released a fraction of what they claim to have compiled.
** The plan is to disclose more information as the 2020 election heats up.
** Now the really scary part; the minion's research was extended to members of the journalist's family who are active in politics, as well as liberal activists and other politically opponents of Trump.
This cowardly way of intimidating the press' 1st Amendment rights shows how far Trump's minions are willing to go with him.
As a retired journalist, I'm mad as hell about this increased attack on Americans 1st Amendment rights, which includes protecting the press.
Trump has proven no bar is too low for him to go in his quest for a second term. From Day One, he tried to delegitimize the free press with his "fake news" bullshit.
Not only do Americans have to be concerned about Russia, or other bad actors intervening again in our 2020 election, they also are going to have to sort out real news from the distractions created by Trump and his minions.
Footnote: Trump and WH staff claim they knew nothing about the hit squad (until an article on it appeared in the New York Times on 8/25) linking Trump Jr. to it.
Anyone that believes that group of vipers in the WH must also believe Trump wrote The Art of the Deal.
Time for me to walk on down the road...
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