Media top headlines June 2
The media slamming DeSantis over Florida’s new transgender athlete bill, WaPo correcting a story about Tom Cotton and Chris Mathews appearing on MSNBC round out today’s top media headlines
Washington Post columnist Paul Waldman made a questionable claim that the media "no longer needs" Donald Trump despite the continued coverage the former president still receives more than four months after leaving office.
After it was announced that Trump was scrapping his recently-launched platform that many had described as simply a blog for his public statements, Waldman declared on Wednesday that "without the mainstream media, he's starving."
"Through Trump’s presidency, it was often noted that he had a unique ability to command the nation’s attention, even more so than previous presidents. He was a constant presence in our consciousness, every hour and every minute, forcing himself in front of our eyes with a barrage of tweets, outrageous comments and never-ending controversies," Waldman wrote. "But his current travails demonstrate how much Trump was always dependent on the mainstream media he both hated and sought the approval of. Like a tree falling in the forest, Trump barely makes a sound unless those supposedly stodgy legacy outlets are there to amplify him."
He continued, "But we in the MSM no longer need Trump, at least not in the way we used to. We’re sort of like the alcoholics who reject the 12-step method’s insistence on abstinence to become moderate drinkers. We don’t need our hit of Trump every day but, from time to time, we can partake a bit and be fine."
The columnist went on to insist that Trump needs outlets like the Post, The New York Times and CNN since "it's their validation he craves."
"People still talk about him there and he retains some influence, but it’s not really his place anymore. And it must be killing him," Waldman concluded.
Despite Waldman's claims, the media continues to dedicate substantial coverage to the former president whether it's his large influence over the Republican Party, his involvement in the Jan. 6 riot on Capitol Hill, his various spats with GOP critics like Liz Cheney and Mitt Romney and the New York attorney general's criminal probe in the Trump Organization.
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While Trump remains banned on Twitter, journalists constantly share screenshots of his press releases on the platform, particularly if he goes after other Republicans.
Waldman himself had tweeted about the former president nearly a dozen times in the month of May alone. Last month, he also wrote a column sharing his "nightmare scenario" of how Trump "becomes president again."
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