How the mainstream press covers the Trump administration
We join this broadcast already in progress.
Morgan, I cannot tell you what a remarkable thing just occurred here at the Stapleton Street Gym owned by Donald Trump. Having been warned in advance by an unnamed source that something notable might be in the offing, I placed myself on a corner of the secondary basketball court when a crew of media people began to bring in and set up significantly more lighting than would normally be present at a game held in the venue. This is a court with only a few rows of bleachers on one side, total capacity being 320 people, per the fire marshal’s notice, so not at all the normal sort of place to hold a newsworthy event.
Even so, cameras were brought in following the lights, with one woman carefully directing their placement and final lighting adjustments. Not long after, six women in cheerleading outfits took the centre of the floor, waiting on permission from the woman controlling the lighting and camera placement before beginning.
The cheers were, to this reporter’s ear, banal and uninspired, celebrating Trump High School in only the most generic terms. Now the reference to high school was itself a surprise to this reporter as all the women seemed to be in their mid 20s or, in the case of one or two, possibly even older. Nonetheless, the cheers definitely referenced Trump High School. There is no such school in the local district, but we will be following up to determine for viewers where, precisely, this obviously private school might be operating.
In other ways the practice was even more exceptional. Between the cheers were earnest-seeming exhortations to do better combined with increasingly mean-spirited comments directed at one of the shorter cheerleaders, who, it seems, was less skilled than the others. This shorter cheerleader ultimately interrupted the efforts of the others four times sequentially, sparking increasing ill-humour in the others. Apparently a try-out for the Trump squad, she was informed more than once that she would never make the team if this poor performance continued.
After a fifth interruption the more experienced cheerleaders turned on the short one, yelling at her in the most degrading, sexist language before, and I can affirm as an eyewitness this is true, ripping her skirt and sweater into tatters before pulling the ruined uniform entirely off her body. It was as frightening a display of bullying as anyone might ever witness.
Though four of the girls did leave the gym at that point, the head cheerleader turned back after walking toward the door and attempted to comfort the victim. After a short conversation with the tearful young woman, the head cheerleader volunteered to remove her clothing as well, to make the young target of the assault “feel more comfortable,” she said. The comforting gestures continued for 20 or 30 minutes, beginning with a shoulder rub to ease the smaller woman’s muscles and moving on to stroke and soothe other portions of her athletic body after the short workout and devastating bullying.
At a distance from the two woman I cannot say precisely what was happening throughout, especially when the head cheerleader placed her face between the other’s legs, though perhaps she was examining her for bruises. The exam must have revealed few or no injuries, however, as the head cheerleader repeatedly called the other woman beautiful and the victim repeatedly thanked the head cheerleader and encouraged her to continue her ministrations.
At several points a camera operator moving for closeups, apparently to document the events for posterity, also made it difficult for this reporter to see precisely what occurred. But it is clear that the head cheerleader was successful in making the other feel better after the attack as she returned the ministering favours. “I want to thank you,” she said at one point.
Sam! Sam!
Yes, Morgan?
Do we have any indication at this point how the Trump school team knew something exceptional requiring video documentation might be occurring at the gym today?
No, we do not. I can only attribute this to the inspiration of genius as they can now potentially turn a purposeless attack to good use, perhaps as the centerpiece of an anti-bullying educational video. Whatever the foresight or serendipity that lead the people associated with Trump to film today, you can be sure it will redound to their benefit.
And do you know if the victim of the attack required medical attention?
It didn’t seem so, Morgan. Indeed the lighting and film crew here treated the events as entirely mundane, but perhaps they have more insight into how frequently high school students attack each other and the types of injuries that do - and don’t! - occur during such incidents than this reporter.
Well, a disturbing and fascinating report, Sam. For our viewers, know that we’ll be following up at 8pm tonight with a panel on the dangerous threat of high school bullying. How worried should we be that members of this “Trump High School” are attacking each other to the point of ruining clothing and leaving a vulnerable student naked? Is teen bullying actually a national crisis or can resources in place navigate the fraught responses necessary to what happened today. Tomorrow at 10 am on Rose’s Colored Glasses Rose Contreras and guests will discuss the power of female friendships to sustain girls and women through difficult times.
And, of course, we will continue to follow the events at the Stapleton Street Gym and Trump High School to bring you the important news and the context necessary to understand how these events matter to your family.
Next up! The story of a family whose Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard apartment burned to the ground in an arson attack the landlord hoped would end with an insurance payout. When the fire consumed the musical instruments loving father and Dominican immigrant Michel Garrido used to support his family of eight, Elon Musk stepped up to donate a cybertruck to keep the family mobile and sheltered from this week’s expected ice storm. We’ll be talking with representatives of Mr. Musk as well as a local charity who intends to present the genius inventor, billionaire, playboy and philanthropist with a plaque for his exceptional generosity.
Crip Dyke also writes for the delightfully cussmouthed Wonkette!
Who knew trans writers are allowed over 800 followers on BlueSky. It might actually be illegal for you to try to join in.
Yeah, the MSM is just a bunch of cheerleaders for trump.
Yes, this exactly. Everyone can see what’s happening, everyone knows what’s going on, but somehow the MSM finds some completely banal framing for it to make it sound as normal as possible.