President Donald Trump was called out on social media Tuesday for demanding that The New York Times kneel before him and “beg for forgiveness.”
In his latest Twitter tantrum, which began with an attack on Nobel-winning economist and columnist Paul Krugman, Trump also called the Times the “Enemy of the People,” and falsely claimed the newspaper had apologized to him after the 2016 election:
Paul Krugman, of the Fake News New York Times, has lost all credibility, as has the Times itself, with his false and highly inaccurate writings on me. He is obsessed with hatred, just as others are obsessed with how stupid he is. He said Market would crash, Only Record Highs!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 23, 2019
I wonder if the New York Times will apologize to me a second time, as they did after the 2016 Election. But this one will have to be a far bigger & better apology. On this one they will have to get down on their knees & beg for forgiveness-they are truly the Enemy of the People!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 23, 2019
Times White House correspondent Maggie Haberman ― who has also been a victim of Trump’s ire ― replied with a crack quoting a Superman villain:
Kneel before Zod https://t.co/gSlKrxoR89
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) April 23, 2019
The newspaper replied via Twitter with a link to a message from publisher A.G. Sulzberger that was printed after the president’s attacks on the media in February:
“The phrase “enemy of the people” is not just false, it’s dangerous. It has an ugly history of being wielded by dictators and tyrants who sought to control public information.“ - NYT publisher’s response from Feb. to the president’s attacks on media. https://t.co/l7ZM3cGkpu
— NYTimes Communications (@NYTimesPR) April 23, 2019
Critics on social media slammed the president:
The nation's leading newspaper "will haver to get down on their knees & beg for forgiveness" because they are "the Enemy of the People".
— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) April 23, 2019
Totally not authoritarian language...nothing to see here...no need for impeachment...blah blah blah https://t.co/tu2eKdelzt
Some people overreact to Trump, true. Some people under-react. In any case, I'm going to say this: America is a country in which you need get on your knees before no man; in which you may kneel only to God, if you want to. https://t.co/vurG7rFKBn
— Jay Nordlinger (@jaynordlinger) April 23, 2019
The President of the United States telling The New York Times to “get down on their knees & beg for forgiveness.”
— Rula Jebreal (@rulajebreal) April 23, 2019
He then calls them the enemy of the people…again.
Trump authoritarianism & demonization of the press leads to murdering of the Press:#CapitalGazette #Khashoggi https://t.co/OVPLakm7iD
“Knees” and “enemy of the people” aside: the Times never apologized to Trump after the 2016 election. They issued a kind of sales pitch in which they said they’d “aim to rededicate ourselves to the fundamental mission of Times journalism.” Trump turned this into an apology. pic.twitter.com/FQElUINjuC
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) April 23, 2019
So Trump wants the New York Times on its knees, begging for his forgiveness?Sane, very sane. https://t.co/RrbTUHJZBo
— David Rothkopf (@djrothkopf) April 23, 2019
“On this one they will have to get down on their knees and beg for forgiveness — they are truly the enemy of the people”
— ᎠᏌNᎬᎷYᎢᎻᎪNᏩ™️ (@Kris_Sacrebleu) April 23, 2019
Who said it best, Joseph Stalin or Donald Trump?
“Enemy of the people”
“Down on their knees and beg for forgiveness” #ImpeachDonaldTrump #maga pic.twitter.com/DTZM8YWfNt
The press is not the enemy of the people. Donald is. Good job .@paulkrugman for writing truth that got under the thin-skinned sleazy landlord-turned reality tv star-turned crappy actor good at grifting, excellent at lying. Being called out hurts. https://t.co/QKkuOyNKJN
— Barbara Malmet (@B52Malmet) April 23, 2019
This is full-throated fascism from the illegitimate president. "Get down on their knees & beg for forgiveness" is seriously sadistic authoritarian shit. And this is incitement, full stop, as it places a target on a specific organization's back. Trump is a stochastic terrorist. pic.twitter.com/l0tRBRRnVp
— Chris Stroop (@C_Stroop) April 23, 2019
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