New in PJ Media:
President Trump was facing a gaggle of reporters and fielding a question on Friday about Gaza when a reporter bumped his face with a boom microphone. The reporter immediately says “I’m so sorry,” but Trump pauses and gives her a long, intense look. Finally the president looks at the reporter who was asking him a question and says: “She just made television tonight. She just became a big story tonight. Right?” Someone else says: “Yes, sir.” Trump continues: “Did you see that?” and shakes his head, before turning back to the questioner and getting back to the matter at hand. It was an embarrassing accident by a clumsy reporter, and that’s that, right? Well, maybe. Or maybe not.
Trump was wrong: it wasn’t a big story, at least as of early Saturday morning. The New York Post ran a story about it, but offered no more information than what can be gleaned from the video itself. The websites of Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC had nothing. The New York Times did not find it fit to print. Neither did the Washington Post. And why would they? It was a simple mistake, a trivial matter. And yet some people pointed out the obvious: what if it was something more insidious than that?
Actor Matthew Marsden pointed out: “I have been on sets hundreds of times and been interviewed just as many. I have never been hit with a mic.” Utah’s outspoken Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) asked: “Was the microphone jab intentional?” One commenter on X said: “Maybe it was laced with poison? That was so odd.” Another added: “The boom mike operator did not look Bulgarian; yet Trump could be checked for any traces of radioactive isotopes or signs of ricin, IF an abundance of caution was in play. On a serious note, there should be NO close contact with the president nor his breathing space (HCN).”
In the same vein, another said: “Here’s what I don’t understand. What if that boom was poisoned. Like fentynol [sic] or something else. Why didn’t secret service immediately take the boom and person responsible and rush the president to safety?? I mean anything is possible with everything going on. Truly worrisome.” Indeed, why didn’t the secret service take any action? How could they be sure that the incident was innocuous?
Assassinations by journalists have been rare, but they have happened. The most notorious was the assassination of Afghan military leader and defense minister Ahmad Shah Massoud on September 9, 2001, two days before the 9/11 attacks. Massoud sat down for an interview with two al-Qaeda operatives posing as journalists, who went through a well-planned charade of setting up a camera and presenting Massoud with the questions they intended to ask him. Just as the fake interview was beginning, the jihadi posing as the cameraman detonated explosives he had hidden in his camera battery belt.
There is more. Read the rest here.
somehistory says
“Accidents happen” and accidents often kill people.
Then again, as stated, this might have been purposeful.
Mr. Trump is able to speak loudly. Is it really necessary for the ‘journalist’ to use a boom mic.
Hia physical condition should be checked over by some competent doctors just to make sure he has not been exposed to some germ warfare, or other lethal substance.
James Lincoln says
somehistory,
May be an accident – or maybe not.
The boom microphone should have been confiscated and tested for toxins, biologicals, etc.
And the reporter should have been detained until the results of the tests were determined to be negative.
somehistory says
James, we are on the same page, here. She should have been raked some, and held for possible action while the FBI lab had a serious look. It’s not too late to do those things.
Hoi Polloi says
You’re both right; that was an openly hostile to Trump, far-left NPR reporter who should have been detained and had her mic swabbed. We should have seen Secret Service officers move in immediately and make a timely announcement regarding their handling of the incident. Even if it wasn’t an assassination attempt, it was inexcusable and could embolden others. Further, it was a missed opportunity for the Secret Service to redeem itself.
James Lincoln says
somehistory,
May be an accident – or maybe not.
The boom microphone should have been confiscated and tested for toxins, biologicals, etc.
And the reporter should have been detained until the results of the tests were determined to be negative.
OLD GUY says
I see it as an accident, but in todays world you need to double check everything.