Thread by @SpeakOutNow16

@ddale8 @juliaioffe Julia Ioffe was hit with an onslaught of anti-Semitic abuse when she did a profile of Melania that Trump supporters did not agree with. epilogue: Melania did not denounce it 1/
theguardian.com/us-news/2016/a…

@ddale8 @juliaioffe @Milbank shared some of his vitriolic hate mail in 2017 - often from people claiming not to be Trump supporters, but then going on to spout many of the Trump talking points 2/
washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-par…

@ddale8 @juliaioffe @Milbank Milbank also documented back in 2016 what many people saw but didn’t focus on in its connectedness: the code words and anti-Semitic messages of the Trump campaign. Many media members still bought into the “good Jews” in the WH (Javanka) or “errors” 3/ washingtonpost.com/opinions/anti-…

@ddale8 @juliaioffe @Milbank In the days after the 2016 election, swastikas and “Go Trump” messages popped up in New York, and swastika graffiti in other areas began to show up 4/

@ddale8 @juliaioffe @Milbank We can’t talk about tragic, hateful incidents any longer out of big picture context:
- anti (everything) - Muslim, Jew, Hispanic, women, LGBTQ, is ramping up
- Trump rhetoric gives license to hate groups (ie white nationalists a.k.a. KKK) who had to hide in hoods before
5/

@ddale8 @juliaioffe @Milbank .@sarahkendzior has long highlighted the role the media has played in amplifying the rhetoric - but now more than ever it presents a threat to a civilized, safe society 6/

https://twitter.com/sarahkendzior/status/1056207354063130624?s=12

@ddale8 @juliaioffe @Milbank @sarahkendzior All MSM, true journalists, political leaders must come together to develop new “Rules of Engagement”. There is a war on our society, our humanity, our values and our democracy. And one of the generals is our President. How we react and counter now is key #NewRulesOfEngagement

@ddale8 @juliaioffe @Milbank @sarahkendzior All media must weigh serious changes to
-“Both sides” arguments (often baked into prior concept of “neutrality”)
- live coverage of rallies featuring what would be classified as hate speech in some nations
- replaying Trump comments incessantly
8/
#NewRulesOfEngagement

@ddale8 @juliaioffe @Milbank @sarahkendzior Also spend no time discussing “when Trump will become Presidential” and what he meant when he reads a statement. We know what he means. He says he is a nationalist. He encourages his supporters to be violent. He puts kids in cages. 10/
#NewRulesOfEngagement

@ddale8 @juliaioffe @Milbank @sarahkendzior This is not a drill. This is not hyperbole. Autocrats use the specter of violence and chaos to advance their goals. And they use media - in whatever form it exists in their period of history - to amplify their message and swamp the populace with lies 11/
#NewRulesOfEngagement

@ddale8 @juliaioffe @Milbank @sarahkendzior We need to be united and fight peacefully, but be honest that this is a fight that requires #NewRulesOfEngagement. Most history books chronicle the role of propaganda in the decline of democracies. Can we look at history as it happens and reverse American descent? YES 12/

@ddale8 @juliaioffe @Milbank @sarahkendzior What about #Midterms you ask? It’s particularly hard to think about action on days like today and the #synagogueattack But we must #VOTE in overwhelming numbers despite how the violence & chaos makes us feel. And fight against the suppression and cheating in states like GA 13/

@ddale8 @juliaioffe @Milbank @sarahkendzior Also we can’t fall prey to what Trump/GOP want: an opposition afraid to question the results of elections. Trump and Sessions both slipped “accepting electoral results” into remarks since the #MAGABomber and it went largely unnoticed. But it’s a tell. 14/

@ddale8 @juliaioffe @Milbank @sarahkendzior Trump/GOP are inoculating the populace and media against contesting election results. Protest in public? We’re a #mob. Question results? We are not “rule of law”. 15/

@ddale8 @juliaioffe @Milbank @sarahkendzior So what do we do?
(1) change narrative the next 10 days; call on MSM to adjust to the environment (2) Show up en masse Nov 6. (3) Protect the vote of anyone facing suppression (4) Fight any tampered results (5) Work vigilantly to turn back tide of hate #NewRulesOfEngagement end