Thread by @Texan_21C

Enough! Reporters doing it again. Both-sidesing. U enable Trump's propaganda by doing this

Reporter's both-sides question:

"What was your role in what happened at the Capitol?

Proper question:

"Are you going to take responsibility for your role in inciting insurrection?"

https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1349017134131765248

The press enabled the storming of the Capitol because they never held GOP accountable for pushing #TheBigLie that election was stolen

I have been yelling about this for months. Starting here where @TerryMoran got it right

But after press returned to form

https://twitter.com/Texan_21C/status/1323907555979124738?s=20

Not long after Nov 4th press started both-sidesing again. Question Republicans were asked over & over was:

"Do u think Biden won?"

This enabled the coup

The proper question at minimum:

"Why are u enabling this charade? Why are u spreading #TheBigLie?"

https://twitter.com/Texan_21C/status/1326567042774953984?s=20

After repeatedly yelling that press wasn't demanding answers of GOP for spreading #TheBigLie I hoped this political violence on Dec 10th would finally get press to demand answers. But no. They continued to both-sides it

https://twitter.com/Texan_21C/status/1337224061848576001?s=20

I noted how impotent the American press was acting by treating #TheBigLie as credible. The press is supposed to hold people in power accountable, but beside @TerryMoran on election night, they by and large failed

https://twitter.com/Texan_21C/status/1337420476923203590?s=20

The press basically sat back and watched the slow moving coup as if it was a football game. Never demanding that @senatemajldr, @GOPLeader & Trump answer for spreading #TheBigLie

I asked "is red line now tanks in the street?" before press demands answer

https://twitter.com/Texan_21C/status/1337420478588268544?s=20

And press is doing it again. Why aren't they hounding @senatemajldr & @GOPLeader? They should be swarmed with reporters demanding answers RIGHT NOW!

"Why did you spread #TheBigLie?"

"Are you going to tell America the truth that it was all a lie?"

https://twitter.com/Texan_21C/status/1337420481226547201?s=20

Trump was planning the coup in the Oval😲

I pleaded with @maggieNYT & everyone to demand why @senatemajldr & @GOPLeader could allow this?

But 2 of top 3 GOP in USA were never grilled on why they wouldn't stop it & why they continued to spread #TheBigLie

https://twitter.com/Texan_21C/status/1340402011754405888?s=20

@Axios was reporting about the Oval Office coup planning but why weren't they demanding answers from @senatemajldr & @GOPLeader?

Its as if the play-by-play is more important than the plotting of a coup

https://twitter.com/Texan_21C/status/1340775348737368068?s=20

Here I reminded this @politico reporter that cover Congress, @kyledcheney, what the most important question was. Of course no one listened

https://twitter.com/Texan_21C/status/1341222864113065985?s=20

Tried to make joke putting GOP silence into context. Didn't think it was funny, but was trying to get people to think about how serious it was

Said if someone named Mitchel McClonnell was planning terrorist attack GOP would demand authorities take action

https://twitter.com/Texan_21C/status/1341253547179077633?s=20

Well, the terrorist attack happened, the coup was attempted, the insurrection was incited... and the press STILL isn't demanding to know why @senatemajldr & @GOPLeader did nothing to stop it

Compare this to how the press is demanding answers for how Capitol could be breached. They demand to know why Capitol wasn't protected

What about demanding to know why the most powerful 2 Republicans in America @senatemajldr & @GOPLeader did nothing to stop a slow moving coup?

You might be thinking I am putting too much blame on press. My thoughts:

Trump is responsible for the insurrection. The Republican Party is 2nd most responsible

But press enabled all of it. They didn't demand answers. They both-sided it

They treated #TheBigLie as credible pov

And when I see something wrong I don't just complain about it talking in endless circles "Did u see latest crazy Trump lie?"

I do something

Think the most powerful thing we on Twitter can do is inspire press to do better. Press has tremendous power.

During Trump's propaganda Covid press conferences I called on press to challenge Trumps lies. Reporters like @Yamiche @Acosta & @weijia did do it

But overall press didn't rise to challenge of Trumps propaganda. They let him cut em off, lie to their faces

https://twitter.com/Texan_21C/status/1246606437259849728?s=20

When press demands answers and doesn't back down...Trump runs away

Press has acted like abused spouse Trump's entire term..bc they are abused. They walk on egg-shells. Scared they'll set him off

https://twitter.com/Texan_21C/status/1242920438872920065?s=20

So here we are again. Press asking Trump most gentle questions "What role did you play in Capitol"

& hes doing what he always does: Standing by helicopter & giving propaganda speech. He's playing them like a fiddle. They ask timid question👉🏼Trump lies

https://twitter.com/Texan_21C/status/1168296316037980160?s=20

Trump's pattern:

1-Goes too far for reasonable Americans
2-Acknowledges the obvious: that there should be no wrong-doing in prepared speech
3-Doesn't admit responsibility
4-Re-writes what happened
5-Does something worse

He's at #4

He is never asked:

"Why did you (do this bad thing)?"

Its weak both-sides:

"What would u say to people that say you did this bad thing?"

On Trump/Russia was never asked why he colluded with Russia by coordinating with their cutout Wikileaks and kept it all hidden

Not once

On Ukraine Trump was never asked why he extorted an ally to get manufactured dirt to help cheat in upcoming election

That's what he did. But press both-sides it & gave Trumps denial credibility

@senatemajldr & @GOPLeader were never grilled on how they let Trump get away with it

On Coronavirus Trump, @senatemajldr & @GOPLeader are never grilled on why they don't do more to stop Americans from dying🤦🏼‍♂️

Press acts like Americas incompetent response to the pandemic is just a difference of opinions between both sides.

No, its reality

https://twitter.com/Texan_21C/status/1241078653150265346?s=20

& now we have America's 1st attempted coup, & Americans need answers on why most powerful people in gov, @senatemajldr & @GOPLeader, enabled it

Hound them until they answer. Send reporters to camp outside their house

Allowing them to duck responsibility puts USA in more danger!

Long thread. I know. Sorry but i've had enough. People in authority that could've stopped this 2 months ago did nothing & no one is demanding answers

In a just world America would not only demand Trump's resignation but also that @senatemajldr & @GOPLeader resign immediately

@senatemajldr & @GOPLeader allowed the president of the United States to create #TheBigLie. Helped spread it. Allowed Trump to plan a coup. & now allowed him to incite insurrection; incited his followers to attack the United States Capitol

They allowed Trump to attempt a coup!

Here's why press failing to demand answers is so dangerous

Imagine if after Nov 4 press would've treated #TheBigLie as @TerryMoran did

If someone peddled "stolen election" nonsense, press would ask em why they are engaging n "theater of authoritarianism"

https://twitter.com/Texan_21C/status/1323907555979124738?s=20

If every time Trump or @senatemajldr or @GOPLeader furthered the lie they were asked by reporters:

👉Why are u engaging in "an attempt to end the election illegitimately to remain in power?"👈

which was proper question that was never asked it would've at least given them pause

Here I am on Jan 3rd pleading with @jaketapper. If every reporter asked @GOPLeader over past 2 months

"Why are u engaging in "an attempt to end election illegitimately to remain in power?"

It could've made a difference, but no reporter asked them this

https://twitter.com/Texan_21C/status/1345821694095716354?s=20

Do media companies not have enough money to send a reporter to ask the most powerful Republicans in America why they enabled a coup?

How are Kevin and Mitch STILL able to stay quiet? They allowed sedition to happen.

A black man shot in the back is asked what he did to cause his own shooting much more than Mitch and Kevin are asked how they could let Trump attempt a coup!?!

If US press treated Trump & GOP's fictional reality as the fictional reality we know it is, like this British reporter did to a Trump supporter, Donald Trump wouldn't have done near as much damage

https://twitter.com/RexChapman/status/1349110931620556800?s=20