- The Washington Times - Sunday, August 27, 2023

Just call it “mug shot glee.”

This handy little three-word phrase comes to us from Newsbusters.org, a conservative media watchdog — introduced by executive editor Tim Graham and associate editor Nick Fondacaro in a new podcast.

It refers to the unchecked amusement among liberal media hosts who continue “chortling” over former President Donald Trump’s recent appearance and indictment at a Georgia jail.

Some hosts also mocked Mr. Trump’s weight as well, they said, citing CNN, MSNBC and ABC’s “The View,” among others.

Bill D’Agostino, Newsbusters.org media editor and a research analyst, also had some stats revealing just how long the networks hammered on the former president’s experiences.

“Analysts examined all coverage on CNN and MSNBC from 6:00 p.m. on August 23 to that same time the following day. During that 24-hour span, the two cable networks displayed mugshots of former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani, former Trump administration Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, and the other defendants a whopping 188 times, amounting to a combined 83 minutes of airtime,” Mr. D’Agostino wrote in his report.

“MSNBC led the pair in both total on-screen displays and screen time; they showed the mugshots 122 times, for a total of 56 minutes and 23 seconds. CNN showed the images 66 times, which amounted to 27 minutes and 12 seconds of screen time,” he said.

Mr. D’Agostino ultimately called the practice “absurd mugshot coverage.”

Mr. Trump, on the other hand, immediately released a line of consumer merchandise based on the mugshot theme — raising millions for his campaign with items centered on the motto “Never surrender!” — with an exclamation point, of course.

THE MUGSHOT HEADLINES

The press continues to dwell on former President Donald Trump’s legal challenges. A few headlines from the last 48 hours:

“Catch the smug mug on that thug” (New York Times); “One image, one face, one American moment: The Donald Trump mugshot” (Associated Press); “Trump campaign says it has raised $7.1 million since Atlanta mugshot” (CNN); “Trump scores huge mugshot windfall” (Axios); “Trump mugshot memes: Here are the most popular ones flooding the internet” (Forbes); “What Trump’s scowling mugshot means for an America full of rage” (Fox News); “Divided US embraces Trump mugshot merchandise” (Reuters); and “Trump’s Mugshot, a presidential first, is a merchandise bonanza” (The Wall Street Journal).

THE MASK TASK

To mask or not to mask? A college professor has advice for students should they disagree with reinstated or new masking regulations on their campus this fall.

“The time to be vocal is now. Don’t wait until mandates arrive. Start by emailing your institution’s president, citing the above evidence, politely asking him or her to refrain from issuing a mandate, and making it clear you have no intention of complying. Threaten to transfer to friendlier environs. Copy your governor and state legislators, as well as the chair of the school’s board of trustees, or reach out to them separately,” advises Rob Jenkins, a tenured associate professor of English at Georgia State University — Perimeter College.

“Next, try circulating a petition. That’s what my son did in 2022, when his university wanted to require “proof of vaccination” to enter sports venues. He got over 5000 signatures, from students, parents, and alumni, and the president backed down,” Mr. Jenkins wrote in an editorial for Campus Reform, a student-run news organization.

“Speaking of parents and alumni, they should also be turning up the heat, letting school officials and politicians know they intend to withdraw their support if campuses once again enact such authoritarian measures,” Mr. Jenkins continued.

“Finally, if it comes down to it, and you’re unable to stop the mandates proactively, simply do not comply. That might require a fair amount of courage. There might be very real consequences. But the alternative is to suffer under this kind of tyranny indefinitely. If there’s one thing we’ve learned over the last three years, it’s that there is no virtue in silence. We can’t just ignore these assaults on our civil liberties and expect them to go away. Speak now, or forever be muzzled,” the professor wrote.

MEANWHILE IN NEW YORK

It’s always interesting to peek in on the big doings of the New York Young Republicans Club, based in Manhattan.

On Monday, the organization will host a “Margarita Monday Social” to start off the week to honor “special guest” Ying Tan. She is running for New York City Council District 43 in Brooklyn, and earned the club’s endorsement earlier this summer.

Also on the calendar: the group will host a “Special Information Session: Exercise Your 2nd Amendment Rights in New York” featuring Howard Kwok, a gunsmith who will dispel New York City firearms myths, according to the invitation.

“If you’re a New Yorker curious about the legalities of firearms ownership in NYC, this is the social for you!” the club advised its membership.

The New York Young Republican Club, by the way, is the oldest and largest Young Republican club in the United States, incorporated in 1911 with predecessor organizations dating to 1856. Their annual Christmas black-tie gala — now in its 11th year — is certainly an event of note.

POLL DU JOUR

• 33% of self-described Republican primary voters said they watched the recent Republican presidential primary debate.

• 29% watched something else on TV.

• 22% spent time with family, 20% slept, 11% cleaned or did housework.

• 10% were at work, 8% ate a meal.

• 7% watched Tucker Carlson’s interview with Donald Trump.

• 6% read a book, 5% took care of a pet, and 4% cooked a meal.

• 4% exercised, 4% traveled, 2% worked on a craft.

• 2% paid bills, 2% shopped, 2% attended a meeting.

• 1% attended a class.

• 16% did “something else,” 4% did “none of these” activities.

SOURCE: A FiveThirtyEight/Washington Post/Ipsos poll of 775 Republican primary voters conducted Aug, 23-24. Respondents cited multiple responses from a provided list.

• Follow Jennifer Harper on Twitter @HarperBulletin.

• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.

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