Mainstream media keeps incorrectly characterizing Trump's Putin comments

[bmw]

As a preliminary matter, I don't think Trump should be saying some of the things's he saying about Putin. That said, the media has been relentlessly mis-characterizing Trump's comments as "praise" and "siding with" Putin, and neither of those words or phrases are factually accurate representations of anything that ---I--- have heard or seen Trump say.

Per Merriam-Webster, praise is:

(verb) - to express a favorable judgment of
(noun) - an expression of approval

Saying that Putin is smart or that he outsmarted others does not in and of itself raise to the level of praise. Nowhere have I seen Trump say or even remotely imply that he approves of Putin's actions or that he has a favorable judgment of his actions. I could say Hitler was "smart." That doesn't mean I'm praising him.

And "siding with"? As Biden would say, "come on, man."

Do definitions no longer matter when it comes to reporting the news these days? Or can the media just make stuff up as they go and not get challenged on it? This is nothing more than a deliberate effort to put Trump on the side of Putin. Again, Trump isn't doing himself any favors, but this happened a LOT during his Presidency. He would say things that maybe she shouldn't have said, and the media would mis-characterize them to make them look even worse than what they are.

[Matt]

Who cares?

[Honeyman]

With audiophile on the missing persons list, bmw has apparently taken up the void and will start these nonsensical threads.

[craig11152]

With audiophile on the missing persons list, bmw has taken up the void and will apparently start these nonsensical threads.

Who cares?

It's a legitimate point of discussion.
To translate the above quotes: "You are correct BMW but I won't admit it or address the point.
It does raise legitimate questions about media bias, misinformation and manipulation.

AND TO BE CLEAR I do not like Trump and did not vote for him in either election.

[Honeyman]

And the sites resident curmudgeon chimes in....

It might be a legitimate point of discussion, just not an interesting one. Maybe I'll start a "OJ....pulp or no-pulp." thread.

Besides, haven't we had essentially the same discussion ad nauseum for over 4 years here? Do you think anything new will be brought up? Any minds will be changed? You know the same players will bring up the same points, rinse and repeat.

[Matt]

With audiophile on the missing persons list, bmw has taken up the void and will apparently start these nonsensical threads.

Who cares?

It's a legitimate point of discussion.
To translate the above quotes: "You are correct BMW but I won't admit it or address the point.
It does raise legitimate questions about media bias, misinformation and manipulation.

AND TO BE CLEAR I do not like Trump and did not vote for him in either election.

The media is shit in general, but it is worse to you if you have an R next to your name. Who cares about Trump? He is a loser that lost to a dementia patient.

[MWmetalhead]

Trump's direct quote was that Putin's decision to invade Ukraine under the guise of a peacekeeping force was "wonderful."

If that isn't praise or approval, I don't know what adjectives you are seeking, bmw.

Trump is an idiot. Only after witnessing political fallout from his remarks did he begin backtracking. I do not take his more recent remarks sincerely at all. I believe he truly admires Putin.

Trump refuses to directly condemn Putin by name, I might add.

As someone who believes in judgment upon death, "smart" is probably the last word I would ever use to describe a promulgater of evil.

[craig11152]

Besides, haven't we had essentially the same discussion ad nauseum for over 4 years here? Do you think anything new will be brought up? Any minds will be changed? You know the same players will bring up the same points, rinse and repeat.

Fair point. We could say that about a lot of topics with any controversy. I have no doubt I could plow through your posts and find you guilty of violating your own observation.

[bmw]

Trump's direct quote was that Putin's decision to invade Ukraine under the guise of a peacekeeping force was "wonderful."

Did you actually listen to that statement in context? I happened to catch it live when he said it. I found it on youtube. Start at 2:27 and listen until 3:39 (so just over a minute) here:



Trump speaks with sarcasm. A lot. And in that minute and 12 second segment, he goes in and out of sarcasm a lot. His use of the word "wonderful" I interpreted to be him speaking as how PUTIN HIMSELF views it, not Trump. He goes on to mock Putin's claim of this being a peace-keeping force, saying "they're going to keep the peace, alright." Trump went on to say that this never would have happened if he were in office and that it was "very sad."

His whole point here (and it is irrelevant whether you agree with it or not) is that Putin outsmarted everybody, but that he wouldn't have outsmarted Trump in the same way if Trump were in office.

So yeah, context is important, and often when Trump speaks, so is his tone of voice. I could find absolutely nothing in that clip that came across as praise or support. Again, I could argue that some of the most ruthless dictators of all time were "savvy" or "smart." Doesn't mean I'm praising them or supporting them.

[Honeyman]

It was just like when Ronald Reagan said, "Mr Gorbachev......that is a beautiful wall!"

[bmw]

It's just the way Trump talks.

And btw - big difference between a prepared speech and off-the-cuff on a radio program when you're not even in power.

[Honeyman]

Besides, haven't we had essentially the same discussion ad nauseum for over 4 years here? Do you think anything new will be brought up? Any minds will be changed? You know the same players will bring up the same points, rinse and repeat.

Fair point. We could say that about a lot of topics with any controversy. I have no doubt I could plow through your posts and find you guilty of violating your own observation.

This is true. But I have made a concerted effort to post on polpot less in the past 6 months or so. I have taken more of my obnoxiousness to The Stadium.

[Motown322]

"I love Trump because he's just a straight shooter and he says what he means and means what he says!!!!"

[Trump says some dumb shit}

"That's not what he meant!!! What he meant to say was _______. You're just misunderstanding it."

[zzand]

I hear the sarcasm loud and clear. I also hear that he is holding onto the rigged election bullshit. It is sad that he can't just admit he lost at this point.

[MWmetalhead]

I thank bmw for providing the raw audio.

Trump seems to be talking out of both sides of his mouth. Indeed, he described the invasion as "very sad," a point on which all of us can probably agree.

I will also agree his "wonderful" quip was sarcasm.

However, he didn't condemn Putin directly and referred to the man (in a non-sarcastic way) as "savvy". I have a major problem with that. Those who invade sovereign nations without any provocation are not "savvy" or "smart." They are sinister!