Over the last several years, since the 2016 presidential election in which Donald Trump achieved an upset victory over Hillary Clinton to become the 45th president of the United States, the political climate, nationally speaking, has markedly deteriorated. Indeed, mainstream media outlets on both sides of the political aisle have often added to political polarization and division, often promoting inflammatory styles of rhetoric spouted by politicians (public servants), political activists, and journalists all the same. In the modern media industry, “sensational”; styles of emotionally-charged reporting are often rewarded. Unsurprisingly, as divisions have increased, many Americans have also begun to possess less trust in the media. According to a report by Gallup conducted in October of 2023, only about 7% of U.S. adult respondents to a study claimed they had a “great” deal of trust in the media, nearly a record low.
Inflammatory rhetoric, while often harmless, can have disastrous consequences at volatile times such as these. This was evidenced on Saturday, July 13th, when, at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Donald Trump was almost killed in a near-assassination attempt. The former 45th president was amid a typical rally speech to supporters when shots rang out. A young adult male named Thomas Matthew Crooks fired from a rooftop over a hundred yards away from Trump. Trump turned his head critical moments before the shooting and came near-inches from death. Miraculously, the bullet, fired from an AR-15, only grazed his ear. One rallygoer, however, perished and another two were critically wounded.
On The Daily Show, Bill O’Reilly made an appearance for the first time since 2014. O’Reilly, a former Fox News Host and a conservative talked about the consequences of “hateful” rhetoric spewed by the leftist media (in his opinion). He and Jon Stewart clashed with one another; Stewart, a progressive Democrat, has long been at odds with O’Reilly politically speaking. The two men traded routine insults.
