Author Shadi Hamid Rips Press for Blood-Thirsty Reaction to 'Fire and Fury'
I'm admittedly not all that familiar with Shadi Hamid. He appears to be, at the very least, more moderate than your average #MugClub member. He's definitely not someone who would have #MAGA tattooed on his sternum like Tupac. Plus, when things like the new Trump book Fire and Fury are released, everyone retreats to their drug dens for a hit of that sweet, sweet tribalism. It makes meth feel like a soy smoothie. Or so I've heard.
Now I've set the table, this non-MAGA American just ripped the press over the book. Pretty much over everything Trump coverage-related, too.
2. If I wanted to convey what Kushner was saying or thinking and hadn't spoken to him myself, I'd attribute it to a… https://t.co/PRDyUPgV0H— Shadi Hamid (@Shadi Hamid) 1515078260.0
4. I remember when I used to interview Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood figures and some hated each other and would tal… https://t.co/xmK5hfgnVw— Shadi Hamid (@Shadi Hamid) 1515078735.0
Ok, it's clear this guy plays firmly on the left. Like, way to the left. Hanging out with Carl Yastrzemski and Barry Bonds, way out in left field.
Which further cements the point this isn't a Trump supporter whining about the media being mean to their orange god-king.
6. I mean come on, seriously. The Wolff excerpt, and a lot of what @gabrielsherman writes, are silly, fun, and have… https://t.co/xVIEFjR7Kr— Shadi Hamid (@Shadi Hamid) 1515079225.0
@gabrielsherman Sorry, one more thing, some folks are responding to this thread and asking me why I'm "defending" T… https://t.co/QygMqxuBVU— Shadi Hamid (@Shadi Hamid) 1515079924.0
If it's related to Donald Trump, no salacious story is crazy enough to not print. 99% of the time, from anonymous sources. Sarcasm? Schmarcasm. Did you know there isn't actually a big red button on Trump's desk? Well, there isn't. There might be on Kim Jong's desk, but it works as well as the rest of his country. Read Kim Jong Un Botches Missile Launch, Lands Large Bomb in North Korean City.
What makes this new book different is Bannon going on the record. The same Steve Bannon the press called the head liar in a White House full of liars. Suddenly Bannon is a reliable source of information. The "strange new respect" the press finds for conservatives when it's convenient strikes again.
That's the rub with these books, which are common in politics. It's all he said/she said/ze said/zer said. What you believe depends on for whose team you play. Yes, that includes "tell-alls" about Obama and Hillary. The books have a habit of telling people exactly what they want to here. You just pay $21.99 to hear it. If you can't wait for the hardbacks to get tossed into the bargain bin. Here's winking at you, Hillary.
Personally, I'm at best a Trump agnostic. A lot of the excerpts I read from Fire & Fury happen to fit the narrative I have in my head. But everything fits the narrative too perfectly. That should be a sign for everyone.
The press reaction to this book? Make that, to all things Trump? Is why Trump agnostics like me are more agnostic over the press.
I don't feel bad when you're called fake news.
