Trump vs. Weigel—Shudder, Giggle, or Both?: Podcast

Also on the Reason Podcast: Is abortion a good reason to vote for Roy Moore? Did Al Franken get a raw deal? Can the feds smother bitcoin?

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Trump vs. Weigel—Shudder, Giggle, or Both?: Podcast

At some point, a person becomes numb to weird headlines emanating from this White House, but boy, does this one just scream out "2017": "Trump calls for the Washington Post to fire Dave Weigel." This is fine, #EatArbys, smod4real 2017, etc.

In a nutshell, Delaware Dave tweet-mocked the president for saying that his recent Florida rally was "packed to the rafters" by posting a photo showing anything but. But the photo was taken before Trump was speaking, so upon learning that, Weigel took it down about 20 minutes later. President Donald Trump later tweet-demanded an apology, and Weigel gave him one. Then this happened:

.@DaveWeigel @WashingtonPost put out a phony photo of an empty arena hours before I arrived @ the venue, w/ thousands of people outside, on their way in. Real photos now shown as I spoke. Packed house, many people unable to get in. Demand apology & retraction from FAKE NEWS WaPo! pic.twitter.com/XAblFGh1ob

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 9, 2017

There went Weekend Twitter….

Since Weigel worked at Reason from 2006-2008, and since all of us here tend to have idiosyncratic views on the media, the president, and the free speech, what better topic to kick off today's Reason Podcast featuring myself, Nick Gillespie, Katherine Mangu-Ward, and Peter Suderman?

Other pieces referenced on today's episode:

* "Abortion Is the Get-out-of-Jail-Free Card of Republican Politics"

* "Alito, Abortion, and the Bible"

* "Disgraced Al Franken now a victim of sexual McCarthyism" (Cathy Young, Daily News)

* "Mitch McConnell Says Caring About Legislative Process is For Losers. He's Wrong."

* "Bitcoin Confuses Alan Greenspan"

* "In Search of the Elusive Bitcoin Billionaire"

* "Eliminate the Brutes: Nick Gillespie on Ewoks"

OK, the latter hasn't been written…yet.

Audio production by Ian Keyser.

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Comments

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

So what is the argument now? It wasn't empty like Weigel suggested, but then it changed to whether it was literally (or figuratively) packed to the rafters?

I love Twitter.

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[Chipper Morning Baculum]

[furiously and futilely attempts to smash giant Mikey signal beaming into the sky]

[Bacon-Magic glib reasonoid]

I want to know what Mike M. thinks about this before I comment.
*relights bat shit crazy signal*

[Chipper Morning Baculum]

Last time I shudder giggled, I ended up crying later.

[Bacon-Magic glib reasonoid]

Better than giggle shitting. Ask Hihney.

[Juice]

Last time I shudder giggled

it scared daddy and he had to take his finger out.

[Citizen X - #6]

That high-pitched squeal you hear coming from the upper Midwest is Simple Mikey completely melting his shit down.

[Bacon-Magic glib reasonoid]

Where's Palin'sButtplug? Bet he's involved in a massive twitter fight huh Mikey?

[Chipper Morning Baculum]

He's probably off somewhere raping and pillaging.

[Sevo]

He's supposedly in his 50s and still trying to work through his daddy issues, which is the reason I suggest he go fuck his daddy when he shows up.
It's bound to be therapeutic for the lying piece of shit.

[Unlabelable MJGreen]

As we've been saying for years now: you never apologize to snowflakes. It only emboldens them.

[Citizen X - #6]

Apologies embiggen the smallest flake!

[Ska]

Cromulent comment right there.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

What is Weigel's status as a journalist? Is he an opinion blogger who happens to work for the Post, or is he supposed to be a hard, fact-driven reporter. If it's the former, meh. If it's the latter, then really, he really shouldn't be firing off poorly timed photos which end up being deleted a short time later out of embarrassment. Either way, tempest in teapot.

[Ken Shultz]

But it's our teapot!

[TrickyVic (old school)]

""What is Weigel's status as a journalist? Is he an opinion blogger who happens to work for the Post, or is he supposed to be a hard, fact-driven reporter""

I'm not sure if people know the difference these days. They have been fed Op Ed as news for decades.

[Gene]

This!

[Ken Shultz]

Seriously, this isn't the first time Weigel fucked up, and, correct me if I'm wrong, but this wouldn't be the first time Weigel was fired by the Washington Post for idiotic extracurricular behavior, would it?

Weigel trolls the president--who's been criticized by the Washington Post for inflating crowd numbers before--and then rolls his eyes like no one should be taking what he writes seriously?

Weigel is supposed to be a professional for a real news organization! Why is he acting like he's writing jokes for The Daily Show?

If commenters around here sometimes cause Reason headaches for writing stupid shit (Hello Preet Bahara!), how must the Washington Post feel about Weigel's foolish antics?

[Sevo]

"Why is he acting like he's writing jokes for The Daily Show?"

He's hoping to get picked up by the NYT?

[Domestic Dissident]

The sad but honest truth is that the Washington Post doesn't care. because they've given up even the pretense of having basic standards of conduct, honesty, and fairness.

[Citizen X - #6]

Shudder, Giggle, or Both?

I am definitely giggling.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

I'm Shiggling.

[Unicorn Abattoir]

Shame on Dave Weigel, posting lies about the president. Here's a photo of the actual rally:

http://www.thewallanalysis.com.....sh-2-3.jpg

[Square = Circle]

Feel the warm thrill of confusion!

[Juice]

That space cadet glow?

[Red Tony]

I've got some bad news for you sunshine...

[GILMORE?]

Trump vs. Weigel

would pay money to see cage match.

[Ska]

Chainsaws optional?

[Eidde]

Mandatory.

[Aloysious]

Shudder, Giggle, or Both?

No. Point and laugh.

[Fist of Etiquette]

The most recent Fifth Column podcast appears to have been racially segregated.

[Citizen X - #6]

They finally quarantined that drunken Irishman, huh?

[Tom Bombadil]

Re: Bitcoin confuses Alan Greenspan.

I challenge any writer at Reason to coherently explain Bitcoin.

[Eidde]

It's a floor wax *and* a dessert topping!

[Tom Bombadil]

Tastes great.... and look at that shine!

[damikesc]

Yeah, that's my beef with that. Who can intelligently explain Bitcoin? I have doubts the creators have a firm grasp.

[Cyto]

Greenwald on point.

[Domestic Dissident]

As I said yesterday, if the Trumpmonster were really the embodiment of pure evil as the Weigelian scum in the JournoList constantly tell us he is, he would send a couple of goons on the federal payroll up there to fuckface's domicile at 1435 Euclid Street Apartment 2, which by the way is less than two miles directly north of the White House, and Seth Rich his dumb ass like Slick Willie and Sick Hildog do to everyone who threatens them.

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[Dan S.]

Trump seems to think he is the firer-in chief, whether for NFL players or journalists. Does he think having had the catch phrase of "You're fired" on TV will make people accept that?

[Hank Phillips]

Isn't T-rump the only non-politician able to lift God's Own Prohibitionists from the gutter of asset-forfeiture economic Depression? All the guy does is read the platform (keep electricity legal). Reagan's strategy was tit-for-tat, and T-rump's is shit for shat. What of it?