The latest example of the Star Tribune’s blatant bias started with a Strib editorial board piece calling a parody video, derived from one of the “Kingsman” movies, a “new low.” The Strib then condemned Trump for being too “impersonal” in the White House’s condemnation of the parody video.
The parody video in question is from a violent fight scene that takes place in a church. Though the original seen seems to denigrate and falsely stereotype people of faith (which nobody had a problem with), the parody superimposes Trump’s face on the face of the movie’s hero, who beats up, and even shoots, people who’s faces are replaced by the logos of media organizations and a few prominent Democrats. In a clip showing the outside of the building where the violence is taking place, the sign reads “Church of Fake News.”
To be fair, the Strib’s anger over the video was part of a national media outcry over the parody, though the parody-video had already existed for about a year without receiving much attention.
But the Strib’s editorial came just days after violent leftists—protesting Trump’s October 10 rally in Minneapolis—threw urine at cops, hit and punched Trump supporters including women, and chased people down streets. The Strib didn’t condemn these actions whatsoever.
Not only that, but Democrat state rep. Aisha Gomez was among the most violent protestors, wearing all black. It is incredible that the Star Tribune is running pieces criticizing Trump for not forcefully condemning a parody video that nobody saw for a year—that the President had nothing to do with—but not asking the state Democrat Party to disavow and condemn the local violence in which one of their own members was a participant.
The media outcry over the parody is especially silly given the fact that there are examples of leftwing violent rhetoric all the time. A picture of Trump being strangled to death was just featured prominently in Times Square, for example. Nobody in the media cared.
Thankfully, Republican state rep. Mary Franson noticed the Strib’s blatant hypocrisy. If the Strib was going to condemn a violent parody, which hadn’t harmed anyone, why wouldn’t it condemn the actual violence that had occurred in Minnesota just days earlier?
“Gross @StribLopez. Real people threw urine at police officers. Trump people were peaceful but not the lefties. Looking forward to your next editorial on this topic,” said Franson, tweeting at Star Tribune editorial board member Patricia Lopez.
Real people threw urine at police officers. Trump people were peaceful but not the lefties.
Lopez responded: “There were bad choices on both sides that night and restraint too that kept things from spiraling too far out, but I suspect you already know that.”
Franson then asked for an example: “I can’t find any reports of Trump supporters being violent, attacking Antifa, police etc, spitting on people or throwing urine on police officers. Could you direct me to such reports?”
Of course, Lopez just didn’t respond.
A quick review of Patricia Lopez’s Twitter reveals retweets of anti-Trump media figures, including Bill Kristol, who once said “Obviously strongly prefer normal democratic and constitutional politics. But if it comes to it, prefer the deep state to the Trump state.”
Lopez seems particularly upset that Trump would dare to pull about 1,200 troops out of Syria, so they wouldn’t be used as human shields and risk war with NATO-member Turkey. One leftist she retweeted, Fred Wellman, enraged about the Syria decision, calls the President “human garbage,” a “POS,” and calls Trump’s voters “slobbering idiot fans.”
That’s funny, because the organizations that this author writes for would not tolerate this author retweeting language calling any elected official “human garbage,” or calling Americans “slobbering idiots.” But the Star Tribune evidently has different standards.
Willis Krumholz
Willis L. Krumholz is a fellow at Defense Priorities. He holds a JD and MBA degree from the University of St. Thomas, and works in the financial services industry. The views expressed are those of the author only. You can follow Willis on Twitter @WillKrumholz.
