White House that calls Nazis 'very fine people' demands 'decorum'

The Trump administration, which has repeatedly embraced hate, vulgarity, and bigotry, is now demanding “decorum” from reporters after losing the first round in the court battle with CNN.

A judge appointed by Trump ruled that the White House has to temporarily return the pass it had stripped from CNN reporter Jim Acosta in retaliation for his aggressive questioning.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders released a statement saying the White House will develop “rules and processes to ensure fair and orderly press conferences in the future,” adding, “there must be decorum at the White House.”

Trump amplified the term in an Oval Office meeting with reporters, remarking that “people have to behave” and “you have to practice decorum.”

The Trump White House has never before supported or demonstrated “decorum.”

In the earliest days of the administration, then-press secretary Sean Spicer screamed at reporters for accurately characterizing the attendance at Trump’s inauguration as much smaller than at President Barack Obama’s.

Spicer and his successor, Sanders, repeatedly berated reporter April Ryan, who is black, for asking pointed questions. Their actions prompted death threats against the veteran journalist.

Trump recently attacked another black reporter, CNN’s Abby Phillips, calling her question about the acting attorney general “stupid,” and whining that she “asks a lot of stupid questions.”

Trump’s newfound interest in “decorum” runs in stark contrast to his regular insults, petty name-calling, and generally rude behavior, as well as his praise of indecorous behavior. In 2017, for example, he described rioting neo-Nazis who killed a woman and smeared Jews as “very fine people.”

Last month, at a campaign rally in Montana, he celebrated Republican Rep. Greg Gianforte’s violent assault on a reporter, re-enacting the “body-slam” and leading the audience in a round of applause and cheers.

The White House attack on the First Amendment was defeated in court, and now Trump and his team seek to hide behind an assertion of “decorum” to continue their campaign against CNN and Acosta.

But the track record shows they have no idea what the term means or how they should behave.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.