Following the attack on a journalist at a Donald Trump election campaign, correspondents have called on the US president to position himself clearly against such attacks.
A Trump supporter had on Monday evening (local time) during a campaign appearance of the President in El Paso in the state of Texas, a cameraman of the British television station BBC violently shouted and insulted during the filming. Trump himself had heard the scene and interrupted his speech to ask if everything was alright with the journalist.
The Association of Correspondents reporting on the White House condemned the attack. „We are relieved that this time no one was seriously injured,“ said its president Olivier Knox on Tuesday in Washington. He also warned that Trump must make it clear to his followers that violence against reporters was unacceptable. The broadcaster BBC reportedly wrote to the White House press secretary, Sarah Sanders, and asked them to review the security arrangements for journalists on Trump’s campaign appearances.
Sanders said the president condemns all acts of violence against individuals or groups – including journalists. „We call on everyone who participates in an event to be peaceful and respectful.“ She referred to the security measures of Trump’s election campaign.
Journalists are regularly booed and abused at Trump’s election campaigns, fueled by the media clamor of the president, who denounces journalists as „enemies of the people.“ Also in El Paso Trump complained on Monday evening on stage about supposedly lying reporting („fake news“).
Journalist associations have long warned that Trump’s aggressive rhetoric against the media is dangerous and spurs attacks on reporters. Last October, Trump had praised a member of the congress for violently assaulting a journalist, and had received severe criticism.
