Immediately after the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, the rhetoric by the media and politicians was predictable. It’s as if Democrats and Republicans were sharing the same talking points: “Violence has no place in American politics.”
Another line being shared is that “we need to turn down the temperature” regarding political discourse in America. That will be a problem for many in the media, entertainment and advocacy industries as contempt and divisiveness fatten wallets of so many who put their own interests ahead of humanity and country.
Have you watched late night television in recent years? Programming that the likes of Johnny Carson perfected to make America laugh and learn has been corrupted to sow hatred and divisiveness in America.
Folks like Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert have made demonizing former President Trump a personal crusade. Colbert’s program so often features the fringe leftist candidates, such as Sen. Bernie Sanders and soon-to-be-former Congressman Jamaal Bowman, that their airtime should be counted as in-kind contributions to the Democratic National Committee.
The monologues and conversation with guests are the reason why conservatives accuse them of comparing Trump to Hitler. That isn’t hyperbole, that’s the truth. If their disdain for the 45th president doesn’t convince you, watching the daytime show “The View” on ABC for three minutes would convince a viewer that Trump is the direct offspring of the devil himself.
These media outlets and many others don’t air disagreement or showcase substantive debate, they foment hate and divisiveness.
Of course, the political right shares some of the blame. The former president himself never made unity the centerpiece of his policy. He elevated to an art form personal attacks against his opponents. Full disclosure: I’m a Nikki Haley delegate to the Republican convention. Trump has never welcomed substantive discussion or debate. He used social media to portray his opponents, Democrats and Republicans alike, as bad people. Not hyperbole, fact.
To their credit, neither left-leaning CNN nor right-leaning Fox News permits hate to fill their airways. The same cannot be said for MSNBC. Sometimes I think they get their reporting directly from Hamas. Joy Reid’s rhetoric is so vitriolic that at times I’m convinced she’s broadcasting from Tehran.
One can’t help but think popular right-wing voice Tucker Carlson gets his talking points directly from Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Candace Owens, who has reinvented herself as a raging antisemite and Holocaust denier, appears to be working directly with white supremacist groups, until you learn she is African-American. Maybe she has been made an honorary member.
So why so much anger and disdain for those who you disagree with?
I learned long ago that the ultimate driving force behind most agendas is neither societal change nor social justice. It’s money and power.
Back in the early 2000s, I was part of the birth of “new media” in America. The rise of blogs, social media, online news publications and podcasts gave every citizen with a laptop, smartphone/digital camera and website the tools to be as influential as the New York Times. This led to the creation of a society that prefers advocacy journalism; and to this day, the public craves news or information that supports their preconceived beliefs and agenda.
When your audience already agrees with your news and perspective, it’s very easy to vilify those who disagree or have a different perspective. This leads to hate.
The hosts and those who report false and vile information have power and influence over millions of people. They’ve become rich by dividing us and appealing to our basest emotions, arousing anger that can trigger violence.
Examples of constructive communication do exist. Left-of-center talk show host and comedian Bill Maher is an avowed liberal and despises Trump. But he goes out of his way on his HBO program to engage in conversation with people who don’t share his perspective. He also dares to call out the lunatic fringe on his own side of the aisle. That is a lesson conservatives can learn from.
Other than Ben Shapiro and Charlie Kirk, who literally go to college campuses to engage in real dialogue, the right side of the aisle is too often reticent to call out their hatemongers.
The Lord works in mysterious ways. Will a silver lining emerge from this dark cloud of American communication infamy — rallying Americans to unify, and start talking instead of maligning and eviscerating those with a different opinion? I certainly hope so. But I won’t hold my breath. No power and money in civility.
Miller is president of the consulting group Haym Salomon Center, specializing in free-market, limited government and pro-Israel advocacy.