In an episode of ABC’s The View, MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow swooped in, stoking fears about a potential re-election of former President Donald Trump. The narrative? An unhinged Trump, on the hunt for revenge. It’s got all the makings of a Hollywood thriller, if only it weren’t mere speculation.
Rachel Maddow graced the show for three sections. Ostensibly, Joy Behar prodded Maddow on how Trump supposedly has her, The View’s cast, and other critics in his crosshairs. She painted a picture of a vindictive ex-President hell-bent on retribution, perhaps through IRS audits or even by strong-arming The View off the air. Maddow responded that Trump’s knee-jerk reaction to scapegoat made her worry not only for herself but the nation at large.
In her retort, she seemed to walk it back. She claimed not to fear for herself, given her protection, but for undefended others. Behar, thriving in the doom and gloom narrative, even added Trump and his supporters were “going full Jim Jones”, alluding to mass suicide. Their talk took a strange turn into discussing Trump’s violent rhetoric, bizarrely likened to a fascination with Hannibal Lecter.
Milked for drama, this retribution theory seemed more a contrivance for daytime TV than serious journalism. While it’s a practical gig for Maddow, extending her airtime and The View, gaining an “outside” perspective. Ultimately, it boiled down to making shrill noises about a politician who has yet to personally exact vengeance. A disappointing exploitation of media in a play to ramp up fear amongst viewers.
This incident provokes a pressing question: When has any threat to conservatives elicited such a concern from the media? Barely, if at all, if their sweeping generalization and lukewarm sympathy towards conservatives are anything to go by.
In wrapping up, we can infer that this incident was nothing but another example of media sensationalism. Weaving fantastical narratives to hype up ratings rather than providing unbiased, straightforward news. When respect for viewers takes a back row to dramatic storytelling, it does a disservice to the essence of journalism itself.
