FIRST AMENDMENT? WHAT FIRST AMENDMENT?
This Reporter’s Tweet About a Death Threat She Just Got Is Going Viral – and Many Are Blaming Trump

Wednesday afternoon a breaking news reporter for the Associated Press posted a tweet detailing a death threat her newsroom just received.
It’s going viral, with a combined 9000-plus likes and retweets in just one hour.
Call into our newsroom just now: “At some point we’re just gonna start shooting you fucking assholes.”
— Amanda Lee Myers (@AmandaLeeAP) August 22, 2018
For those who think this is out of the ordinary, it’s not.
“Doxxing, assault, death threats: the new dangers facing US journalists covering extremism,” is a story The Guardian published in June. But it’s not just journalists covering extremism.
The New York Times’ Ken Vogel, who used to be the chief investigative reporter at Politico, is a well-known reporter who occasionally appears on cable news.
Monday afternoon he posted chilling audio of a voicemail he received.
“You’re a genius,” the caller begins. “Your insight is just genius, he continues. “I mean, let’s face it. Hillary lost. You supported a criminal. You still support that criminal. You’re the problem,” the caller tells him.
“You are the enemy of the people,” the caller adds, echoing what the president has pounded into Trump supporters’ heads. “And although the pen might be mightier than the sword, the pen is not mightier than the AK-47.”
VOICEMAIL FROM A FAN: “You’re the problem. You are the enemy of the people. And although the pen might be mightier than the sword, the pen is not mightier than the AK-47.” pic.twitter.com/hKHTsGm9KL
— Kenneth P. Vogel (@kenvogel) August 20, 2018
It’s been liked and retweeted a combined total of over 28,000 times.
Earlier this month, CNN’s Brian Stelter posted a clip, explaining that a caller into C-SPAN said on-air that he was going to shoot him and CNN’s Don Lemon:
Threats against reporters on the rise. We decided to broadcast one of those threats on today’s @ReliableSources, so everyone can hear it for themselves. pic.twitter.com/kJxGWKOrWI
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) August 5, 2018
Many are blaming Trump.
We need to begin with the source of the problem. pic.twitter.com/SZ2JcMqC2a
— PC 🌊 🌊 (@capecodwriter) August 21, 2018
Jesus…this is bonkers. There’s no reason for this beyond Trump ginning up his base to attack & threaten the MSM.
I’m sorry this is happening to you & your MSM colleagues.
Please be safe & aware of your surroundings.— SpicyFiles (@SpicyFiles) August 21, 2018
Some people call this a crime. Others call it Donald Trump’s hopped-up base speaking out. We’re lucky there hasn’t been more violence. https://t.co/7hzFCZFpvf
— Steven Beschloss (@StevenBeschloss) August 22, 2018
there is one person who is responsible for this and that is @realDonaldTrump https://t.co/hqgiBRyOYY
— ea marconi (@eamarconi) August 22, 2018
This is the result of Trump’s rhetoric about the press. It’s not that journalists make up stories, it’s that Trump is susceptible to finding shit and stepping in it. When it’s reported, he cries “fake news.” His supporters are not decent people, and that makes them dangerous. https://t.co/AeBhJtAVEj
— Tom Cordent 🇺🇸🇺🇸 (@PoxNewsCEO) August 22, 2018
Image by Saulo Mohana via Wikimedia and a CC license
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