Appearing on CNN's Reliable Sources, regular contributor April Ryan gave a harsh dressing down to a conservative reporter from the New York Post who dismissed Trump's media baiting at rallies as harmless "shtick" designed to rile up the crowd.
Referring to Trump's raucous Pennsylvania rally on Saturday night, where the president once again encouraged his followers to to boo the fake media, host Brian Stelter asked journalist Salena Zito if it bothered her.
"I wonder, Salena, when you're there at the rally, is it ever uncomfortable when "the fake news media' is being booed?" the CNN host asked.
"It's part of the shtick. I don't think anybody felt unsafe when it happens," the conservative journalist responded. "So it's hard to unpack, in that it's part of his deal, it's sort of like the 'Lock her up.' You can't lock her up anymore because he's not running against her. So this is a continuation of reminding his voters that people are against him and he is there for them. And also, he speaks in such a stream of consciousness."
Seeing Ryan grimace, Stetler asked her to respond.
"I'm sorry, Salena, I totally disagree," a fuming Ryan replied. "This is not shtick, it's not comedy. This is real and it's dangerous. During the campaign, this president talked about kicking people out, beating them up. People did get beat up, and the problem is now, you know, when you make the press the enemy, which he has, there are people out here who are crazy enough to really feel that, and to act on it, and some of my dear colleagues who are going to some of these rallies, some of these rallies have been so tense, they've been fearful for their safety at times."
"All the president has to say is act on it, and people will turn," she lectured. "This is someone who has the power of life and death in his tongue and in his pen, and also the fact that people will turn on the press in a moment's notice. So this is not shtick. This is real for us, and we are covered by the founding fathers, these white men, who covered all of us not knowing that there would be social media or people like us covering the White House."
"So this is a dangerous game, and this president vowed to uphold the constitution, and the free press is part of that, and he's going against his vow when he was inaugurated," Ryan concluded.
