Latest news with #Trumpism
Fox News
35 minutes ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Ex-ABC News reporter admits employer biased against Trump due to lack of ‘viewpoint diversity'
Former ABC News correspondent Terry Moran admitted this week his longtime employer was "biased" against President Donald Trump because the newsroom is filled with like-minded liberals and lacks "viewpoint diversity." Moran, who spent nearly 28 years at ABC News, was dropped by the outlet in June after attacking President Donald Trump and White House aide Stephen Miller on social media. He now offers his commentary on Substack and penned a look at the future of CBS News after FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said incoming ownership would implement an ombudsman to "root out the bias" last week when approving a long-planned merger. "Let's talk about bias. I worked at ABC News for almost 28 years, and I'm proud to say that," Moran wrote on his Substack on Tuesday. "But: Were we biased? Yes. Almost inadvertently, I'd say. ABC News has the same problem so many leading cultural institutions do in America: A lack of viewpoint diversity." Moran explained that ABC News was run by "White men" when he joined the network, but the Disney-owned news organization made efforts to increase diversity to change the company "for the better." "But there was one way ABC did not change and did not diversify. It is no secret. There are hardly any people who supported Donald Trump at ABC News," Moran wrote. "And this is bound to impact coverage, not so much out of malevolent bias… but more out of what is a kind of deafness," Moran continued. "The old news divisions don't hear many of the voices of the country, because those voices aren't in the newsroom. Yes, news teams go out with a microphone and a camera and accost people at Trump rallies; but to me that often comes off as weirdly anthropological and inaccurate, kind of like trying to understand nature by visiting a zoo." Moran added that it might "sound strange" coming from someone who was shown the door for an anti-Trump outburst, but he played devil's advocate to Trump critics inside ABC News. "But inside the newsroom, I had a reputation of trying to get colleagues to see the other side, to walk a mile in the shoes of MAGA, to acknowledge the democratic forces that have made Donald Trump the dominant political figure of our time," Moran wrote. "So, yes, from my perspective, the old news networks are biased." ABC News did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Moran's firing came less than six weeks after he interviewed Trump as part of a major primetime special for ABC marking Trump's first 100 days in office. Trump repeatedly chided Moran for his various lines of questioning. Moran was axed by ABC News in June, just before his contract with the network was set to expire, after he called Trump and Miller "world-class" haters. "The thing about Stephen Miller is not that he is the brains behind Trumpism," Moran began his post. "Yes, he is one of the people who conceptualizes the impulses of the Trumpist movement and translates them into policy. But that's not what's interesting about Miller. It's not brains. It's bile." "Miller is a man who is richly endowed with the capacity for hatred. He's a world-class hater," Moran wrote. "You can see this just by looking at him because you can see that his hatreds are his spiritual nourishment. He eats his hate." Moran's post went on to also call Trump a "world-class hater" but added that "his hatred [is] only a means to an end, and that end [is] his own glorification. That's his spiritual nourishment." An ABC News staffer told Fox News Digital in June that Moran was beloved by his colleagues and insisted he wasn't some "psycho liberal" like the X post that resulted in his firing may have suggested. Moran has said he doesn't regret the anti-Trump post on social media.
Otago Daily Times
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
Letters to the Editor: voting, parking and mining
Today's Letters to the Editor from readers cover topics including the new electoral law proposals, replacing car parks with cycle lanes, and the Santana gold mine develoment. Former MP condemns electoral law proposals From 1990 until 1999 I was a member of Parliament's electoral law select committee. During those nine years a wide range of changes and reforms to electoral law were proposed. At no time did anyone propose changes remotely as retrograde as those that the current government is progressing. Had they done, they would have been opposed by all political parties, left wing or right wing. Western democracies usually seek to make voting as easy as possible, or alternatively compulsory, to ensure governments are elected validly and have the moral authority to govern. This government's changes are voter suppression, pure and simple. Those affected are likely to be a mix of young, poor, brown and transient. Furthermore, with one exception, all elections since MMP began in 1996 have been surprisingly close. The 110,000 people who may now be disenfranchised are enough to affect the result, and therefore the will of the nation. We should all be deeply concerned. A wrong move I am alarmed to see the coalition government following the American example of making voter enrolment more inconvenient. Justice officials say closing enrolments ahead of advance voting could result in lower turnout and reduce confidence in the electoral system. Those voters who are either working long hours or irregular hours will be most affected by the cancelling of same-day election enrolment. In America over the last 20 years the conservative Republican Party in various states has consistently made it more difficult for working people and minorities to vote. The need to prove your permanent address has been used to disqualify minority voters as America has moved toward becoming a more authoritarian society. Cancelling same-day enrolment is a move in the wrong direction. Trumpism is not a good look in our electoral system. Our electoral system is too important for democracy to be changed casually. Any changes to the electoral systems, even minor ones, should be agreed across parties. Just winning an election should not give political parties the right to alter the electoral system. A great risk I write in profound concern upon realising the extent of voter restrictions this government is considering. Total disenfranchisement for prisoners was sadistic in my opinion, certainly not aiding return to normal life, but to read of universal restrictions for enrolment beggars belief. Or, rather, it confirms that the really needy of New Zealand are also of the same great risk, even should they understand that asking for special votes is possible, though these will be well scrutinised. In particular, the proposed "ability to check enrolment details with data from other government agencies" surely jeopardises privacy, while "greater use of digital communication" has obvious drawbacks, to those without required means (probably mostly elderly) or are not familiar or comfortable with voting process, until now having face-to-face communication with poll clerk or returning officer. Universal emancipation is a vital necessity of an enlightened society, a fact of which this government seems unwilling to ensure. Heavy machinery and losing your car park How would anyone like to have large machinery working about 4m from where he/she was studying for examinations or resting? That happened when the Dunedin City Council worked underground on the Albany St pipes. Now a few DCC personnel have decided to rob about 60 much needed Albany St car parks from right outside the numerous student flats and businesses. This cycle lane is being forced on to those who don't want it. How many cyclists will use it? Cyclists appear to ride anywhere at all, and few appear to keep to the cycle lanes. I have spoken to several present tenants who are surprised and angry to hear their parks will be taken. Where will students' families or shuttle buses park when they need to move students in and out of their student flats? Where will the students, who own cars, park their cars? Most flats and hostels do not provide sufficient parks for all cars and some have no parking areas at all. These people have agreed to waste local money ruining Albany St businesses and living areas. How would each feel if their livelihoods (or streets in which they live) were to be treated in this offhand way? The RMA is there to allay mine concerns The development of the Santana gold mine in the Bendigo area, the site of significant gold mining over 100 years ago, has generated a lot of media coverage, most of which appears to be opposed. Our current principle planning document clearly allows consenting authorities to provide consents for the activities with conditions which should allay the concerns of opposition groups and individuals. These conditions could require the applicant to avoid, remedy or mitigate real or perceived adverse effects on a whole host of values. These could include amenity, visual, natural beauty, landscape, protection of flora and fauna etc. The applicant has the choice of accepting such conditions, appealing them, or choosing not to proceed. This process has the significant advantage of providing environmental and amenity value protection and allowing the activity to proceed . This is entirely consistent with the purpose of this current principle planning document (the Resource Management Act). Manic Monday I guess Monday is a day to stir the pot and get people to react with hopefully more good letters to the editor. Two letters got me thinking, so here goes. Lynne Newell (28.7.25): discussing a world event may not be top of the list of council duties but I think it's relevant. Councillors are our chosen representatives just as parliamentarians are. No-one lives in a bubble. Tony Vink (28.7.25): you are looking through rose-tinted glasses when it comes to Israel. They remind me of the wolf dressed in sheep skin. Address Letters to the Editor to: Otago Daily Times, PO Box 517, 52-56 Lower Stuart St, Dunedin. Email: editor@
LeMonde
20 hours ago
- Politics
- LeMonde
French Culture Minister Rachida Dati's dangerous game
Rachida Dati wants to become the next mayor of Paris. It is her obsession. The more obstacles she faces, the more France's culture minister embraces transgression. On Monday, July 28, she announced she would run for the Assemblée Nationale's open seat in Paris's 2 nd constituency, without waiting for the decision of the conservative Les Républicains (LR) party, which chose to nominate Michel Barnier. It was an unelegant snub of the former prime minister under whom she served last year, reigniting the French right's old poison of division. It is hard to say whether she is still a member of LR or has now joined President Emmanuel Macron's camp. The former protégée of Nicolas Sarkozy now works for herself, and herself alone. Among the many adversaries she likes to make, Dati also counts judges. On Tuesday, July 22, she was ordered to stand criminal trial on charges of corruption and influence peddling, over suspicions that she engaged in illegal lobbying in the European Parliament on behalf of Carlos Ghosn, the former head of Renault-Nissan, in exchange for €900,000 in fees. Dati counterattacked in pure Sarkozy style. Criticizing what she called a "procedure marred by incidents," she tried to put the prosecutor for financial crimes, Jean-François Bohnert, in an awkward position with the office over which he has authority. Prime Minister François Bayrou had to remind her of what she should not have pretended to ignore: Respect for the judicial institution is "a state duty." Protected by the president and supported by the current justice minister, Gérald Darmanin, Dati has no fans on the left. But she is also divisive within the right, the government, the president's party and other groups in the governing bloc. To some, she is an electoral asset not to be overlooked; to others, a dangerous firebrand ready to exploit every populist sentiment of the time: distrust of judges, the media, the elites, the "system." If passed, the "Paris-Lyon-Marseille" law modifying the methods of electing mayors in the three cities, currently under review in Parliament, would allow her to limit the influence of local power brokers who have opposed her rise in Paris ever since she established herself as mayor of the 7 th arrondissement. The free rein she has managed to carve out for herself by being both popular and disruptive is undeniable, but there are limits that must not be crossed. There is a whiff of Trumpism in the way Dati fights her political battles: there is only one truth, her own; threats against those who dare to question her, such as against the journalist Patrick Cohen on June 18 on the television show C à vous; heavy artillery against the judiciary. A year ahead of the 2027 presidential campaign, next March's municipal elections will provide an important indication of the tone of the political debate, especially as much of the right and far right now also target the judiciary and the rule of law. Banned from running for office for five years following her conviction of embezzlement, far-right leader Marine Le Pen has just stated that, in the event of new snap legislative elections, she would still stand as a candidate, intending to rely on her electoral base to put maximum pressure on the electoral judge and the Constitutional Council. In the past, such a statement would have sparked an outcry, but that is no longer the case today.
Miami Herald
3 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Why Scotland's protests about Trump should concern every American
'Convicted US Felon to arrive in Scotland,' read the headline on the front page of Friday's Scotland's newspaper, The National. The headline, referring to President Donald Trump, seemed like a joke, but it was real — and a sad commentary on how the people of Scotland view the president. I wasn't disheartened because I felt the paper was inaccurate — it wasn't. I was disheartened by the lack of respect in those words. The negativity didn't end with a headline. On Saturday, Trump played golf at his course in Turnberry, Scotland. Meanwhile, hundreds of protesters flooded the streets of Britain to protest his visit. The Stop Trump Coalition —'a group of campaigners across the UK determined to resist Trump and Trumpism' — organized the protests Saturday, which included signs protesters waved: 'No to Trump,' 'Trump not welcome' and 'Scotland Hates Trump.' Some protesters objected to Trump's policies on immigration, climate change and the war on Gaza — but the overwhelming focus was personal. They didn't reject the policy alone. They rejected America's president. Regardless of your personal feelings for Trump, this chilly reception should give you pause. I get it — Trump is a convicted felon. Yes, there are still questions about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. And no, Trump is not the statesman Americans are used to seeing in the Oval Office. But this disrespect for him extends to the office he holds. And that's bad for the United States now and in the future. In fairness, Trump isn't without culpability. He has spent years making politics personal, insulting opponents and threatening world leaders, often prioritizing personal feuds rather than focusing on policy. The vitriol on display in Scotland didn't come out of nowhere. Additionally, his own disregard for presidential decorum has created a permissive structure that allows others to abandon restraint and follow his lead. But as my mother used to say, two wrongs don't make a right. While our allies have previously disagreed with America's foreign policy, our critics generally respected the office, if not the occupant. During a visit to London in 2003, for example, protesters opposed former President George W. Bush's policy on Iraq and his relationship with Blair. The protests were over the Iraq War, not Bush's character flaws. A similar protest happened in 1984, when thousands of demonstrators in London rallied against then-President Ronald Reagan's nuclear policy during an economic summit. The protest was organized by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, and when asked about its goal, Roger Spiller, a deputy president of the group, said, ''This is not an anti-American protest, but one opposing Mr. Reagan's policies.'' The protests in Scotland were different. They called Trump a dictator and a felon, focusing on his character and his presence in Scotland, rather than calling for policy changes. That distinction matters. When I first started in politics, there was an unspoken rule: Never call your opponent a liar. Now that's the starting point. And the lack of civility hasn't just taken hold here in America. It's been exported. It's sad but not surprising that this is where we find ourselves. Public vilification of the leader of the free world has serious implications. Some may argue that Trump deserves this type of backlash given his checkered history and questionable behavior. But that argument is short-sighted. When protesters attack the person rather than the policies, they're diminishing the institution itself. And if we normalize these personal attacks, it sets a precedent that won't end with Trump's presidency. We can — and should — debate policies. That's a hallmark of a healthy democracy. But when an American president is greeted with public disrespect by from citizens of an allied nation, it threatens something larger: the respect for democratic institutions. Preserving that institutional respect isn't about protecting Trump. It's about protecting the office of the presidency for whoever comes next. Mary Anna Mancuso is a member of the Miami Herald Editorial Board. Her email: mmancuso@
Newsroom
3 days ago
- Politics
- Newsroom
A spectre in the east
Opinion: The surge of the fringe far-right party Sanseito in Japan's upper house (House of Representatives) election on July 22 illustrated that Japan has joined the rising global xenophobic sentiment, and how powerful the populist-inclined catchphrase politics has become there. The election ended with a historic defeat of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which has almost exclusively governed Japan since its foundation in 1955. Still, the most controversial outcome was how Sanseito captured the growing anti-immigration sentiment with its catchy slogan 'Nihonjin Fāsuto', which means 'Japanese First' (Fāsuto is a loanword for First in Japan). The party held two seats in the upper house before the election, but won 14 of the contested seats last week. The rise of catchphrase politics in Japan The first salient example of this populist catchphrase politics came from the administration of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. One of his political slogans was 'structural reform without sanctuaries', which drove the country into the neoliberal agenda. This culminated in a snap general election in 2005, which Koizumi decided to hold when the administration's bill to privatise the postal service was voted down in the upper house. Koizumi, a long-time advocate for the privatisation of the postal service, situated this matter as a symbol of the neoliberal structural reforms, which New Zealand had taken the lead on in the 1980s. This policy evoked strong opposition even within the Liberal Democratic Party because it raised concerns regarding service degradation and challenged the strongly held political foundation of the party. However, Koizumi led the party with the postal service privatisation as the sole subject of the election and labelled those opposed to the reform, including the major players in his own party, as 'forces of resistance'. He succeeded in 'theaterising' the process by kicking out those opposed in the LDP. Those who were expelled went into the elections as independent candidates, but the LDP fielded new official candidates to their constituencies – referred to as assassins. The election resulted in a landslide victory for Koizumi. The next instance was Shinzo Abe, who succeeded Koizumi as Prime Minister in 2006. He used populist catchphrase politics to push nationalistic ideologies with slogans such as 'Beautiful country Japan' and 'Take back Japan'. Another was 'Breaking away from the postwar regime', which implied that the social system of postwar Japan, such as its pacifist constitution, was forced on Japan by the victorious countries. Abe's administration amended the legislation for education, adding 'patriotic spirit' as an educational goal, and changed the constitutional interpretation to increase the possibilities of engaging in war. These policies gained support from far-right communities and helped him become the longest-reigning Prime Minister in his second administration in the 2010s. Xenophobia and 'Trumpism' Now, with the 'Nihonjin Fāsuto' (Japanese First) slogan, Japanese sloganeering combined with xenophobia. Although the nationalism during the Abe era arguably contributed to this phenomenon, the rise and establishment of the 'First' doctrine in Japan originated not in the ruling LDP but in a rather fringe political arena, and came to life as a ground-up phenomenon. The use of 'Fāsuto' in the Japanese political scene can be traced back to the regional party Tomin Fāsuto no Kai (Tokyoites First Party) in 2016. This was founded by the Tokyo Metropolitan Governor Yuriko Koike, a former member of the LDP and minister of the Koizumi administration. She never admitted it, but this Fāsuto was likely influenced by 'America First', the slogan Donald Trump used in his first presidential campaign. This 'Tomin Fāsuto' (Tokyo First) advocated for prioritising citizens rather than political elites and vested interest groups. This was a stark contrast with the long-ruling LDP in the 2017 Tokyo metropolitan assembly election, and led to the overwhelming victory of Koike's party in 2017. But her true colours were displayed when she upgraded the party to a national party and declared she would exclude people who did not align with the core values of the party – the liberals or the leftists. This caused an immense backlash from the public and led her party to a disastrous defeat in the general election that same year. Immigration restriction However, after only eight years, the rapid transformation of Japanese society – and with the help of Trump's agenda – led to 'Fāsuto' politics entering the national arena. Japan has been perceived as a homogeneous country, but this has changed dramatically in recent years because of an ageing and declining population. The Japanese government invited more immigrant workers to fill the workforce shortages and, with declining economic power, started to rely on inbound tourism. By the end of 2024, the number of foreign nationals residing in Japan was more than 3.7 million, a record high for three years in a row. The number of foreign visitors hit a record high of 36 million in the same year. As increasing numbers of gaijin (foreigners) became visible in Japanese society, this led to social anxiety similar to the anti-immigration campaign now raging in the US. This gave the minor conservative parties momentum and also forced the administration to tighten its stance against immigration, for example with 'rigorous screening' and planning for 'zero illegal immigrants'. Japan is still very restrictive with immigration. Given it is an island, border-crossing undocumented migrants are very rare. It has also maintained extremely strict procedures for granting refugee status. According to the Japan Association for Refugees report, in 2023, Japan recognised 303 people as refugees, which was a record for Japan, but the lowest number of refugees recognised in the G7 countries. Japan also had one of the smallest immigrant populations in the OECD, which was only 2.2 percent of the country's population compared with 10.4 percent of the immigrant proportion of the total OECD population in 2021. Japan has been using the participants of its Technical Intern Training Programme as de facto low-skilled migrant workers, which has faced international criticism, including from the United Nations Human Rights Committee, concerning forced labour. The rise of the anti-immigration party Sanseito in the recent election was not based on actual threats but the phantom of catchphrase politics. A spectre of America First, Nihonjin Fāsuto, is haunting Japan, whether or not it will help Make America Great Again. The English term 'great' has also been incorporated into the Japanese lexicon as a loanword – gurēto. I hope this will not become the next spectre in the catchphrase politics in my home country.
