Clint Eastwood using Trump tactics to play the liberal media – Washington Examiner

There are few as skilled at whipping the liberal media into a frenzy for their own benefit as President Trump. Now, famed actor and director Clint Eastwood is following the presidents lead and hoping to reap the rewards at the box office.

Trump has repeatedly placed himself in direct opposition to the left-leaning national press, which he has dubbed the enemy of the people. More often than not, liberal media figures are all too happy to play along and feign outrage at the president's criticisms, only deepening the resentment many Americans have for our self-appointed guardians of truth.

Eastwood has a new movie out, and hes using a similar tactic to play the liberal media and promote it.

The film, Richard Jewell, focuses on the case of its namesake, Richard Jewell, an innocent man railroaded by the FBI and media as the prime suspect for the bombing of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Jewell found the bomb and alerted authorities to its existence, undoubtedly saving lives in the process. His reward? The security guard was named a suspect and subjected to weeks of torment and scrutiny before his name was finally cleared.

The movie portrays two villains: the FBI and the media. Both institutions were all too happy to destroy an innocent mans life. One of the subplots of the movie shows Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Kathy Scruggs portrayed sleeping with FBI sources for scoops. Its a sexist and fictional storyline, as well as one Scruggs is unable to rebut, given her death in 2001. Eastwood may have specifically chosen a reporter from the Journal to play the vixen for a reason after all, the paper never apologized for its unfair coverage of Jewell.

In response to the storyline, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution is demanding a disclaimer about the fictional nature of the storyline and is considering legal action.

Why did Eastwood bend the truth and add the storyline in? I suspect hes taken a page out of the presidents media handbook. The villain of his story is quite plainly the press, and Eastwood has manipulated the movies narrative to give the press an opportunity to claim for themselves the role of the victim. He laid out the bait, and the liberal media took it hook, line, and sinker.

Weve come to learn that there are two things liberal reporters cant help but do: play the victim and pat themselves on the back for their crucial role in society.

Conservative commentators have noted with disdain how, as always, the liberal media have managed to make the story about how they were victimized even when it was their outlets that were in the wrong after leading a witch hunt for an innocent man, no, a hero.

Eastwood didnt just make a movie about Jewells story for its cinematic potential. No, the very origins of public distrust and disdain for the liberal media can be traced in part to Jewells plight. Did Eastwood include the fictional storyline about a Journal reporter to see if any lessons were learned? If so, we now know the answer is a resounding no.

Eastwood set a trap for the liberal media, and they couldnt help but fall for it. In the process, a movie few may have otherwise noticed is receiving gallons of free publicity. This is all working out well for Eastwood, who may be the first public figure to successfully manipulate the liberal media as well as Trump did during his journey to the White House.

Bethany Mandel (@bethanyshondark) is a stay-at-home and homeschooling mother of four and a freelance writer. She is an editor at Ricochet.com, a columnist at the Forward, and a contributor to the Washington Examiners Beltway Confidential blog.

Read the original here:

Clint Eastwood using Trump tactics to play the liberal media - Washington Examiner