Masha Gessen of the New Yorker was really fit to be tied on Monday after Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary had the AUDACITY – the unmitigated GALL – to ask the gathered journalists to name something they were thankful for before asking their usual questions. Like, she was so angry she had to write up a 2,000 words piece about it for her publication and make sure everyone who read it understood what a mean, bullying ogre this Sarah Sanders really way. Or, to hear her play the tune – “Sanders treated the White House press pool the way a sadistic teenager would treat a groups of third graders.”
Strong words for an exercise in gratitude.
But you can see how Gessen got that impression. Just look how she interprets this first exchange between Sanders and a reporter:
“Anybody want to be first on what they are thankful for?” Sanders asked. Her tone was menacing, the tone of a bully asking for a volunteer to be humiliated in front of the room. She called on April Ryan, of American Urban Radio Networks. Ryan was one of the few African-American reporters in the room, and her questions have clearly annoyed Sanders in the past. Ryan had tried, unsuccessfully, to ask a question during an earlier part of the briefing, when Secretary of State Rex Tillerson spoke about North Korea.
“April, you’ve been sooo eager,” Sanders said. There was laughter. There is always laughter when bullies mock their marks.
“I’m thankful for life,” Ryan said, going along with the rule proposed by Sanders. “I’m thankful for my children. I’m thankful for twenty years in this job. I’m thankful to be able to talk to you and question you every single day.” Ryan ended on a big, insincere smile.
“I feel the gratefulness here,” Sanders responded, with her own angry smile. There was a smattering of laughter.
And so goes the entire essay, with Gessen interpreting “menacing tones” and “angry smiles” all over the place. We aren’t accusing Gessen of making this up for her liberal audience, either; we really believe this is what she thinks when she sees a strong, confident conservative woman playing around with the liberal dunces who make up the majority of the press pool. She sees a woman who understands full well that the press DESPISES her and DESPISES Trump, and she knows why they’re asking her questions. Not to get to the truth, but to get a sound bite they can use against her and the president in their next newscast. It’s a war, and Sanders is on the front lines.
Given that fact, we’d say she has been more than gracious with her enemy combatants. And if her friendly smile turns “angry” once in a while? Well, who are we to judge.
Comments are closed.