# Trump "punches" CNN **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 2, 2017, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-punches-cnn/790361 "2017-07-02T15:51:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2017, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-punches-cnn/790361/121 "2017-07-06T20:32:34Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > And yet he is now. How proud you must be of your goons. I believe I gave my opinion on that matter in a thread _about that matter_. If you are actually curious what it is, I’m confident you could find it. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2017, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-punches-cnn/790361/122 "2017-07-06T20:34:09Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > I believe I gave my opinion on that matter in a thread _about that matter_. If you are actually curious what it is, I’m confident you could find it. We’re just laughing along with you about the hilarious act of brutalizing reporters. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2017, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-punches-cnn/790361/123 "2017-07-06T20:37:21Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > We’re just laughing along with you about the hilarious act of brutalizing reporters. Which reporters were brutalized, precisely? ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2017, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-punches-cnn/790361/124 "2017-07-06T21:06:22Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > Which reporters were brutalized, precisely? The one that Gianforte assaulted. Maybe more to come, if Trump keeps up his rhetoric - many are already getting death threats. It’s funny stuff, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2017, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-punches-cnn/790361/125 "2017-07-06T21:20:24Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > The one that Gianforte assaulted. Maybe more to come, if Trump keeps up his rhetoric - many are already getting death threats. It’s funny stuff, isn’t it? So … just one, and not by Trump? Okie-dokie then, can we get back to the topic of the thread now? FWIW, I don’t generally approve off death threats, or body-slamming people, or threats to dox people. People generally should be nicer to each other. I trust we agree on at least that much? ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2017, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-punches-cnn/790361/126 "2017-07-06T21:22:43Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > So … just one, and not by Trump? Okie-dokie then, can we get back to the topic of the thread now? > > FWIW, I don’t generally approve off death threats, or body-slamming people, or threats to dox people. People generally should be nicer to each other. I trust we agree on at least that much? Yes, I just think the cheering on of even seemingly little things like the CNN/Trump gif adds to the coarsening of our discourse, which may already be becoming dangerous for some journalists, and Trump is greatly to blame for this (particularly his dehumanizing and extremely disrespectful language about journalists). So maybe you shouldn’t contribute to it. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2017, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-punches-cnn/790361/127 "2017-07-06T21:25:38Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Yes, I just think the cheering on of even seemingly little things like the CNN/Trump gif adds to the coarsening of our discourse, which may already be becoming dangerous for some journalists, and Trump is greatly to blame for this (particularly his dehumanizing and extremely disrespectful language about journalists). So maybe you shouldn’t contribute to it. But he finds it funny to think of journalists being punched and body slammed and otherwise beat up. But that doesn’t mean he endorses it, just that he likes to see it when it happens. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2017, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-punches-cnn/790361/128 "2017-07-06T21:41:06Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > FWIW, I don’t generally approve off … threats to dox people. People generally should be nicer to each other. I trust we agree on at least that much? If only we only lived in a world where journalists didn’t try to find things out! ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2017, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-punches-cnn/790361/129 "2017-07-06T22:09:36Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > But he finds it funny to think of journalists being punched and body slammed and otherwise beat up. But that doesn’t mean he endorses it, just that he likes to see it when it happens. Dude, I JUST FUCKING SAID “I don’t generally approve off death threats, or body-slamming people, or threats to dox people. People generally should be nicer to each other.” Can’t you read what I’m posting? It was _quoted_ in the post you responded to. Where in the hell did you get the idea that I ‘find it funny to think of journalists being punched and body slammed and otherwise beat up’? ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2017, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-punches-cnn/790361/130 "2017-07-06T22:12:16Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > If only we only lived in a world where journalists didn’t try to find things out! Was this directed at me? You quoted me, but the quote and your post don’t seem to have any relation to each other, AFAICT. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2017, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-punches-cnn/790361/131 "2017-07-06T22:13:28Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > Dude, I JUST FUCKING SAID “I don’t generally approve off death threats, or body-slamming people, or threats to dox people. People generally should be nicer to each other.” Can’t you read what I’m posting? It was _quoted_ in the post you responded to. > > Where in the hell did you get the idea that I ‘find it funny to think of journalists being punched and body slammed and otherwise beat up’? Could be fake news, but someone posted this… > [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > There are a bunch out there, some of them quite funny. If you find depictions of reporters being beaten up to be funny, then it seems as though you enjoy seeing them as well. Be a bit odd to say, “That was funny, I didn’t want to see that.” ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2017, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-punches-cnn/790361/132 "2017-07-06T22:32:33Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > Was this directed at me? You quoted me, but the quote and your post don’t seem to have any relation to each other, AFAICT. Yeah, it was. This rediculous idea that journalists doing investigations is the same as online harassment is silly partisan nonsense. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2017, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-punches-cnn/790361/133 "2017-07-06T22:35:43Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > Could be fake news, but someone posted this… > > If you find depictions of reporters being beaten up to be funny, then it seems as though you enjoy seeing them as well. Be a bit odd to say, “That was funny, I didn’t want to see that.” The memes that I found funny were not “depictions of reporters being beaten up”. I’m a bit surprised that I have to explain such an elementary point to you. There were depictions of the CNN logo being beaten up, but the CNN logo != “reporters”. I think some people took the Trump wrestling thing as … I don’t know exactly … a call to violence / something. I interpreted as a “Trump slams CNN” thing, in a more metaphorical sense. And in that metaphorical sense, they were funny. If it had been a depiction of Trump beating up an actual, real person, that would have been considerably less funny. Do you understand the distinction and why your “depictions of _reporters_ being beaten up” line has fuck-all-of-nothing to do with the Trump-CNN-wrestling meme now? ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2017, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-punches-cnn/790361/134 "2017-07-06T22:39:28Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > The memes that I found funny were not “depictions of reporters being beaten up”. I’m a bit surprised that I have to explain such an elementary point to you. There were depictions of the CNN logo being beaten up, but the CNN logo != “reporters”. > > I think some people took the Trump wrestling thing as … I don’t know exactly … a call to violence / something. I interpreted as a “Trump slams CNN” thing, in a more metaphorical sense. And in that metaphorical sense, they were funny. If it had been a depiction of Trump beating up an actual, real person, that would have been considerably less funny. Do you understand the distinction and why your “depictions of _reporters_ being beaten up” line has fuck-all-of-nothing to do with the Trump-CNN-wrestling meme now? There were real people in the gifs – and Trump has been saying really awful things about journalists, some of whom have begun to get death threats. Add to that the actual body-slamming of a journalist, which really was cheered on by some Trump supporters, and it seems pretty clear that, at best, you’re not that concerned about violence and threats to journalists. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2017, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-punches-cnn/790361/135 "2017-07-06T22:44:53Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > Yeah, it was. This rediculous idea that journalists doing investigations is the same as online harassment is silly partisan nonsense. Perhaps. Earlier **iiandyiiii** said this: > [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Okay, that can reasonably be characterized as a threat, I think. Do you consider him to be a silly partisan? I think reasonable people can understand why the line “CNN reserves the right to publish his identity should any of that change” came across as a threat / blackmail / annoying to some people. It was, in hindsight I think, a dumb thing for CNN / Kaczynski to write, but like I said earlier, I think it was mostly out of ignorance, not malice. And I don’t think people pointing that out is the same as suggesting that they should cease doing investigations, or any of the sort of sweeping generalizations you seem to be trying to turn it into. It probably wasn’t even the dumbest thing CNN will do this week, so, in the grand scheme of things, not a big deal. On another message board someone posted “CNN may find out that they’re not the bear in this poking contest”. I think it’ll be interesting to see if he ends up being right. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2017, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-punches-cnn/790361/136 "2017-07-06T22:49:22Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > There were real people in the gifs 😕 The wrestler and actors? One GIF I saw was of a dog. Another one had King Leonidas as Trump, kicking CNN into a pit. Another one of the Hulk beating up Loki. That shit was CGI, you realize that, right? ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2017, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-punches-cnn/790361/137 "2017-07-06T22:49:47Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > Perhaps. Earlier **iiandyiiii** said this: > > Do you consider him to be a silly partisan? > > I think reasonable people can understand why the line “CNN reserves the right to publish his identity should any of that change” came across as a threat / blackmail / annoying to some people. It was, in hindsight I think, a dumb thing for CNN / Kaczynski to write, but like I said earlier, I think it was mostly out of ignorance, not malice. And I don’t think people pointing that out is the same as suggesting that they should cease doing investigations, or any of the sort of sweeping generalizations you seem to be trying to turn it into. It probably wasn’t even the dumbest thing CNN will do this week, so, in the grand scheme of things, not a big deal. On another message board someone posted “CNN may find out that they’re not the bear in this poking contest”. I think it’ll be interesting to see if he ends up being right. The investigation was reasonable – the only thing that might have been unwise was the “we reserve the right to change our minds about publishing his name” stuff, which could reasonably be characterized as a threat, even if the redditor in question didn’t take it as such. It would have even been reasonable to publish his name, IMO. That the source of a silly thing the President repeats also said multiple racist and violence-advocating things, and the source’s name, can reasonably be characterized as news. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2017, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-punches-cnn/790361/138 "2017-07-06T22:51:58Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > … the source of a silly thing the President repeats … There’s a growing body of evidence that CNN (and the Redditor himself) got it wrong and he wasn’t actually the source. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2017, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-punches-cnn/790361/139 "2017-07-06T22:53:02Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > 😕 > > The wrestler and actors? One GIF I saw was of a dog. Another one had King Leonidas as Trump, kicking CNN into a pit. Another one of the Hulk beating up Loki. That shit was CGI, you realize that, right? Sorry that you’re confused, I’ll try and explain it again – there is real violence against journalists, and real threats of violence against journalists, and the President’s really awful, disrespectful, and dehumanizing statements about journalists (calling them scum of the earth, enemies, etc.) can reasonably be characterized as potentially inciting such violence. When you laugh along with Trump and other Trumpers at the broad concept of violence against journalists/journalism, in gif format, then it seems pretty clear you either don’t recognize these facts, or you aren’t concerned by them. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2017, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-punches-cnn/790361/140 "2017-07-06T23:24:32Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Sorry that you’re confused, I’ll try and explain it again – there is real violence against journalists, and real threats of violence against journalists, and the President’s really awful, disrespectful, and dehumanizing statements about journalists (calling them scum of the earth, enemies, etc.) can reasonably be characterized as potentially inciting such violence. When you laugh along with Trump and other Trumpers at the broad concept of violence against journalists/journalism, in gif format, then it seems pretty clear you either don’t recognize these facts, or you aren’t concerned by them. I’d rate my level of concern at something less than what I feel about the “really awful, disrespectful, and dehumanizing statements about” Republicans (by Clinton, other liberals, even some Dopers here). As I’ve already tried to explain, I don’t see it as a “concept of violence against journalists”. It was a metaphor, I think. I don’t support violence (against journalists or most people really), and I see a _HUGE_ gulf between chuckling mildly at the CNN logo getting body-slammed vs actual violence against real people. ETA: but you’re probably right that me chuckling mildly at Hulk Trump slamming Loki CNN around is a mild contributor to the coursening of language in our culture. I’m not perfect. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-punches-cnn/790361.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-punches-cnn/790361.md?page=8)