National Public Radio (NPR) host Scott Simon suggested twice in his Saturday show that the President’s tweets about liberating states from coronavirus lockdowns were calls for “armed insurrection.”
In an interview with Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, Simon asked, “I have to ask you, Governor DeWine, when President Trump calls on people in Michigan, Minnesota and Virginia – those are states with Democratic governors – to, quote, “liberate” themselves from lockdown, is that a call for insurrection?” DeWine answered no but Simon pressed, “Well, what else does liberate mean?” and went on to ask again, “Is that a call for armed insurrection?”
Later, Simon asked NPR senior editor Ron Elving, “Ron, I don’t think this is a time to hide behind euphemisms so let me ask you directly: Is this a call for armed insurrection in the United States?” adding that Trump risked “inflaming those who are most combustible.”
What’s inflammatory is NPR’s insinuation that Trump and his supporters are dangerous and violent.