Here are some things that Donald Trump has said about journalists:
- “They are so dishonest … 70 to 75 percent are absolutely dishonest. Absolute scum. Remember that. Scum. Scum. Totally dishonest people.”
- “Disgusting reporters, horrible people… Some are nice. Some are nice. Some really disgusting people back there, though.”
- “It is not ‘freedom of the press’ when newspapers and others are allowed to say and write whatever they want even if it is completely false!”
- “I’m running against the crooked media.”
The president-elect has threatened to open up libel laws to punish journalistic entities that have written about him critically. He appointed a man to a senior staff position whose web site promoted the work of a neo Nazi who uses Nazi propaganda to describe the press. He banned various mainstream media outlets from press access at his events at different times during the campaign. To put it mildly, he has an antagonistic relationship with journalists.
Now, as DCist’s Christina Sturdivant noted last month, the Washington, D.C. museum that is supposed to be dedicated to the freedom of the press will be holding a celebratory inaugural event for this man who seems very unfond of the free press.
Here’s what Sturdivant wrote in November:
[The] Newseum announced that guests can witness the swearing in of President-elect Donald Trump inside of the space for $500 per person ($350 for Newseum annual members and corporate and foundation partners). Three years ago—the museum’s second inaugural celebration—it charged attendees $100, and sold out with 3,500 guests, Scott Williams, the Newseum’s chief operating officer, told DCist.
This year, sales are limited to only 1,200 people, and the $500 price tag will allow for a more “all-inclusive” experience than in previous years, Williams said. In addition to food, drinks, and a stellar view of the inaugural parade, “we’ll have door prizes, lots of freebies, music and video… almost like an inauguration day cruise on Pennsylvania Avenue!”
According to the Newseum’s web site, the “Presidential Inauguration Celebration Experience” is now sold out.
Lucky attendees will get “a front-row seat to history as the 45th president of the United States takes the oath of office at the U.S. Capitol and leads the inaugural parade past the Newseum to the White House.”
This includes:
- A complimentary breakfast and lunch menu of signature dishes and celebratory drinks by Wolfgang Puck Catering
- Commemorative badge and lanyard
- Festive music and activities throughout the day
In addition to “an all-American chili bar with all the fixin’s” for lunch, the museum promised to spend the day “paying tribute to classic patriotic foods with sweet and salty snacks, jumbo pretzels and kettle corn, and mouth-watering deserts worthy of a blue ribbon!” Alcohol will also be served.
The site also notes that the museum is handicap accessible and “[a] limited number of wheelchairs, scooters and walking aids are available on a first-come, first-served basis.”
Here is video of the president-elect mocking a disabled reporter:
The museum offered special tickets for members of its Friends of the First Amendment Society. (No word if the president-elect is a member, or a friend.)
As Jack Shafer wrote in Slate in 2008, the Newseum was one of the most expensive museums ever built, costing $450 million and relying on donations from News Corp., the Pulliams, Disney, the Hearsts, Time Warner, NBC Universal, the Greenspun family, and the Ochs-Sulzbergers. The facade of the Newseum, which faces the Capitol and the national mall, is inscribed with a four-story tall stone panel engraved with the text of the First Amendment.
