I wrote to NBC News regarding Kristen Welker calling Trump, "Mr. President"

[Poiuyt]

Regarding Kristen Welker’s interview with former president, Donald Trump, she continually called him, “Mr. President.” While it is acceptable to refer to a former president as (for example) President Trump, the title “Mr. President” is reserved for the current president.

https://emilypost.com/advice/addressing-a-former-president-of-the-united-states

I didn't address anything about why these news organizations keep giving him free publicity and a platform to lie. And why don't they interview President Biden and give him the same publicity?

[cilla4progress]

1. Seriously,

I used to respect her.

He's a fucking common criminal and a menace to society.

[AllTooEasy]

78. Plus, Biden is too busy to accept every interview request

Trump has a lot of free time 🤣

Every journalist would drop their own baby to immediately interview the current president. The current President still has to accept the request for the interview to occur. Biden probably blew her off 😁

[soldierant]

96. My thought exactly.

He's doing his job for real, seriously, and it is extremely time consuming.

Recently, I looked ip RBG's first speaking role in an opera - because the readi series was playing that opers. They wanted her to do all eight performances. But she was only able to do opening night,because her day job" needed her more.

[Rebl2]

2. They probably

will at some point.

[CrispyQ]

4. After the house impeachment.

And then it will be all impeachment/GOP talk, nothing about infrastructure or other Biden accomplishments. The media is only as liberal as the conservative corporations that own it. That's from a bumper sticker I used to have. It's true & exasperating. DUer gab13 sums it up this way:

Fox News reports that Obama cheats at golf.

CNN reports that it's inconclusive if Obama cheats at golf.

MSNBC reports that it's not true that Obama cheats at golf.

All channels are talking about a right-wing talking point that isn't even true while ignoring what dems are working on. They will help re-elect the authoritarian who will shut them down. We're watching it happen.

I don't mean to lecture, I'm just so frustrated with our for-profit media.

[erronis]

15. Excellent lecture!

[keithbvadu2]

62. 'who will shut them down'

“Freedom of the press may be guaranteed in the Constitution. But a plurality of Republicans want to give President Trump the authority to close down certain news outlets, according to a new public opinion survey conducted by Ipsos and provided exclusively to The Daily Beast.”

So that 43% would approve a democrat shutting down Fox news?

https://www.thedailybeast.com/new-poll-43-of-republicans-want-to-give-trump-the-power-to-shut-down-media?via=twitter_page

[NotVeryImportant]

82. So true

That's why I was done w/mainstream media years ago.

[CrispyQ]

3. It was a disgusting choice for the second woman & first black host of the show to select that POS

to interview. I won't forget, although I never watch the show anyway.

President Biden, VP Harris, Gov Whitmer, DA Willis, any of these would have been superior choices & set a better tone for her new career, than going with that putrid piece of shit, but this was her choice. I hope she regrets it but I bet they pay her enough that she doesn't.

[brush]

5. She looks mixed, possibly Latina/Pacific Islander maybe? I didn't know she was Black.

[Ocelot II]

7. According to Wiki her father is White, mother is Black.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kristen_Welker

[brush]

11. Thanks. It's disappointing to me whenever anyone goes that route...

and calls the pos trump Mr. President. She knows better but still did it.

[BumRushDaShow]

52. She grew up here in Philly

and her mother owns a real estate franchise here in the city (which sold the house next door to where my mom lived about 20 years ago or so... as an interesting note).

(with her mom)


(and dad)
?w=960

[brush]

53. She should absolutely know better with that background.

[BumRushDaShow]

58. She most certainly should!

I avoid anything with 45 on it and if he is flashed on the screen, I mute.

[Ocelot II]

6. Part of TFG's agreement to do the interview was probably

that she had to call him "Mr. President." And, of course, the network agreed.

[Rebl2]

8. She should have

called him multi indicted, former mr president.

[Ocelot II]

10. Ha! As if!

It's hard to say all those words with your lips stuck to somebody's butt.

[Rebl2]

13. True

[lastlib]

57. "Mr. Defendant"

If there was an agreement to address the turd as "Mr. President," then it should have been disclosed BEFORE the broadcast!

And yes, either Pres. Biden or V-Pres. Harris would have been a better choice for interview than Scared Puppy. Hell, my neighborhood marauding opossum would've been a better choice than The Turd.

[onenote]

83. Despite Emily Post, its a pretty common practice.

It doesn't take much time to find transcripts of interviews with other former presidents, including Obama, Clinton, and Carter where they are addressed or referred to as Mr. President or President...[ name ].


As far as I'm concerned, there are more significant things to be upset about.

[betsuni]

87. +1

[yonder]

95. Agree. Hard to stomach in this case, but agree.

[gab13by13]

9. It's only going to get worse,

No way Welker confronts Trump on his lies, if she does her life changes for ever with death threats from magats, all it takes is one word from Trump.

2 years ago Merrick Garland created a task force to deal with threats to public officials. In 2 years there have been thousands of criminal complaints, in 2 years there have been 14 arrests. Our country does not have adequate laws to deal with domestic terrorism.

A top prosecutor in the Hunter Biden plea deal stepped aside because she got so many death threats.

[erronis]

18. Agree with you, but also to add that this country does not have adequate enforcement

of the laws.

It's really hard to counter this amorphous group that carry out threats - even though they may be getting their marching orders and encouragement from a very small group of mafia thugs.

[malaise]

12. Bet that was part of the terms for the interview

😀

[Ocelot II]

14. I am quite certain that was part of the deal.

And of course they agreed.

[malaise]

16. Media hacks

and greedy corporate owners with their own agenda which has nothing to do with democracy

[onecaliberal]

93. 👆🏻👆🏻👆🏻

[gulliver]

17. Manners have become too complicated in general.

So, most people just wing it. At one time you could have a comedy of manners. Now we get drama.

[housecat]

19. Didn't they call him "Mr. President" while they ignored Hillary and rigged that election?

[highplainsdem]

20. NPR addressed former president Obama as "Mr. President" in a 2020 interview.

It is NOT unusual for journalists doing interviews of former presidents to do that.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100218274086#post39

[Silent Type]

26. Don't come around with facts.

Of course Obama deserved it, trump not so much.

[W_HAMILTON]

70. They also referred to Trump as "Mr. President" in a 2022 interview:

https://www.npr.org/2022/01/12/1072176709/transcript-full-npr-interview-former-president-donald-trump

They were wrong in both cases, but don't let me come around with facts to interrupt your disparaging of intentions of other Democrats in order to defend Trump.

[W_HAMILTON]

69. NPR also referred to Trump as "Mr. President" in a 2022 interview.

https://www.npr.org/2022/01/12/1072176709/transcript-full-npr-interview-former-president-donald-trump

That doesn't mean that it's not incorrect.

[AZSkiffyGeek]

74. It's been standard for as long as I remember

But now people are triggered by it and whining about bias.

[quickesst]

21. I'm watching the interview right now...

This Trump interview is more or less an exercise in futility for everyone. Those that back Donald Trump will believe the b******* coming out of his mouth just like they always have, and will continue to do so. That same b******* coming out of Trump's mouth is only going to reinforce the left's commitment to keeping this traitor as far away from the White House as possible.

Here's the thing. Even if it was Sean hannity giving the interview, the effect it would have on both parties would not change. Rational people will still know it's b*******, and the willfully ignorant cult of trump will believe every word coming out of his mouth. If there is a person out there who calls himself a Democrat, but allows Donald Trump's words to change their ideology, then they were not Democrats to begin with. Only sheep searching for someone to take the leash to the ring in their noses.

[Silent Type]

29. Exactly. As far as I'm concerned, put trump on 24/7. He's not fooling anyone.

People who vote for him aren't really fooled, they just like his white wing BS.

[quickesst]

36. "white wing BS."

Yep. How does one win an argument against an impenetrable wall of willful ignorance? You start with this which evolves into this, and end up with this.

[quickesst]

37. Yep

The only people he's fooling are the people he's been fooling all along. If ignorance is bliss, then willful ignorance must be like mana from heaven.

[Lonestarblue]

22. President Biden should demand equal time. Trump is a candidate for president, as is Biden.

CNN is giving Trump free campaign assistance.

[Farmer-Rick]

23. It irritates me to no end when supposed journalist do that

I think Trump puts it in his interview contracts that journalist have to call him president.

But a real journalist wouldn't do it or at least they would reveal that it was in his agreement for an interview.

No, it is never ok to call that criminal President Trump or Mr President. Those are terms reserved for the current President, Biden, always.

But I've even heard liberals do it. Even people here on DU were arguing with me about that term because they heard sooooo many right wing journalist call him that, so it must be correct.

Jeez, some people are so easily manipulated.

[highplainsdem]

27. See replies 20 and 24. NPR, PBS and C-SPAN have addressed former Democratic presidents

as "Mr. President." It's pretty standard.

[triron]

55. WTF!

[highplainsdem]

56. ???

[hlthe2b]

63. No. The AP Style manual is the "bible" for journalists on these issues--whether print or television.

The editors of AP Style convene panels that include historians, grammatical experts, senior editors of print and the best of television news, and very senior reporters to develop consensus on these and emerging issues (e.g., LGBTQ nomenclature). They are in alignment with the much-quoted position of Emily Post--even while the latter is responding only to the etiquette aspects of the issue.

There is ONE President at a time. References must be to the "Former President," including the in-person introduction of the guest, while direct reference is "MR. Trump," etc.

While other media sites may acquiesce for whatever reason to calling Trump or any other former President in the manner you describe, it is not the norm. And, frankly, wrong.

[highplainsdem]

71. Then the AP Stylebook is being ignored by all the news organizations I cited,

and probably a lot of others.

[hlthe2b]

72. I agree. I think it is an ingratiating acquiescence to get the interviews/ensure access.

[highplainsdem]

75. Whatever the reason for it, it's done so frequently, and with Democratic

former presidents as well, that it's pointless to make that a major issue in complaints about this interview.

I can't remember seeing anyone here complain about Carter, Clinton or Obama being addressed as "Mr. President" during interviews after they left office. It's possible I missed any such complaints, or just laughed and shook my head when I saw them, but I really don't remember any. And they'd've probably been met by some other DUers asking why they didn't want that Democratic president to be shown respect, when it's a common way for journalists to address former presidents.

Sigh.

Emily Post's advice isn't absolute and is often ignored.

Ditto the AP Stylebook. Journalism teachers may find it a useful bible, and I've met journalism students who could and should have used not just a stylebook but a good dictionary and a book on grammar, usage and punctuation.

But I would not expect any professional journalists or news organizations outside the Associated Press itself to feel that they had to slavishly follow the AP Stylebook.

[betsuni]

86. +1

[True Blue American]

28. Please give me address to write.

Email or what?

I did not watch but they have run clips all week. I will never watch Welker. In the clips she acted like a school girl simpering. Amd I thought Chuck was bad.

Ali had a good show as did Jonathon Capehart and Katie Phang. They could have picked half a dozen better than her.

[True Blue American]

34. I just googled

And NBC got an earful. What a revolting excuse Welker is for a Journalist is!

[Farmer-Rick]

42. I found this contact email for NBC

[e-mail]

But that's for NBC news.com. NBC news.com also has her entire interview transcript. So, I think it is fine to complain to them too.

[True Blue American]

46. The email went to the PTB.

[highplainsdem]

24. PBS and C-SPAN interviews with former presiden Carter addressing him as "Mr. President":

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/spc/debatingourdestiny/interviews/carter.html

https://www.c-span.org/video/?153718-1/president-carter-interview

[True Blue American]

30. They were decent Presidents!

Did not push a riot to stop election. Why post that?

[highplainsdem]

33. Because it is standard journalistic practice. This was not something done to

soothe Trump's ego, something he had to insist on.

Complaining about a standard journalistic practice is a waste of time. Getting terribly upset about it is a waste of energy.

Too many people here seem to think that no other former president was ever addressed as "Mr. President" during an interview, and that's simply wrong, and just a minute of googling will show how wrong it is.

[Walleye]

39. Trump has never adhere to any standard etiquette, the journalists just kiss his ass

They feel obligated to address him as Mr. President, when he uses so many other foul names to address other people? He doesn’t even deserve to be called Mr.

[keithbvadu2]

67. Putin has no nasty nickname from Donald

Putin has no nasty nickname from Donald

[Walleye]

73. I did notice in Helsinki trump called him President Putin, Putin called our President, Donald

[True Blue American]

41. Standard Journalist practice?

So called Journalists like Welker and Deucy have no standards. They sink to the bottome of the barrel.

[True Blue American]

49. You forget we have

The right to express what we think of the station, the program, Welker and the subject.

Free expression.

[highplainsdem]

54. I didn't say people didn't have the right to complain. I just pointed out that

the form of address is standard for journalists interviewing former presidents. It was not some special favor done for Trump.

I despise Trump, and I wish he was never on TV. But it's unrealistic to expect the MSM to ignore the leading GOP candidate for president. President Biden's most likely opponent.

I didn't waste my time watching the full interview. The video I have seen from it, though, makes me think Trump hurt himself more than helped himself with any voters who aren't MAGA cultists.

[betsuni]

89. +1

[modrepub]

25. The Joke Is On The M$M

They love the attention tfg's interviews get. No doubt about it. Eyeballs and reactions translate to $.

But, they should be reminded, the tfg and his supporters hate the "free press" because the feel they are opposed to their point of view. There's plenty of evidence, if the Republicans had their way, a lot of reporters would be abused, intimidated and ultimately punished for expressing anything contrary to "their" world view. There are lots of Republican governors and elected officials who openly distain the M$M, ridicule them, refuse to talk or engage with certain reporters and now hid their travel plans (via laws).

I have no doubt if tfg is elected next year, the "free" press will come under attack.

[highplainsdem]

31. Bill Clinton addressed as "Mr. President" on CBS's Face The Nation in 2020:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/transcript-president-bill-clinton-on-face-the-nation-september-20-2020/

[Silent Type]

47. Appreciate your effort to bring facts to the thread. But not many are listening.

[highplainsdem]

50. I know. I'll stick to facts anyway.

And thanks for saying you appreciate the effort.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

79. Second the kudos

For sticking to facts. Although often unpopular when in a he midst of a partisan frenzy, I always appreciate facts

[highplainsdem]

81. Thank you!

Greatly appreciated.

[Celerity]

94. I appreciate it too

cheers

Cel

[highplainsdem]

98. Thanks, Cel!

[highplainsdem]

32. Bill Clinton addressed as "Mr. President" on ABC's This Week in 2013:

https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2013/09/full-transcript-former-president-bill-clinton-speaks-to-george-stephanopoulos-on-this-week

[calimary]

35. And WHY was that lying deceiving schmuck her first interview as new host???

I would think she’d want to start with the President of the United States. Instead, she just handed the donald with yet another free platform from which to freely spread shit!

[True Blue American]

44. Agree!

I love how we are talking standards when Welker has none.

[calimary]

77. Seems her only "standard" is how many eyeballs she can attract.

Totally tabloid. And cheap, too.

[onenote]

90. I know. And why are there so many posts on DU talking about him and what he says and does?

[calimary]

100. Point VERY well taken.

It’d be nice to “cover” him with silence - IGNORING him completely. Denying him the attention and media dominance he craves and lives for.

I often find myself wondering how long it’ll take before we have a full 24-hour day of no mention of that individual in any context.

WHEN will he become relevant no more?

[ecstatic]

38. I haven't seen it, but if she did that then she has learned nothing

over the past 8 years. The press is our fourth estate and there really should be more accountability. I wish news organizations would provide updated guidance to their employees in the wake of trump. We're watching the same missteps occur all over again as the 2024 election approaches, but this time it's worse.

Also, I wonder if the curriculum for journalism /communications will ever be updated to address mistakes made during trump's rise and reign of terror?

[True Blue American]

45. Guess who dumped the Fairness Doctrine?

[jimfields33]

59. 50 years ago almost and strangely nobody has brought it back. Weird.

Many opportunities to do so but nobody has no matter the party.

[True Blue American]

66. And the Media

Has dropped their so called standards to the point they have none.

[jimfields33]

80. That's true. I'm thinking congress and media are cool with it.

[PortTack]

48. Kudos to you!

[ForgedCrank]

51. I think

the first mistake is thinking these media companies are interested in anything other than profit.
I frequently lose sight of this primary point myself. My main point is that they will say or do whatever draws the most viewers, and that is the bottom line. Even if it angers me, they still got me to watch. And that, in the end, is really all that matters to them.

[ificandream]

60. NBC has invited Biden so I expect we'll see one with him soon.

As far as her interview with Trump, if that's the worst thing in this interview, so be it. How much of an ass did he make of himself is the big question.

[Wild blueberry]

61. Free air time for his "campaign" -- is NBC declaring this a campaign contribution?

Disgusting.

[republianmushroom]

64. If he is convicted, with they then address his as Mr. Criminal or Mr. Felon ?

[Squaredeal]

65. Welker is no better than Chuck Todd.

They’re both bootlickers. Why didn’t she start by interviewing our real President, Joe Biden? I stopped watching MTP years ago, ever since that chuckle head Tim Russert ran the show. Just a waste of time for anyone who wants to become truly informed. NBC should be ashamed.

[Polybius]

68. It's a non-issue

Many former Presidents have been referred to as "Mr. President" by an interviewer.

[NCjack]

76. I think NBC made a business decision to have TRE45ON on MTP.

And, his business terms included being addressed as "President". That's why I don't watch MTP -- ever.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

84. You need to stop. Nobody here likes Trump, but they call all former presidents that.

Clinton. Obama. Carter. Bush. All of them. Just because we really like Carter and don't like Trump is no reason to complain about them doing it to just Trump. Seems like an argument a RWer would make.

[gulliver]

85. It's on YouTube. Welker did quite well.

At first I thought she was weak, but at about the halfway point she got stronger and she actually raised her voice. She did it at least a couple of times. And she did manage to get Trump flustered. It was a good interview for Welker, and, unfortunately, not a terrible interview for Trump.

[MineralMan]

88. Very likely, she was following network policy.

Like most magazines, TV networks have style sheets that address questions like that. "Presidents of the United States and former Presidents should be addressed in interviews or reporting either as "President [name] or "Mr. President."

Why? Just so there is a standard on-air people and writers can use and follow for consistency.

I'm not saying that is the right way to do it. I'm just saying that it's probably in their network style sheet.

[Hekate]

91. Apparently Ms Welker got TFG to admit it was all his idea...

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100218281014

[live love laugh]

92. Wasted time. They don't care.

[EndlessWire]

97. I despise Trump.

He's a pig who peddles lies. He's a rapist, disrespects women, and he pretty much thinks that he is some kind of king. He used this interview to promote himself with a stew of lies.

I don't know about the interviewer. But, my impression is that she did pretty well. I don't care that she called him "Mr. President." You could tell that she got under his skin when he couldn't control the interview.

Each time that Trump gets a major interview, the interviewer gets a little better at the interview process. This has been the best I've seen so far. You can't pick a fight with a guy like this, because he would just walk off. The thing that she did very well on was redirecting him back to the questions that he didn't want to answer. She also was able to preview the interview to him by telling him that they would get to whatever tangent he was on. That was a good technique. He cannot say he was ambushed.

Trump tried to bully his way on the interview by raising his voice and keeping on talking over her, but she was persistent and just repeated the question he was avoiding.

But the best part was almost every time he told a lie, she would say that either people weren't saying that, or that there was no proof of his lie. She did this more than any other interviewer that I have heard.

Lately, the comments that really enrage me are Trump's insistence that America is weak and disrespected by the rest of the world. This is part of his shtick that he used to get elected in 2016, and it worked well for him. As a brand, "MAGA" doesn't have to be changed, as long as the ordinary citizen still believes that. If we have problems, it is because Trump effed up, courted the favor of despots, and gave his buddies tax relief, but not the public.

We cannot let this amoral, narcissistic, lying piece of trash back into office. He will destroy our country, and he is not shy about broadcasting his intentions. It's not like we made this up.

By the way, he disparaged Jack again. He needs to go to jail pending trial. Let's not be afraid of that.

[Skittles]

99. they're massaging his giant ego

pretty fucking sickening - unless it is a strategy to keep him boasting and giving up the same stuff he denies.....