'What fresh hell is this?' Critics blast headline as whitewashing Trump’s latest speech

Politico published a story on Monday that critics say sanitized Donald Trump's speech in storm-ravaged Asheville, North Carolina — even as the article acknowledged several other chaotic developments and actions the former president has taken in the previous few days.

"After a weekend of headlines about Donald Trump’s entertainment-focused message on the campaign trail — he jokingly touted the size of Arnold Palmer’s genitalia, learned how to cook McDonald’s french fries and appeared at a Steelers game — the former president delivered a more somber address about the resilience of survivors of the deadly storm, while also bashing the Biden-Harris administration’s response," said the report, written by Natalie Allison.

Commenters on social media took umbrage, accusing Politico of whitewashing Trump's extreme behavior.

"In 2024 Trump being 'somber' just means he didn’t explicitly mention anyone’s genitalia or call for using the military against Americans," wrote Dave Willett of the League of Conservation Voters.

Some commenters pointed out that Trump's "somber" tone wasn't all that somber; Kamala Harris campaign spokesman Ian Sams posted a video of Trump praising gunmen who threatened FEMA aid workers trying to help the city, saying, “I think you have to let people know how they’re doing. If they’re not doing, if they’re doing a poor job, we’re supposed to not say it? By doing that, they’ll do a better job next time.”

".@politico wrote this up with a headline about Trump striking a somber tone," wrote national security attorney Bradley Moss.

"What fresh hell is this @politico ?!" wrote former Chicago and Seattle local news reporter Jennifer Schulze. "Take a look at the actual clips of Trump in NC and see if you think this is anyone's idea of somber. Good grief."

"Dear @politico reporters. It really is OK to fact-check candidates' claims -- rather than just repeat them verbatim as if you're human tape-recorders," wrote former Wall Street Journal editor and Columbia University professor Bill Grueskin, emphasizing the article omitted that many of Trump's claims about absent disaster response in North Carolina were false.

"Literally WHAT is happening in the Politico newsroom?? Trump angrily lied & politicked throughout his NC damage tour-- including justifying threats against FEMA workers stemming from his own disinformation," wrote T.J. Adams-Falconer, a former adviser to former President Barack Obama.

"I’ve resisted the conclusion that the mainstream press wants Trump to win," wrote progressive reporter Aaron Rupar. "But stuff like this really makes me wonder what the hell is going on in some of these editorial meetings."