The student newspaper of Bucks County Community College

The Centurion

The student newspaper of Bucks County Community College

The Centurion

The student newspaper of Bucks County Community College

The Centurion

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Trump Attacks News Media, Praises Keystone Pipeline at CPAC

President Trump made headlines leading the 44th Annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) while Bucks political science Professor John Petito had a first-hand view.
For those unfamiliar with CPAC, it is the yearly convention that any conservative would give an arm or leg to go to. It’s that time of year where they address all that’s going on in American politics, and then lay out their plans for the upcoming year.
In short, at CPAC, right-wing political figures lay out their agenda for everyone to behold. Not surprisingly, President Donald Trump’s speech was a highlight this year.
Trump continued to complain about what he calls the “fake news” media, including established journalistic outfits such as CNN and The New York Times. “A few days ago I called the fake news the enemy of the people. And they are. They are the enemy of the people. Because they have no sources, they just make them up when there are none.” He then went on to use an article with nine anonymous sources in an attempt to prove that the media are making up testimonies.
This is happening at a time when Americans’ trust in the media has hit an all-time low. Fox News reported that in their latest poll, only 44% of Americans have faith in the media. This isn’t a real drop from 2014, however, it is down 11% since 2002.
While this is becoming an increasing problem, some news outlets such as the New York Times have taken steps to prevent distrust from growing. Last year the New York Times implemented a rule that does not allow writers to use anonymous sources unless approved by the top editor.
John Petito, a professor of history and political science at Bucks, also attended the conference, speaking on multiple topics including anonymous sources, the Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”), and the Keystone Pipeline.
Petito, a registered Democrat and a self-proclaimed liberal, still tries to go to CPAC on a yearly basis despite his ideology. “One reason I go to these conferences is just to take the temperature of what is happening politically on the right,” he explained. “I could tell about a year and a half ago that Trump had a chance at getting elected due to the anger at these conferences, directed at the Republicans and Democrats. They were just as angry at the Republicans.”
One would expect someone with liberal views to reject conservative politics out of hand, but Professor Petitio seems to be somewhat of a novelty. He is willing to see both parties come and work together for the common interest of the American people.
When asked about the president’s comments on anonymous sources not being allowed in news forums, Petitio said, “Well, ask students at Bucks County Community College if they think that when they evaluate teachers at the end of the semester, should they do that anonymously or would they like their names associated with their comments?”
Unfortunately for the people in the media, many have brought into question how honest the writers and editors of the press are being with the American people.
Trump, however, has a different perspective, saying, “They shouldn’t be allowed to use sources unless they use somebody’s name. Let their name be put out there. Let their name be put out. ‘A source says that Donald Trump is a horrible, horrible human being.’ Let them say it to my face.”
Unfortunately for the people that hate drama, this is not going to go away soon. However, Trump did outline a couple points other than just “fake news” during his CPAC speech.
When asked about the Republicans’ “plan” for health insurance, Professor Petito said, “I don’t think the Republicans have ever planned to replace Obamacare.” However, he did mention later that President Trump has been making good on his promises, and will most likely push the Republicans to come up with an alternative: The Affordable Care Act!
When asked about the Keystone Pipeline he stated, “I think we ought to transition to sustainable fuels that don’t pollute as much.”
While many activists hate the prospect of an oil pipeline going through native reservations and historic landmarks, others believe it could help jump-start the economy. President Trump certainly thinks the latter. He estimated that the pipeline would create about 42,000 jobs; but many have said that it probably won’t have the effect the President is looking for, as it takes only about 50 people to run on day-to-day operations.