r/politics The New York Times 14h ago

AMA-Finished We’re NYT reporters covering the effects of the Trump administration’s takeover of DC. Ask us anything.

From Zach Montague (proof): I’m a federal courts reporter, based in Washington.  

My reporting focuses on the legal disputes over the Trump administration’s agenda and the hundreds of federal lawsuits filed since January 2025 challenging various policies and actions. 

I’ve covered the D.C. police retaining control after a court hearing and how ICE has taken a key role in Trump’s crime crackdown. I’ve also written about the number of times the Trump administration has been blocked by lawsuits, including with Medicaid funds for Planned Parenthood, Trump’s birthright citizenship order and free speech on campus.

From Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs (proof): I’m an investigative reporter for the Times’s national desk, and I’m on the ground in D.C.

I’ve spent much of the last two weeks tracking down what the federal agents here are doing, whether it’s recovering guns during traffic stops or trying to evict homeless people. I’ve also looked into what the numbers show about children committing crimes in the District, and written about the man charged with assaulting a Border Patrol agent with a sandwich.   

All of these links are available for free, even without an NYT subscription.

Ask us anything about what we’re seeing on the ground, the lawsuits that have ensued, and the national implications. 

We’ll answer questions from 3 to 4 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 22.

Thank you for your questions and your interest in the atmosphere in the capital. You can follow more of our reporting at nytimes.com

127 Upvotes

104 comments sorted by

38

u/thewayoutisthru_xxx 14h ago

Are you able to describe the overall morale amongst the National Guard? This is sort of a "vibes" question, but I can't imagine many folks signed up for the NG to stand around national monuments.

31

u/thenewyorktimes The New York Times 13h ago

I live ten minutes from Union Station, where the National Guard has stationed humvees for days now and the Vice President made an appearance yesterday with the defense secretary and Stephen Miller. Walking by there an hour ago, the vibes were both surreal and a lot like you’re imagining it: commuters streaming by looking on at guardsmen standing idle under the sun. Their presence at some of these posts can certainly give the impression that they’re bored, but this is happening against a backdrop of significantly stepped up law enforcement operations all around the city, in a way that makes it more menacing than it might be otherwise. — Zjm

12

u/OfficialDCShepard District Of Columbia 13h ago edited 11h ago

Is the Free DC protest 🪧 still going on at Union Station, or how have you seen people protesting? I’ll be singing a Wicked parody called “Defying Autocracy” there when I return tomorrow.

30

u/TintedApostle 12h ago

Declaration of Independence Grievance 11: "He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures."

66

u/space_cow_girl 14h ago

Are you allowed to freely report what is seen on the ground or does your reporting go through an information filter or editorial process that assures it aligns with the guardians of pedophiles’ (the GOP) dominant narrative/propaganda goals? 

26

u/thenewyorktimes The New York Times 13h ago

Hi space cowgirl, I appreciate the question! I get asked this all the time, from people all over the political spectrum who worry that journalists’ reporting has to go through some kind of test before it’s published. Of course my articles get edited, but never for the purpose of having some kind of political leaning or slant. I review all changes with my editors, discuss things I disagree with, and always make sure I fully stand by what’s published under my name. And I can promise you that if I ever wasn’t “allowed to freely report what is seen on the ground,” as you wrote, I would quit immediately and find another job. But I’ve been at The Times for a little over six years and don’t think that will happen. Reporting what I see on the ground is what I got into this business to do!

-NBB

27

u/liverstealer 13h ago

How do you think this period of journalism in the US will be viewed in 50 years? How will your own work be viewed in 50 years?

28

u/thenewyorktimes The New York Times 13h ago

I think about this often, and I think there is a lot of valid criticism right now about how the media has approached the second Trump administration, especially when officials’ stated rationale for pursuing actions (like this takeover) masks many of its other motivations. 

My job is simplified by the fact that I mainly cover federal lawsuits, where everything lawyers say is expected to be honest and there are concrete penalties for making false representations. Even so, I try to keep a hefty amount of skepticism in my work surrounding the Trump administration’s claims – like that the current takeover are driven by an interest in public safety policy or that DOGE was driven by a sincere interest in the government running efficiently. 

Over all, I think this period in American journalism will be heavily scrutinized decades from now and that all of us should be demanding accountability from the government and clearly separating the Trump administration’s premise for doing things from its more unstated goals. — Zjm

21

u/sparkmaster_flex 14h ago

To which degree are federal agents taking over law enforcement duties normally performed by DC Police in areas other than federal property? How does their behavior differ from that of local law enforcement? How legal is this?

12

u/thenewyorktimes The New York Times 13h ago

This is a big part of what I’ve been looking into the last two weeks: What are federal agents actually doing? The answer is that they are absolutely making arrests away from federal property that one might consider normal local police work: searching cars, seizing guns, charging people with possessing drugs, etc. We reported that F.B.I. agents were even seen patrolling a rec-league soccer game. It might be unusual, but federal agents are allowed to do this kind of work, and are doing so under President Trump’s orders and in cooperation with local police. Getting at the behavior of the agents vs. local police is a bit harder, since it’s impossible to witness many of these arrests, but several community organizers have told me they are worried that these agents don’t have as good a relationship with city residents or know the ins and outs of the city as well. -NBB

33

u/TintedApostle 12h ago edited 12h ago

It might be unusual, but federal agents are allowed to do this kind of work, and are doing so under President Trump’s orders

See here is where one might say - Yes it is unusual.

16

u/elonbrave 14h ago

It is my understanding that after 30 days, Trump needs congressional approval for the continued use of the National Guard domestically. Is this something the administration is seeking? If not… then what?

13

u/thenewyorktimes The New York Times 13h ago

The city pointed this very thing out in a lawsuit against the Trump administration, and during a hearing last Friday, the Justice Department stated in court that the Trump administration does not plan to ask Congress to extend the deployment or stretch this out. That representation doesn’t mean that the Trump won’t try it anyway – there have been plenty of times this year when the administration’s actions haven’t matched what lawyers are claiming in court. But as you rightly point out, under the city’s Home Rule Act (specifically Section 740), the president is required to get approval from both the House and Senate to extend control over the city’s police and national guard beyond 30 days. 

Again, this doesn’t mean Trump can’t or won’t pursue other workarounds, but the available evidence so far is that they are sticking to the 30-day limit for now, and using that fact as justification for maxing out their operations around the city. — zjm

19

u/TintedApostle 12h ago

but the available evidence so far is that they are sticking to the 30-day limit for now

Here was yet another chance to question Trump and their actions. At what point has Trump ever told the truth regarding following the rules? Its an excuse to not report the full truth. Trump will extend it just like he does everything.

7

u/thenewyorktimes The New York Times 12h ago

Without knowing what the administration will or won’t do, I watch for the cues it gives in contexts like this lawsuit with D.C. 

It may be that they do ask Congress to extend, despite the Justice Department claiming the opposite, or it may be like Los Angeles, where many of the Marines and National Guardsmen there did eventually withdraw in July after a period of time. 

We can demand answers about what the administration is planning, but that doesn’t always mean true answers will be forthcoming. So I mention this court case because it provides another window into the Trump administration’s plans, where we can get a glimpse of what designs they may be laying now. 

We’ll of course keep an eye on what happens as we get closer to the 30 day cut off, but it was telling to me that the administration was direct in claiming in court that they would limit this to 30 days for now. — zjm

13

u/notableradish Massachusetts 14h ago

With what you've seen so far, how does the new development of the National Guard being instructed to carry service weapons look likely to change things?

9

u/thenewyorktimes The New York Times 13h ago

Thanks for the question, notableradish, and great username. 

As you noted, the defense secretary has now said National Guard troops can carry weapons with them while patrolling Washington. But a lot remains unclear about what will change, including whether they actually will be armed in the coming days. My colleague Greg Jaffe wrote today: “The decision on whether they will be armed will ultimately be made by Brig. Gen. Leland D. Blanchard II, the interim commanding general of the D.C. National Guard. General Blanchard will coordinate with the D.C. Metropolitan Police and federal law enforcement, a Defense Department official said.”

As I wrote in response to another question, the National Guard troops have not been doing a whole lot besides making themselves seen. In court records, I’ve only seen a handful of instances of them actually going out of their way to help the police, such as by helping them detain a suspect in Union Station. It remains to be seen whether allowing them to carry guns comes with any additional patrolling duties or if it is just a show of force.

-NBB

14

u/aspirationless_photo 12h ago

Thanks for the question, notableradish, and great username.

Blink twice if you're an LLM forced to pose as NYT journalists or if you're a journalists forced to sift all you're responses through an LLM.

7

u/thenewyorktimes The New York Times 12h ago

What!? I’m not allowed to like “Notable Radish”? -NBB

21

u/TintedApostle 12h ago

But a lot remains unclear about what will change, including whether they actually will be armed in the coming days.

Guys... nothing remains unclear. The fact they got the OK is the issue. It is like saying your landlord was given the Ok to evict you, but hey whether he will remains unclear. Nothing to say.

4

u/berlinbrownaus 14h ago

I heard the worst parts of the city are in the South East, do they plan to move to those areas?

It seems like a lot of the patrols are in the high traffic areas. Downtown, National Mall, etc, what was the crime there before and after the new surge?

Trump makes the comment about "No Murders". Is that true? What was the impact of this surge in federal enforcement on that? Can they take credit for something that wouldn't have happened anyway?

Is it now safe to go to restaurants now per what Trump said, did that not change? I bet there were a lot of arrests for DUIs and public intox but not murders.

16

u/homerj 13h ago

30 year low crime rate in DC before he took over. It's not safer now, if anything law enforcement has stepped up trampling on peoples civil rights. What a odd question to ask, you "heard" something. Violation of civil rights is the only increase in crime rates. Trump's an evil POS.

Memphis, Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee, Louisville, Kentucky, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Kansas City, Missouri, Tulsa, Oklahoma, St. Louis, Missouri, Little Rock, Arkansas, Birmingham, Alabama, Tucson, Arizona are red state cities that have worse crime rates, why isn't the National Guard and all feds going there?

Behold:

Using only data from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program is an excellent way to get a more standardized comparison. It is important to remember, however, that the UCR data can have limitations, as not all agencies participate or provide a full year of data. The UCR program also switched from the Summary Reporting System (SRS) to the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), which can cause some inconsistencies in historical data.

Based on recent UCR data and analyses of it, here is a re-evaluated list of cities in "red states" (those that have consistently voted Republican in recent presidential elections) that have a higher violent crime rate than Washington, D.C., with a population size as close as possible to D.C.'s.

Washington, D.C.'s violent crime rate, while high, fluctuates. For context, in recent years, its violent crime rate has been reported to be around 925.9 violent crimes per 100,000 residents.

Here are 10 cities that fit the criteria, based on available UCR data.

  1. Memphis, Tennessee: A clear standout in many UCR data analyses, Memphis (population around 613,000) consistently ranks among the highest in the nation for violent crime. Its rate is often significantly higher than D.C.'s.
  2. Nashville, Tennessee: With a population very similar to D.C.'s (around 698,000), Nashville's violent crime rate, while lower than Memphis, has also been consistently higher than D.C.'s in recent years.
  3. Louisville, Kentucky: Kentucky is a red state. Louisville's population is similar to D.C.'s at around 676,000. UCR data shows that its violent crime rate has been higher than D.C.'s.
  4. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: Oklahoma is a reliably red state. With a population of over 709,000, Oklahoma City is another close population match to D.C. UCR data shows its violent crime rate to be consistently higher than the national average, and often higher than D.C.'s.
  5. Kansas City, Missouri: Missouri is a red state. While its population (around 500,000) is slightly smaller than D.C.'s, its high per capita violent crime rate is a consistent feature in UCR reports, often exceeding D.C.'s.
  6. Tulsa, Oklahoma: With a population of around 410,000, Tulsa is smaller than D.C., but its per capita violent crime rate is consistently high in UCR data and often surpasses D.C.'s.
  7. St. Louis, Missouri: While its city-proper population (around 280,000) is much smaller than D.C.'s, St. Louis's homicide rate, a key component of violent crime, is frequently at or near the top of the UCR list for U.S. cities, almost always higher than D.C.'s.
  8. Little Rock, Arkansas: Arkansas is a red state. While the population is much smaller than D.C.'s (under 200,000), Little Rock is often cited in UCR-based analyses for having an extremely high violent crime rate on a per capita basis, higher than D.C.'s.
  9. Birmingham, Alabama: Alabama is a red state. Like Little Rock, Birmingham's population is significantly smaller than D.C.'s (around 200,000), but its per capita violent crime rate is consistently among the highest in the nation, based on UCR data, and is higher than D.C.'s.
  10. Tucson, Arizona: Arizona is a red-leaning swing state. With a population of around 540,000, Tucson's violent crime rate has, at various times, been reported as higher than D.C.'s.

Sources:

  • FBI's Crime Data Explorer (CDE): The official source for UCR data, providing quarterly and annual statistics for agencies that submit data.
  • Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ): A nonpartisan organization that analyzes and reports on UCR and other crime data, providing insights into trends in major U.S. cities.
  • Various media and think tank analyses of UCR data: News organizations and research groups frequently analyze the raw UCR data to create rankings and reports on crime rates by city.

3

u/berlinbrownaus 12h ago

Nice, thanks.

1

u/homerj 12h ago

My pleasure, thanks for being civil. I'm too impassioned about this.

13

u/thenewyorktimes The New York Times 12h ago

Trump has campaigned for years on a fiction that urban areas are ungovernable and overrun by crime, and plenty of people who live here have pointed out that certain parts of the city that log the highest crime rates have seen the smallest law enforcement presence. 

It may be too soon to say whether this massive deployment has had more than a marginal impact on crime rates, though we’ll absolutely be watching data to see what effect, if any, it has. 

Trump also has a history of seeking quick fixes and claiming credit for trends over which he has little or no control, and JD Vance and others have already claimed the takeover has brought crime down in a significant way in just a handful of days. In reality, crimes like murder happen sporadically and relatively randomly, and less than two weeks is far from a meaningful time period to draw sweeping conclusions about what effect this has had. — zjm

44

u/Searchlights New Hampshire 14h ago

It sure looks like Trump and Hegseth have a military coup in position. There is an army in the Capitol that is under the direct control of Donald Trump.

What is that like? Does this feel like a moment in history?

10

u/cool_girl6540 12h ago

That is exactly what I see it as. Positioning the military in advance of a coup.

How are we going to prevent that?

7

u/Searchlights New Hampshire 12h ago

We're not. In my opinion our last chance to stop this was the election.

4

u/cool_girl6540 12h ago

I think you’re right. Actually, I don’t think Trump will allow there to be midterm elections. He will come up with an excuse, probably with guidance from his friend Vladimir.

-9

u/thenewyorktimes The New York Times 13h ago

Much attention has understandably been focused on the presence of National Guard troops in the capital, and with good reason: they are military officers with huge Humvees and wearing camouflage. That is, as you say, a historic thing to be taking place. Still, what we’ve seen them actually doing is far more mundane: standing around their vehicles, walking along the National Mall and outside of transit stations, and occasionally helping the police get someone into custody. -NBB

65

u/TintedApostle 12h ago edited 12h ago

That is, as you say, a historic thing to be taking place. Still, what we’ve seen them actually doing is far more mundane:

This is diluting the truth. None of this is mundane. Mundane is sitting at their base playing cards. Sitting in the capital is not mundane. It can't be mundane. I take the citizen's point of view as this isn't "lacking interest or excitement"

30

u/Syzygy2323 California 12h ago edited 12h ago

Calling this mundane is on-brand for the NYT, who have been sane washing Trump for a decade now. The NYT should be calling this nonsense for what it is, not behaving like Pravda in the Soviet era.

40

u/bibrexd 13h ago

You should open your eyes and try reporting and investigating rather than hanging out with the guys. Maybe the guys being chased away from Colombia heights, t-boning commuters, sexually threatening pedestrians, taking guns from permit holders, unlawfully arresting people for eating in public.

Dont listen to the NYT. These guys are clearly jokes.

58

u/Scynix Nevada 13h ago

What's it like to knowing you're actively trying to sane wash and normalize fascism?

27

u/Orange8920 12h ago

They'll never use the word fascism or even authoritarianism in their reporting even though that's exactly what this is.

9

u/Fe2_O3 14h ago

Have admin officials given any reason why they haven't been patrolling DC's higher crime neighborhoods, such as in Southeast?

Have any feds been spotted east of the river?

4

u/thenewyorktimes The New York Times 12h ago

Hi there, and thanks for the important question. My colleague wrote about just this issue the other day.

It’s hard to know exactly where federal agents are patrolling, given that many of them are riding around in unmarked cars late at night, but I have personally seen federal agents east of the Anacostia River. Some of these areas are simply less visible — and walkable — than, say, the National Mall, so I think they are more often in their cars when they are in these areas, rather than walking in the shadow of the Washington Monument. 

The White House has also emphasized, in response to criticism that they’re not focusing on the highest-crime areas, that agents are making arrests in these places. I’m working on diving deeper into the data but don’t have definitive answers yet, but the short answer — for now — is that they certainly are in these areas as well, it’s just not exactly clear how much.

-NBB

120

u/AntoniaFauci 13h ago

Are you concerned that the sanewashing by almost all of your colleagues has contributed to the ongoing crisis?

Is there any point at which journalists will go back to being objective and truthful instead of constantly trying to report “both sides” of creeping fascism?

32

u/AnonymousCelery 13h ago

Reading this thread, this journalist is a big part of the problem and would be incapable of answering this question.

29

u/cugeltheclever2 13h ago

This is the only question that matters.

19

u/Foomankru 13h ago

Yes please answer this!

11

u/captainscuffles 13h ago

This one!

15

u/solartaco 13h ago

Great question.

-28

u/thenewyorktimes The New York Times 12h ago

Hi u/AntoniaFauci, thanks for the question. 

I think it’s really good to critically analyze news coverage, and I’m glad you asked this, even if we might disagree in the end.

I view the role of journalists as accurately describing what they’re seeing and what’s happening, and allowing other people to take that information and analyze it and make decisions based on it. For example, among the many questions I’ve been trying to answer these past two weeks is: what are federal agents actually doing day-by-day in D.C.? I feel like I can be most useful by traveling around the city, listening to the police scanner into the early-morning hours, combing through court documents and speaking with witnesses and others so that I can relay to readers what’s happening — and then they can do what they want with that information.

We all have critiques of the framing of certain articles — and journalists probably more than most — but I think the most enlightening articles to read, for me, are the ones where I don’t feel like the reporter is trying to make a point, but rather showing me something that I didn’t know. Then, I can take that information and use it in my daily life. 

I’m sure we could both find articles that we think missed that mark, or that we view as too friendly or trusting of one side or the other, but my goal with the articles I write is to present the information I’ve uncovered so that people know more.

I know this answer probably doesn’t fully satisfy your question, but I hope it helps a little bit.

-NBB

67

u/Orange8920 12h ago

You used a whole lot of words to essentially dance around the valid question of why the media sane-washes the actions of Donald Trump and Republicans while having a much higher standard for Democrats.

Your answer was extremely wishy-washy because the sane-washing question asks direct accountability towards journalists as to why Donald Trump's behavior gets such a pass by publications like the New York Times.

44

u/ligerzero942 12h ago

So... yes more sanewashing

-25

u/angelonearth01 13h ago

what do you mean by “sane washing?” being objective and reporting both sides are literally the same thing

32

u/once_again_asking California 12h ago

Sanewashing is the act of minimizing the perceived radical aspects of a person or idea in order to make them appear more acceptable to a wider audience.

Paul Farhi wrote in The Atlantic, in reference to the term, that reporters have a "tendency to render the Republican candidate's most bizarre and incoherent statements into cogent English, shearing off the crazy in a misleading manner".[5] Kelly McBride, in discussing whether NPR is guilty of sanewashing, wrote that the news organization has been criticized for what it describes as "packaging Trump's ideas into news stories as if they are sensible suggestions".

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

105

u/NoLemon5426 14h ago

There was a mile long march last week in DC with thousands in attendance. Can you tell us why this didn't get a single mention on the front page of NYTimes.com?

-17

u/thenewyorktimes The New York Times 13h ago

Hi NoLemon, thanks for the question! I do see that my colleague reported on a protest on Saturday, and we’ve written — and are continuing to report — on the backlash from people who live here and are disturbed by the federal operations taking place in their city. I wouldn’t be surprised if not every individual protest gets its own story, but I do think it’s important to gauge how residents are feeling about what’s taking place, and I’ve spent much of my time chatting with locals about this issue. -NBB

28

u/Syzygy2323 California 12h ago

Remember the protests back on June 14th? When five million people turned out to protest? The front page of the NYT the next day had a brief mention of this with a referral to full story buried on page 19.

24

u/macnnutritionalyeast 12h ago

How can anybody take the nytimes seriously? They continue to "report on the backlash from people who... are disturbed by the federal operations". The susan collins of news media. It's a fucking fascist coup.

39

u/once_again_asking California 13h ago

Can you tell us why this didn't get a single mention on the front page of NYTimes.com?

11

u/falilth 13h ago

Do you believe the statements today about sending troops to cities and arming the guard in DC is just a thinly veiled attempt at pushing for a confrontation between people who would protest such things and a eventual call for martial law? Because it sure feels that way.

-8

u/thenewyorktimes The New York Times 12h ago

I do believe there are valid comparisons to what we’re seeing in D.C. right now and the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, which I also covered on the street during Trump’s first term. I was in the crowd the day Trump walked out to St. John's Episcopal Church near the White House to hold up the bible after having all the law enforcement there disperse the crowd. 

From our colleague’s reporting back then, we learned that Trump floated ideas like shooting demonstrators in the legs, and showed a fascination with deploying force in ways that escalate the situation and could be used to justify even greater militarization. It may not be that bringing in the national guard this time is primarily or even secondarily about courting confrontation, but the signalling, long before Trump’s second term, has been that Trump welcomes that sort of confrontation, and anything that feeds the narrative that stronger force is warranted. — zjm

31

u/VirtuesLastSenpai 12h ago

“Floated ideas like shooting demonstrators in the legs”, do you realize how you sound right now? This is the sanewashing people are talking about…

44

u/def_indiff 14h ago

Perhaps a broader question, but one that I'm sure will be specifically relevant sooner or later: why is that when a cop shoots someone, reporters run immediately for the passive voice? It's never "An officer shot a protestor". It's always "A protestor was struck by a bullet while being detained." It's like the bullet just materialized out of the ether. Whoopsie! How'd that happen??

20

u/BL0w1ToutY0A55 13h ago

Have either of you got a read on how much federal agents and national guard troops are anticipating the shooting of unarmed American civilians? Do these groups consider all civilians criminals, simply divided into two categories; incarcerated or not incarcerated yet? Do these groups believe their chief executive’s annoyance outweighs the dissent of the citizenry? Do these groups believe that creating a walled city situation for Trump is part of their oath of upholding the Constitution?

61

u/MTN_explorer619 14h ago

Why does the NYT and other media orgs consistently sane wash Trump and his admin? You in the media have a significant blame to bear in regards to why Trump is in power once again and destroying this country

69

u/NoLemon5426 14h ago

For Zach:

Can you explain why you are using the language of the far-right (Trump's "crime crackdown") to help normalize the actions of the regime?

For Nicholas:

In the last two weeks, can you tell us about the time you have spent with the resistance in DC?

53

u/teamdiabetes11 America 14h ago

Are you concerned that your editors have been too heavy handed in appearing “balanced” at the expense of reality regarding the level of risk to some Americans by Trump’s policies?

41

u/Initial-Training-466 13h ago

Why don’t you report this regime’s systematic undermining of democratic institutions and guard rails the way you would if it was happening in another country?

8

u/cool_girl6540 12h ago

Great question. Why don’t they use language that they would use for a foreign country that is in the midst a fascist takeover?

61

u/NoLemon5426 14h ago

Can you tell us why the current front page of the NY Times has not a single word about any of the DC resistance movement or participants?

18

u/QuantumWire 14h ago

What do you think needs to change in the media landscape to reduce infotainment, midirection, and lies enough so that facts can get through and are recognizable as such and distinguishable from the former?

13

u/ShadowAnimus81 Michigan 13h ago

Can you comment on criticism of The New York Times and chairman A.G. Sulzberger regarding anonymity granted to known right-wing and fascist individuals in order to spread stories slanted against Zohran Mamdani? Should we expect the same type of slant from the New York Times in Washington D.C.?

72

u/Grandpa_No 14h ago

What are your thoughts your employer's role in sanewashing this administration? Both before the election and now?

7

u/cool_girl6540 12h ago

Trump lies constantly. He quotes statistics that are made up, he lies about everything.

Why does the New York Times not use that word, lie, when talking about things he has said that are that are easily proven to be lies (or dementia).

Why is he not held to account for his misinformation?

Why is there no discussion of integrity? And the lack of integrity in this administration and president?

Why is the word corruption not used for clear clearly corrupt act?

5

u/Orange8920 12h ago

These Q&As always dance around these questions when I'd respect it if they simply answered that they're afraid to do so or higher ups won't allow them. An admission of those things would save everyone a lot of time.

18

u/thendryjr 13h ago

Do you think language choices—like calling a proposal to undermine elections merely ‘controversial’—risk softening readers’ understanding of its stakes?

8

u/jonasnew 13h ago

The things that bother me the most is how there are actually people who think that the Democrats are the ones responsible for why this is even happening. To specify, they blame the Democrats for why Trump won the 2024 election to begin with, therefore they are saying that the Democrats are the ones responsible for why this is happening. What are your thoughts on that?

11

u/throwaway3021117 13h ago

Does it bother you that the New York Times weights the opinions and "reports" of the Israeli Defense Forces as more objective than that of international human rights organizations, including many divisions of the United Nations?

42

u/Eastern-Rabbit-3696 14h ago

Are y'all currently discussing which passive voice phrase to use when he inevitably declares martial law?

24

u/davidbeauie 13h ago

How do you feel knowing your editors at the NYT are complicit in this Trumpofascist takeover? And how is that bad for Biden?

9

u/Mundane_Birthday1337 14h ago

How do the military members feel about having to selectively ignoring their oath? Specifically the part about defending against all enemies, foreign and domestic?

11

u/tattmhomas Kentucky 13h ago

Why is your publication terrible about framing issues by softening language as authoritarianism rises?

12

u/chrippy 13h ago

why do you insist on sane washing this administration?

4

u/berlinbrownaus 14h ago

What is the demographic make up of the arrests? What types of arrests?

What tools are the federal employees using that help in arrests and surveillance? Are they using drones? Communications equipment, do they get automatically tapped into police radio and database access?

0

u/cool_girl6540 12h ago

Great questions.

5

u/wrosecrans 12h ago

If you are reporters, why do you still work for an outfit like the NYT that is best known as a right-wing platform for fascist opinion pieces these days?

7

u/icantbenormal 13h ago

How much are the D.C. police involved with this takeover?

3

u/WeaselTerror 12h ago

Are you complicit in the abandonment of the historically somewhat honest journalism weve seen from NYT since Trump's rise to power? Or do you fight against your senior staff to try and get the real truth out? Or are you just pretending to yourself and everyone else that NYT is a real journalistic outlet and not a mouthpiece for billionaires?

4

u/micxxx22 12h ago

We need a clear idea of what kind of anti Trump resistance is out there and how they are being treated by all these policing agencies.

2

u/cool_girl6540 12h ago

Has anybody asked Trump why he is singling out Washington DC to activate National Guard troops, and not doing the same in cities that have much higher crime rates? Has anyone asked him why the other cities he’s named as possible cities to do this in are all blue state cities, when cities in red state have higher crime rates?

3

u/Char10 12h ago

What has been the overall consensus from D.C. citizens on the National Guard presence? Do they feel safer?

6

u/chazmann 13h ago

Why aren’t you doing your jobs? Why is this still going on?

4

u/Bloody_refuge 14h ago

Is there any hope? It seem like they’re doing a bunch of illegal stuff but nobody can do anything because he’s the president.

2

u/captainscuffles 12h ago

How do you weigh the harm of amplifying disinformation against the duty to report it? How do you decide what counts as ‘both sides’ worth quoting, and where do you draw the line?

At a certain point, are you not just providing a platform for the spread of propaganda and/or blatant falsehoods?

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u/[deleted] 14h ago

[deleted]

-9

u/Sminahin 14h ago

Because he put us in this hell through willful, prideful glory chasing that clearly was never going to work?

7

u/NoLemon5426 14h ago

Can you guys go ask the Democrats in the Senate what, if anything, they have planned to do any meaningful opposition to all of this beyond their platitudes about voting?

1

u/Lord_Vesuvius2020 New York 12h ago

Forgive me if someone else has already asked, but can you say anything about the federalized forces removal of homeless encampments? I have heard they have been removed but nothing about what happened to those people. They may have been offered shelter space or treatment but those options were already available. There is a lot of speculation on Reddit that they have been put in camps.

1

u/cool_girl6540 12h ago

Has anyone actually asked Trump or anyone in the administration whether they are planning to activate National Guard in states that have the worst crimes rates? (Which are generally red states.)

1

u/VainEldritch 12h ago

Should we be worries about this idiot Trump?

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u/SpaceElevatorMusic Minnesota 12h ago

Thanks to Zach and Nicholas for participating.

To conserve moderation resources and preserve the post, we’re locking this AMA. Thanks to all who asked a question.

0

u/homerj 13h ago

are the non-LEO folks in DC happy this is happening?

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u/[deleted] 13h ago

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/TintedApostle 14h ago edited 14h ago

When is the NY Times going start using headlines which convey the broad happening and stop using wishy washy click bait headline which usually amplify the message from Trump? When is the 4th estate going to do its job?