In recent weeks, it seemed as though Donald Trump had let go of his long-standing rivalry with S.N.L., squeezing in a ding at the “Democrat spin machine” here, a defense of Kanye West there, but largely ignoring its jabs.
That appeared to change Sunday morning, as Trump resumed his full-throated attacks after a particularly scathing series of sketches.
“Nothing funny about tired Saturday Night Live on Fake News NBC!” he tweeted, adding that it was “collusion:”
Nothing funny about tired Saturday Night Live on Fake News NBC! Question is, how do the Networks get away with these total Republican hit jobs without retribution? Likewise for many other shows? Very unfair and should be looked into. This is the real Collusion!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 17, 2019
Trump watched Saturday’s SNL cold open from his Florida golf course, which featured Alec Baldwin reprising his longstanding impression to mock the president’s declaration of a national emergency on Friday.
Trump and his ilk have famously bristled at the impression, and didn’t take kindly to Saturday Night Live recounting—arguably without parody—the controversial press conference.
You can watch it here:
Many politicians and pundits reacted harshly today after Trump railed against the media.
A number of Trump’s critics quickly fired back at what they saw as an attack on the First Amendment, which protects freedom of speech.
It’s become commonplace enough in the past two years that it no longer gets much notice. But it’s worth remembering that no other president in decades publicly threatened “retribution” against a television network because it satirized him.
— Peter Baker (@peterbakernyt) February 17, 2019
Dear @realDonaldTrump: One thing that makes America great is that the people can laugh at you without retribution. The First Amendment allows Saturday Night Live to make fun of you again, and again, and again. @nbcsnl
You should read the Constitution, or get briefed on it. https://t.co/4QxoMrLcmI
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) February 17, 2019
Some commentators pointed out the violence that has been directed toward members of the news media in recent months, including a man who allegedly assaulted a BBC cameraman at a Trump rally, a man who allegedly mailed pipe bombs to CNN and several Trump critics, the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi and the fatal shooting of five reporters at the Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland.
Your reminder that a Florida man who had pictures of the President plastered across his van currently awaits trial for mailing package bombs to several targets the President has verbally attacked as enemies. https://t.co/CFoAqZ35eE
— Josh Campbell (@joshscampbell) February 17, 2019
One of Your Supporters went into the Press Pen and attacked a Cameraman right after your riled them up!pic.twitter.com/Pliyw5D35Y
— Ryan Hill (@RyanHillMI) February 17, 2019
Four months after a man sent more than a dozen pipe bombs to CNN and other perceived critics of the president, he is calling for “retribution” against news organizations. https://t.co/iI1qRYptub
— Scott Bixby (@scottbix) February 17, 2019
A national leader threatening “retribution” against those who practice political satire. What would you say if you saw this in any other country? https://t.co/XjpzDN16Yy
— Catherine Rampell (@crampell) February 17, 2019
National Emergency Weekend: golfing, stopping by the omelet station, expressing contempt for the rule of law and the First Amendment.
So… just like every other weekend. https://t.co/r72FClDimz
— Rep. Don Beyer (@RepDonBeyer) February 17, 2019
Those who love our Constitution know that its first amendment protects the freedom of the press. The media informs the people so we can hold our government accountable. To call them the enemy is to seek to subvert democracy itself. https://t.co/FUApgVHg4s
— Josh Stein (@JoshStein_) February 17, 2019
Nothing funny about tired Saturday Night Live on Fake News NBC! Question is, how do the Networks get away with these total Republican hit jobs without retribution? Likewise for many other shows? Very unfair and should be looked into. This is the real Collusion!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 17, 2019
The enemies of the people include complacency, inaction, fear, authoritarianism, wannabe dictators, snake oil, greed, bigotry and cynicism.
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) February 17, 2019
#SNL has parodied every president since 1975 — most have been flattered https://t.co/jdrSApSl2z
— Matt Wilstein (@mattwilstein) February 17, 2019
A State of Emergency for the First Amendment: The President of the United States has declared a comedy show should be “looked into” for making fun of him, and raised the possibility of “retribution.” Let’s just let that sink in for a moment, America. https://t.co/ADJSYPwqz3
— Karen Tumulty (@ktumulty) February 17, 2019
1) “Retribution”
2) Lumping SNL in with NBC News (and thr news media broadly) is both ridiculous and something lots of people probably buy into. https://t.co/EMHZH6rURX
— Aaron Blake (@AaronBlake) February 17, 2019