The pro-Trump media spent much of the weekend blasting the press for what it considered biased coverage of the tragedy in Charlottesville, while denouncing the actions of the anti-fascist protesters who clashed with neo-Nazis in the streets.
At a press conference at Trump Tower on Tuesday, the president echoed pro-Trump activists' talking points. They were, in a word, delighted.
For some in the pro-Trump media who've been critical of the president and his messaging throughout the health care debate, the press conference was a show of strength.
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It came across like a parroting of the pro-Trump media's steady talking points in the days since Charlottesville, in which the movement has tried to draw a distinction between itself and the alt-right (which they define as a race-based ideological movement for white supremacy).
The pro-Trump media saw it as the kind of "high-energy," combative display that played so well with his online devotees during the campaign.
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Most importantly, perhaps, it reignited Trump's war against the mainstream media, much to the delight of those in the "new media."
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Members of the alt-right appear to be embracing Trump's comments. For the alt-right, Trump's denouncement of the anti-fascists is proof of their own victimization.
In many ways the press conference was a rallying cry for the pro-Trump media, giving credence to the movement's talking point that factions of the left (specifically antifa) are intolerant and to blame for political violence.
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Early reactions from places like Gateway Pundit and Breitbart heaped praise on the speech.
After a weekend that saw pro-Trump media figures on the defensive for the president's initial comments, some were exuberant after his Tuesday press conference.
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Charlie Warzel is a Senior Technology Writer for BuzzFeed News and is based in Missoula, Montana
Contact Charlie Warzel at charlie.warzel@buzzfeed.com.
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