Welcome Back!
I just finished the book Unbelievable by Katy Tur.
From Amazon:
Called “disgraceful,” “third-rate,” and “not nice” by Donald Trump, NBC News correspondent Katy Tur reported on—and took flak from—the most captivating and volatile presidential candidate in American history.
From day 1 to day 500, Tur documented Trump’s inconsistencies, fact-checked his falsities, and called him out on his lies. In return, Trump repeatedly singled Tur out. He tried to charm her, intimidate her, and shame her. At one point, he got a crowd so riled up against Tur, Secret Service agents had to walk her to her car.
Unbelievable is her darkly comic, fascinatingly bizarre, and often scary story of how America sent a former reality show host to the White House. It’s also the story of what it was like for Tur to be there as it happened, inside a no-rules world where reporters were spat on, demeaned, and discredited.
Many times, I wonder why doesn’t the media do this or why doesn’t the media do that? Well, I did get some answers in this book, told by Katy Tur who followed Trump through his campaign trail. There’s a lot more to Trumps campaign that followed his father’s rules and why he constantly is talking about the “Dishonest Media” and “Fake News.”
Trump’s father’s rules that are ingrained in him.
1. Never use your own money. (Build the wall)
2. Steal a good idea and say it’s your own.
3. Do anything to get publicity.
4. Repeat it until they believe it. (fake news, dishonest media)
5. Remember that everyone can be bought.
One thing that opened my eyes was the effect on the media while Trump spouts the words fake news by the dishonest media continually….it turns his followers against those in the media. Literally. The media was put in the middle of many rallies with fences around them. Almost like caged animals and Trump would make sure to his followers knew how he felt about those people in the “cage.”
Eventually, ALL media people, except Fox News (huh) had to have secret service with them at all times due to threats from his followers. Nice. Trump then goes on attack of Tur herself. Calling her out in rallies. She became a target in public and actually spit on from Trump supporters. When the cameras were off, he would treat her in a completely different manner… Calling her over to talk while walking his golf courses! Nice.
Tur states in her prologue that she hired a fact-checker, went through volumes of documents, e-mails, and videos and checked her memory with other reporters to insure that her book is accurate. The result is a well-developed and unbiased-as-possible account of what she saw throughout the Trump candidacy and ultimate victory party on election night.
I must say, the book is straight facts. Tur doesn’t say she dislikes Trump or loves Hilary or vice-versa, it is just straight facts on what happened.
I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.