Clinton Aides Attack, Threaten Reporter for Saying Hillary Looked ‘Low Energy’ at Friday Press Conference
Kristinn Taylor Sep 10th, 2016 11:38 am 92 Comments
Daily Mail U.S. Political Editor David Martosko was attacked online by current and former aides to Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton for commenting about Clinton’s tired, listless appearance at a press conference on Friday about national security. Martosko was also challenged by two reporters who defended Clinton.
Hillary Clinton at a press conference, September 9, image via screen grab.
Nick Merrill, Clinton’s traveling press secretary, and Adam Parkhomenko, who was a state coordinator for the Clinton campaign and is now National Field Director for the Democratic Party, each replied to a tweet thread by Martosko about Clinton’s demeanor with Parkomenko threatening his job and Merrill employing the ‘delete your account’ othering insult.
When reporters are publicly attacked by high ranking political operatives it is not just meant to intimidate that reporter, it is meant to ‘other’ him by separating him from the herd and intimidate other reporters from following his lead.
Martosko was off the campaign trail and commented as he watched video of the press conference.
Video of the Clinton press conference shows a tired looking, listless Clinton with heavy bags under her eyes reading a long statement before answering a few questions from the press. As she answers, Clinton’s eyelids droop repeatedly as if she is fighting off nodding off. The only time Clinton perked up was when she was walking away and was asked about her rival Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump appearing on Russian-owned RT television. However Clinton cut off her answer and ended the press conference because she had a cough coming on and didn’t want the press to film her coughing so she stepped behind a pillar to cough.
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 David Martosko
?@dmartosko
Is it just me or does Hillary Clinton sound absolutely exhausted and quiet? Seems like an illustration of Trump's whole "tired" critique
5:13 PM - 9 Sep 2016 · Kings Park West, VA, United States
115115 Retweets
176176 likes
“Is it just me or does Hillary Clinton sound absolutely exhausted and quiet? Seems like an illustration of Trump’s whole “tired” critique”
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David Martosko
?@dmartosko
She sounds bored / half-awake / disinterested ... not the kind of performance that inspires fear in our enemies. Where's the caffeine?
5:14 PM - 9 Sep 2016 · Kings Park West, VA, United States
6969 Retweets
118118 likes
“She sounds bored / half-awake / disinterested … not the kind of performance that inspires fear in our enemies. Where’s the caffeine?”
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David Martosko
?@dmartosko
I half expect her to slump over and collapse any second now. if she were doing a parody of "low energy" Jeb!, it couldn't be more spot-on.
5:16 PM - 9 Sep 2016 · Kings Park West, VA, United States
164164 Retweets
319319 likes
“I half expect her to slump over and collapse any second now. if she were doing a parody of “low energy” Jeb!, it couldn’t be more spot-on.”
Martosko replied to two Reuters reporters who defended Clinton, Emily Stephenson and Ginger Gibson.
20h
 Emily Stephenson
?@ewstephe
@dmartosko I think that's how politicians do "serious." Trump has done appearances recently that sounded on TV like he was whispering.
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David Martosko
?@dmartosko
@ewstephe She's not pulling it off. There's low-volume, and then there's low-intensity.
5:17 PM - 9 Sep 2016 · Kings Park West, VA, United States
2020 Retweets
3636 likes
“@dmartosko I think that’s how politicians do “serious.” Trump has done appearances recently that sounded on TV like he was whispering.”
“She’s not pulling it off. There’s low-volume, and then there’s low-intensity.”
20h
 Ginger Gibson
?@GingerGibson
This isn't a serious tweet, right? You are trying to mock people who talk about her tone, right? t.co
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David Martosko
?@dmartosko
@GingerGibson Were you watching the same event I was watching? I found it alarmingly low-intensity. Like, borderline frightening.
5:30 PM - 9 Sep 2016 · Kings Park West, VA, United States
1010 Retweets
1818 likes
“This isn’t a serious tweet, right? You are trying to mock people who talk about her tone, right?”
“@GingerGibson Were you watching the same event I was watching? I found it alarmingly low-intensity. Like, borderline frightening.”
Merrill replied to Martosko, “delete you account,” to which Martosko replied that Clinton looked “zonked.”
20h
David Martosko
?@dmartosko
I half expect her to slump over and collapse any second now. if she were doing a parody of "low energy" Jeb!, it couldn't be more spot-on.
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 Nick Merrill @NickMerrill
. @dmartosko delete your account.
5:52 PM - 9 Sep 2016
1414 Retweets
105105 likes
20h
Nick Merrill @NickMerrill
. @dmartosko delete your account.
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David Martosko
?@dmartosko
@NickMerrill Dude, she looked zonked. I don't know why, but it was striking.
7:09 PM - 9 Sep 2016
1616 Retweets
4545 likes
“@NickMerrill Dude, she looked zonked. I don’t know why, but it was striking.”
Parkhomenko threatened Martosko’s job.
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 Adam Parkhomenko @AdamParkhomenko
You shouldn't have a job in the morning.https://t.co/Y13P6Qoz9m
1:18 AM - 10 Sep 2016
2929 Retweets
8484 likes
“You shouldn’t have a job in the morning.”
Martosko blew off the threat.
12h
Adam Parkhomenko @AdamParkhomenko
You shouldn't have a job in the morning. t.co
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David Martosko
?@dmartosko
@AdamParkhomenko Somehow I'm not worried.
10:36 AM - 10 Sep 2016
44 Retweets
1212 likes
“Somehow I’m not worried.”
Video of Clinton’s press conference:
Video clip of Clinton stepping behind a pillar to hide her cough from the press.
Martosko has earned a reputation of being hard on both campaigns that has garnered him respect from those who appreciate an objective press and scorn (and threats) from partisans. |
