Aaron Rupar: “Back when I started watching every Trump rally back in 2017, he was president. What he said inherently had news value. That dynamic has changed now that he’s out of power. At one end of the spectrum of opinions about how to cover the 2021 version of Trump is the view that his public statements and rallies serve little purpose beyond spreading hate and misinformation, and aren’t really worthy of attention. Sure, journalists generally improved at calling out Trump’s lies by the end of his presidency, but with so many other important things going on right now, there’s no reason to give Trump and his tired schtick oxygen. The opposing view is that as the leader of the Republican Party and its presumptive 2024 presidential nominee, what Trump says still matters and needs to be covered. As hateful and misinformed as he may be, it’s a mistake to ignore the sayings and doings of an influential aspiring authoritarian.”

“To me, these views aren’t really in conflict. We should be wary of giving Trump free publicity, but as leader of a party that currently holds 50 seats in the Senate and is the betting favorite to take back the House next year, he needs to be responsibly covered. I agree that journalists shouldn’t help Trump circumvent his Twitter ban by tweeting out statements of his that are chock full of smears and misinformation, but I also think it’s important for people who aren’t immersed in MAGA media to understand what his incessant lying about the 2020 election means for the stakes of 2022 and beyond. As much as some may want to pretend otherwise, the fact is that the Republican Party literally did not have a platform in 2020 beyond what the former president says – and not even an insurrection could persuade leading Republicans to distance themselves. So understanding Trump is key to understanding the Republican Party.”