“If and when do I blow the entire nation up?”
Fox News correspondent Trey Yingst reported that Trump asked that question during a phone conversation about Iran. Our reel focuses on the enormity of threatening an entire country, rather than distinguishing its government from the people who live there. This is not language we should become numb to: the lives behind a threat like this are real.
Sources: Original reel · Yingst’s report and Trump’s remarks
Trump’s arch now comes with drones, snipers and ammunition
Trump said Sunday that he wants his proposed triumphal arch to serve as a military complex, with drones, rooftop and plaza snipers, and ammunition storage. He cited national security and a military request, while the Pentagon told the Associated Press it had no information beyond his statement. Our concern is the transformation of a proposed civic monument into an armed facility—and what that says about how he views power and protection in Washington.
Sources: Original reel · Associated Press
Then there is the airport question
Our second arch reel zeroes in on the proposed site near Reagan National Airport and asks why drone operations would be added to that setting. It finishes with slow-motion impact-test footage illustrating the damage a drone can cause to an aircraft. Before anyone treats this proposal as a routine construction project, the aviation-safety questions deserve a serious answer.
Sources: Original reel · Reporting on the site and aviation concerns
Obama’s question: what if he had done this to Fox News?
Reacting to Trump’s White House press restrictions, Barack Obama asked viewers to imagine the response if he had told Fox News to leave. Our reel puts that double-standard question front and center, with Obama’s own words followed by a simple invitation: just imagine. The principle at stake should not depend on whether someone likes the president or the outlet being excluded.
Sources: Original reel · Obama’s remarks
Which moment stood out to you? Share the Catch-Up with someone who missed it.