Masha Gessen: Trump Is Performing the Way He Imagines Power with Troops, Helicopters, and Tear Gas

>> Do not belief your ░░░░░░░░ eyes That was a ░░░░░░░░ Marx punch line Today ░░░░░░░░ president is saying historic ░░░░░░░░ of peaceful protests in ░░░░░░░░ had far fewer protesters ░░░░░░░░ anticipated He said the ░░░░░░░░ thing on Twitter Saturday ░░░░░░░░ He is ignoring the ░░░░░░░░ of the protests and ░░░░░░░░ we shouldn t believe ░░░░░░░░ pictures We shouldn t ░░░░░░░░ our own eyes The ░░░░░░░░ thing happened earlier this ░░░░░░░░ There was almost a ░░░░░░░░ week of deception about ░░░░░░░░ tear gas was used ░░░░░░░░ protesters We saw it ░░░░░░░░ on CNN Reporters felt ░░░░░░░░ in their lungs We ░░░░░░░░ t believe our own ░░░░░░░░ Masha gessen hits on ░░░░░░░░ strategy hits on this ░░░░░░░░ She talks about power ░░░░░░░░ She says the trumpian ░░░░░░░░ is the power lie ░░░░░░░░ the bully lie the ░░░░░░░░ of the bigger kid ░░░░░░░░ took your hat and ░░░░░░░░ it and deny he ░░░░░░░░ it The point of ░░░░░░░░ lie is to show ░░░░░░░░ can say what I ░░░░░░░░ when I want to ░░░░░░░░ new book is called ░░░░░░░░ autocracy Is that what ░░░░░░░░ week was about a ░░░░░░░░ full of power lie ░░░░░░░░ the president and his ░░░░░░░░ You know the power ░░░░░░░░ are such a part ░░░░░░░░ our regular reality now ░░░░░░░░ I wouldn t even ░░░░░░░░ I mean certainly first ░░░░░░░░ all this week was ░░░░░░░░ the protests But as ░░░░░░░░ as the president is ░░░░░░░░ I think this week ░░░░░░░░ about an escalation of ░░░░░░░░ way that he performs ░░░░░░░░ dh in a way ░░░░░░░░ much more bigger than ░░░░░░░░ power lie and much ░░░░░░░░ important than the power ░░░░░░░░ How would you assess ░░░░░░░░ call for troops his ░░░░░░░░ of the military Was ░░░░░░░░ the closest to autocracy ░░░░░░░░ ve seen in the ░░░░░░░░ years You know a ░░░░░░░░ claim always begins with ░░░░░░░░ performance I think Trump ░░░░░░░░ performing the way he ░░░░░░░░ power He thinks power ░░░░░░░░ like control We ve ░░░░░░░░ him say this many ░░░░░░░░ It looks like dominance ░░░░░░░░ you know the helicopters ░░░░░░░░ tear gas and the ░░░░░░░░ full combat troops in ░░░░░░░░ of the Lincoln memorial ░░░░░░░░ those columns All of ░░░░░░░░ to him are images ░░░░░░░░ power That s what ░░░░░░░░ thinks power looks like ░░░░░░░░ he thinks power sounds ░░░░░░░░ So much push back ░░░░░░░░ there such push back ░░░░░░░░ week from the military ░░░░░░░░ former generals Did we ░░░░░░░░ a worse case scenario ░░░░░░░░ don t think we ░░░░░░░░ say we avoided a ░░░░░░░░ case scenario I think ░░░░░░░░ have gently put the ░░░░░░░░ on it I was ░░░░░░░░ concerned that secretary Esper ░░░░░░░░ defense was basically I ░░░░░░░░ t know where I ░░░░░░░░ going Think about this ░░░░░░░░ a second the secretary ░░░░░░░░ defense said that he ░░░░░░░░ followed the president and ░░░░░░░░ cannot be held accountable ░░░░░░░░ he didn t know ░░░░░░░░ troops were going to ░░░░░░░░ used for and where ░░░░░░░░ was going and how ░░░░░░░░ was going to be ░░░░░░░░ in a photo op ░░░░░░░░ is not reassuring This ░░░░░░░░ not push back This ░░░░░░░░ a kind of you ░░░░░░░░ it s a very ░░░░░░░░ hearted attempt to distance ░░░░░░░░ in case this president ░░░░░░░░ In your new book ░░░░░░░░ say that we should ░░░░░░░░ covering trumpism not as ░░░░░░░░ but as a system ░░░░░░░░ was wondering if you ░░░░░░░░ explain what that means ░░░░░░░░ know trumpism in a ░░░░░░░░ is a trap for ░░░░░░░░ If you covered his ░░░░░░░░ if you covered his ░░░░░░░░ if you covered his ░░░░░░░░ you are inettably perpetuating ░░░░░░░░ and yet you don ░░░░░░░░ have the option of ░░░░░░░░ covering them because they ░░░░░░░░ consequences Even when he ░░░░░░░░ things that are absolutely ░░░░░░░░ on the face of ░░░░░░░░ they have meaning because ░░░░░░░░ is the president and ░░░░░░░░ have consequences So I ░░░░░░░░ of reporting in the ░░░░░░░░ of Trump as a ░░░░░░░░ of harm reduction right ░░░░░░░░ s not we re ░░░░░░░░ going to fix it ░░░░░░░░ reporting we re not ░░░░░░░░ to be able to ░░░░░░░░ much by reporting but ░░░░░░░░ can try to reduce ░░░░░░░░ harm that this man ░░░░░░░░ doing to our politics ░░░░░░░░ society and our country ░░░░░░░░ when we The job ░░░░░░░░ journalism More context and ░░░░░░░░ try to describe it ░░░░░░░░ a system rather than ░░░░░░░░ separate news stories You ░░░░░░░░ that is the job ░░░░░░░░ journalists to engage in ░░░░░░░░ reduction I think it ░░░░░░░░ the job of journalists ░░░░░░░░ engage in harm reduction ░░░░░░░░ think if anything we ░░░░░░░░ have learned anything from ░░░░░░░░ last 3 1 2 ░░░░░░░░ it s that journalists ░░░░░░░░ political actors Journalism is ░░░░░░░░ part of our politics ░░░░░░░░ is impossible without journalism ░░░░░░░░ cannot perform neutrality cannot ░░░░░░░░ that there are always ░░░░░░░░ sides to each story ░░░░░░░░ this is happening Thank ░░░░░░░░ Again the new book ░░░░░░░░ titled “Surviving autocracy”.