Republican Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin posted on social media that journalists would write “less false stories” if disputes could be settled by gun violence.
In a video he posted early Saturday, Mullin weirdly referenced an 1890 murder of Rep. William Taulbee by journalist Charles Kincaid. I say weirdly, because in his example, the journalist was the shooter. Unless he’s advocating for more violent journalists…
“There’s a lot we can say about reporters of the stories they write, but I bet they would write a lot less false stories — as President Trump says, ‘fake news’ — if we could still handle our differences that way,” Mullin said.
Mullin’s latest remarks come as verbal attacks against journalists grow more common. Trump “insulted, threatened or attacked” members of the media more than 100 times during campaign speeches from Sept. 1 to Oct. 24, according to an analysis by Reporters Without Borders. The International Center for Journalists found that 27% of Americans surveyed last year said they had “often seen or heard a journalist being threatened, harassed or abused online.” The survey results showed that people who identified as white, male and Republican voiced higher tolerance for senior politicians criticizing journalists.
Mullin later said he was joking.
“While you’re at it, don’t forget I also JOKED about bringing back caning to settle political disputes,” Mullin wrote. “Thanks for watching my videos.”
Kincaid was acquitted on the grounds of self-defense, according to a congressional website.
