>> on the buzzer beater this sunday with two days to the election on the who controlled congress. this as the press pounds president trump over his birthright executive order and his dire warnings about the migrant caravan in mexico. >> you see

and for that he's being denounced nationally as a racist. >>. [indiscernible] courtesy of the white house and conservative media. >> organized by outside political forces is not messaging hates. it's standing up for america's sovereignty. >> are the media demonizing president trump over race and immigration or is it the other way around? plus, in the wake of those terrible terror attacks, that morning between the white house and the press becoming more caustic in the run-up to the election. >> the very first thing the president did was condemn the attacks both in pittsburgh and in the pipe bomb. the very first thing the media did was blame the president made him responsible for these ridiculous acts. >>howard: and this

hyperpolarized environment, who's really stoking fear in america. i am howard kurtz and this is "mediabuzz". after a week of violence and white-hot rhetoric especially around immigration, new "washington post" abc poll finds more than half of registered voters and 49 percent say president trump and the way he speaks is encouraging politically motivated violence. in that same survey, about half of those questioned, 47 percent say the media are encouraging political violence with the way they report the news. 15 percent disagree. abc correspondent karen travers asked the president about the pole friday but only cited half the result. >> half of americans are your encouraging political violence. >> you are creating violence by your question. you.

and also, a lot of the reporters are creating violence by not writing the truth. the fake news is creating violence. >>howard: joining us to analyze the coverage is molly hemingway, senior editor of the federalist and a fox news contributor. - - former democratic state senator in ohio who teaches at american university. i understand the difficulty of shouting a question with marine one in the back room. didn't that symbolize the media's tendency to blame tribe and diverged their eyes from their own role in this? >> yes but the president was wrong to blame the media for this. we saw weeks of the media blaming the president. it would be nice if we could separate to conversations. what type of rhetoric are

using? what type of conversations are we having? secondly, who's responsible for the violence they commit. we need to make people responsible for their own violence and there's room for improvement across multiple areas. how donald trump talks about and a lot of improvement on how the media covers topics. >>howard: i don't see much focus on the second half of them. most of it was trump blames the media which is true what half the story. he says, no, you and the press are spreading hate and anger and dividing the country. we now know based on the survey that half the country agrees. >> to molly's point, one thing is clear. there's enough blame to go around between the president and his rhetoric and how he conducts himself but at the same time, certainly the american people see the media playing an equal amount of role to at least dividing the country. there are two separate issues, one is about violence and one is about division. here's the other thing, the

american public has lost trust and its institutions whether it's government or media. equally our distrust. and the media, i always look at headlines because they bring in the readers. for example, the hill and the "washington post" say that americans share the blame between the two. abc for example said half of america blames trump. words do matter and in an editorial. >>howard: so do omissions. why do so few generalists examine whether their business which thrives on conflict and partisanship are contributing to anger and divisiveness. is this poll a wake-up call? >> i think the press never likes to admit whether it's complicit in all this. they don't like to look inward. they say we correct our mistakes. we are never really to blame. that's a problem. the media does need to take a closer look at its own fairness at its own buyers. and that hasn't happened with president trump. and it didn't happen with president obama. that's a legitimate complaint.

>>howard: on this question of birthright citizenship, the president said the policy is ridiculous and he could change it with an executive order and doesn't necessarily need congress or a constitutional amendment. did he get the media freak out he wanted knowing saying he could just sign a piece of paper and he wanted it to be made a big issue. >> he wanted to highlight citizenship as an issue in the media treated it as a foregone conclusion that birthright citizenship is granted. not to people in the country legally but to people in the country illegally. the idea that that's a settled question is highly debatable. there are various court pens that say that a settled but there are a ton of arguments that say that is not settled. it really hasn't been taken up

by the court very much. to treat this as if they're saying i'm going to overturn the constitution, we haven't seen an executive order.it depends on what it says . >>howard: a few republicans including paul ryan says he can't do that. of course he's leaving. this is hardly imminent.we don't even have the order you. did the press take the midterm bait? >> this could end up before the supreme court too. >>howard: talking about the coverage now. it's another way - - >> another way to argue the president is racist and afraid of immigrants coming into our country which was based on immigration but of course. it's part of this narrative that this is a president whose outside the mainstream and that has been part of the argument he's made against the media. >>howard: i didn't see the media going nuts when president obama signed an executive order changing the process for millions of dreamers as they're called. people on the right saidit's an abuse of presidential authority and now it's kind of flipped . >> except that i think this is more delineated in issue directly related to the 14th

amendment. there are issues we can go around as was the intent of the 14th amendment. one is the media coverage which i think has been focused on the issue of whether or not the president can do this with an executive order with the subtext of, president trump doesn't understand how government works. then you have democrats and progressives within the campaign context saying, this is a dog whistle. there are two separate things happening. both playing into an anti-trump message. >> what's missing is you really look at what's happening in this country with birth tourism. there are aspects of the media could get into and educate the public about. what is behind the president's motivation here? this very little understanding and very little reporting about that. >> if you look at 2016, the lesson was that people care

about the lack of border enforcement and national sovereignty. except the media treated anyone who cared about those things as illegitimate and racist. when they have completely legitimate reasons to be concerned about border security and national sovereignty. >>howard: my opinion is the press took the bait on this. on the caravan, "washington post" headline. for trump and gop, subtle racial rhetoric is out and overwhelming white support is in. the president sent troops to the border. he says there will be 10,000-15,000. given the title wave of criticism over the handling of this issue, are journalistic in helping the president to highlight what is his closing argument in this election? >> that's one of the big lessons is the media and the president are in a codependent relationship and they get out of it what they want. the media gets clicks and the president gets to highlight an issue to remind people why it might be important to vote republican. >>howard: so they need therapy.

codependence. >> i think democrats would argue the opposite highlighting this type divisive conversation regarding the caravan and the subtext might help drive democratic turnout. >>howard: let me ask you this, on friday there was this blowout jobs report. the economy is doing really well and wages are of. the president says it's not that exciting to talk about the economy. even if you think the whole issue of these potential asylum-seekers is overblown, how do these organizations not cover it? >> they have to. it's interesting about how this has been covered by the press is not necessarily what's been said but what hasn't been said. images speak louder than words. you have a lot of media outlets from pbs all the way to some of the more mainstream outlets like nbc and abc showing these images that highlight the humanitarian crisis of children and hunger and heat and the problems these folks are having

between there and here. why they're fleeing supposedly. i think the fact those issues are being highlighted trying to create humanityaround this issu. is creating a silent and just juxtaposition of president trump being mean about this issue. >>howard: - - is there a partisan split where critics say fox news overplays the story of the caravan and msnbc and cnn play up the dangers of trump and the way he's treating the caravan and immigration generally. >> absolutely. it's okay. i think snl is a place to bring levity to the situation. it's also missing in the coverage too, the impact. we talk about the humanitarian issue which is very important. when they get here, early what happens at what's the impact on communities? and there's little local coverage about the impact on school systems.

neighborhoods and how they have to absorb the cost and the difficulty of new immigration that's not regulated. >>howard: of course all of that will happen after next tuesday. hbo is complaining the president is using the style and the typeface of game of thrones, they tweeted this picture. sanctions are coming. november 5 like it's the coming attraction of a television show. november 5, i guess that would be the day before the election. when we come back, the war between the president the press is getting uglier in the run-up to tuesday's election and later - - says his focus groups show that voters are really angry.

>> president trump is back to calling the fake news media calling them the true enemy of the people as we see in an interview with axios. >> you are the most powerful man in the world and if you say that word, enemy. tens of thousands go into a stadium to listen to you and people get themselves so jazzed up.there's got to be part of you that says i'm scared that someone will take it too far. >> it's my only form of fighting back. >> you won, you are the president. >> if you don't want it - - get the story right and reported the way i want it. >>howard: even after the horrifying pittsburgh synagogue slaughter, we are back to the press pounding away the idea that donald trump is somehow to blame because he inspires - - >> that was an example of how

the media lacks introspection after years of calling trump stalin and hitler and they get. they say how can you call is the enemy of the people. this is rhetoric people have been witnessing for many years. i think the media - - >>howard: do you justify the rhetoric? >> i think it's wrong for both people to do it but there needs to be introspection about the role the media play. they seem to think that people don't like the media because donald trump is calling them these things no, trump is calling them these things because - - >> enemy of the people. i don't likethe term. i'm a mattermember of the media. >>howard: it's a treat wrist type - - he says the media is fake. he went to pittsburgh to pay his respects after the synagogue slaughter. the mayor did ask him to wait because the police coverage.

but the coverage was the president brings out more division in the grieving city. >> the coverage was very little about the people who did want them there and did appreciate them there. the entire story was trump visits pittsburgh even though no one wants them there. that's how twisted and backwards is of the coverage of the president. the end. you played was interesting but i wouldn't be here if i didn't do this. i would have to agree with him. people have long blamed republican candidates. pushing against the media with long favored democratic candidates. president trump pushed him hard and thinks that's what got him into the white house. >>howard: then he says this coverage - - [indiscernible]. let me play for you, we talked about "washington post" headline in the wake of the arrest of the serial pipe bomber. here's the president pushing back on that. >> bernie sanders had afan who shot a very good friend of ours , steve scalise.

and other people. it was a total maniac. nobody puts his name in the headline. i was in the headline of the "washingtonpost". my name associated with this crazy bomber . but i was in the headline. when they got him. >>howard: even if you believe president trump's rhetoric is divisive, how can the press blame him for the bomber in the pittsburgh massacre by a guy allegedly who describes jews as - - >> this is an issue with with separating individuals with mental events that need to be held responsible for their own actions. the difference between bernie sanders and donald trump was the reason bernie sanders hadn't been mentioned because he wasn't having those incendiary words at his rallies in the same way that have been perceived. >> that's entirely a question of how the media treat these things but he's not responsible for the violence but the idea that trump is responsible for the violence either.

i think you could probably give a laundry list - - >>howard: this crazy person with a bomb was a fan of bernie sanders. a fan of donald trump it it's the press that then makes that link. >> they have to report that. you're a reporter. you see the picture of the van. you can't not say - - >> but you don't see the same pictures on the guy that shot steve scalise. it's all click-bait. >>howard: i think we kind of came to agreement. thanks for joining us. cnn's don lemons is the biggest threat in the country comes from white men. up next, he reported that says donald trump is more dangerous than i

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in making wild accusations. - - a gq correspondent took to twitter after the pittsburgh synagogue shooting and blamed it on president trump. then she went on jake tapper's cnn show and said this. >> this president has radicalized so many more people than ices ever did. - - isis. >> that is impossible. >> i think the president has far more supporters that espouse an equally hateful ideology. >>howard: worse than isis, a brutal terrorist movement. are you blanking kidding me? tapper gave her a chance to clarify her remarks. >> this has been an emotional

time for me. i exaggerated and i apologize for that. >>howard: i give her credit for apologizing but she never should have made a reckless charge. a conservative guest, chris farrell was on lou dobbs tonight when he spoke of criminal involvement in that caravan of central american migrants which he called a leftist mob and said this about big-time democratic donor, george soros. >> a lot of these folks have affiliates were getting money from the george soros occupied department and that's of great concern that you want to start cutting money there be one george soros who is jewish was one of the recipients of a pipe bomb mailed to his home. >>howard: criticism of the left when that re-aired.

- - said in a statement we condemned the rhetoric by the guest on lou dobbs tonight in this episode was a repeat which has been pulled from future airings and the guest will not be invited back. judicial watch has been - - about a george soros group in romania. this is really ticking me off. there's a video out there setting off a lot of buzz online. donald trump jr. has retreated showing the writing off his father's presidency.and the underlying theme is true. i have repeatedly criticized commentators were doing that going back to the early months of donald trump's tenure. take a look. >> donald trump is done but he is done. there's no question about that. the beginning of the end for the trump presidency. >> i believe this is beginning of the end. >> it's really the beginning of the end. >> the beginning of the end of the trump presidency. >>howard: hold on. wait a minute. what on earth am i doing in there, i got suspicious and digging. here's what i actually said last year while interviewing a top editor at breitbart after

steve bannon parted company with the president. >> now, one of your editors wrote this week that steve bannon the main could be the beginning of the end of the trump presidency but the impact of one person leaving isn't really that great. >>howard: a a, i was quoting someone else so that was a complete and total distortion. that leadoff sound by brian williams, here's what the msnbc anchor actually said while interviewing former congressman david jolly.>> we looked up a quote from you the day robert mueller was appointed were on the air with us and you said, donald trump's done but he is done. is no question about that. he is done. >>howard: so brian williams was also quoting someone else who's behind his twisted video and entertainment of it called super deluxe which was part of turner entertainment. part of cnn's parent company before the takeover by at&t.

which shut down after posting that video. a video that was utterly intellectually dishonest. next on "mediabuzz", don lemon under fire by saying white men on the right are the greatest threat to public safety.and john stuart how donald trump is outmaneuvering the press. he kind of nails it. >> on election night, this only one place to

>> cnn's don lemon is drawing flak for saying the primary danger is not from migrants moving toward the border. here's what he said. >> we have to stop demonizing people and realize the biggest terror threat in this country is white men. most of them radicalized to the right. and we have to start doing something about them. there is notravel ban on them . >>howard: to veteran political warriors, - - the former trump deputy campaign manager and president of citizens united. a fox news contributor and he's the co-author with corey lewandowski. - - a former state department official and hillary clinton confident. don lemon has doubled down. cnn had no commented what you make of him saying the main problem is not just white men but why conservative men? >> first of all, i think he's desperate for attention.

i take this as somebody's whose ratings, this is a ratings plo , to me. as a failing anchor and failing network. someone who just wants to say the most outlandish thing he can to try to gain attention to himself. this is nothing more than about himself. >>howard: i don't think he was trying to point the finger at all white men but i found it jarring just like when people say the problem in this country is black people. >> i'm a cnn watcher.over the last couple weeks, they've been very shaken about the pipe bombs they received. don in particular. i think they look at that, first of all, that was a white male who was a trump supporter. the looking at a white male who shot up a synagogue.and overall, it tends to be white males. i have a hard time agreeing with him on that concept. >>howard: this is from karen -

- he is the global opinions editor at the "washington post" and she had this to say about the whole debate about is the president and republican party responsible for some of his recent violence. >> this is a matter of people dying over the climate that's been created by not only the white house, being condoned by people like steve king and lindsey graham. people are dying. people are literally dying over this. >>howard: people are dying because of donald trump and the republican party without qualification there. >> of these are folks who aren't acting responsibly and trying to ratchet down this heated rhetoric. all of us have a responsible to try to take all of these things seriously but i blame everyone equally. the media, the mainstream media in this country along with hillary clinton and barack obama and the left-wing smear machine. never accepted donald trump's

victory. not for one second. they had spent the last two years demonizing this president at every turn. not allowing anything that he says or does to be spoken truthfully.that's why this president has changed the dynamic and to the media. any he has broken the media. he has broken them for the better because they will have to be more honest. they will have to be more honest with the american people instead of showing their bias. every single day. >> i think to the extent that critics are demonizing them for their demonizing a demon. everyone bears responsibility. the president of the united states bears a higher responsibility and is a higher opportunity to ratchet this down but he's approved it by tolerating it. we have had - - >>howard: you use the word unleashed. i'm sure you remember when some

on the right blamed president obama when police officers would get killed and hesaid it was his rhetoric about law enforcement. you really want to say unleash ? >> i do because he has made it okay. i would say two things. we've had two violent episodes in the last couple weeks. i would never in 1 million years and i haven't said that what happened in pittsburgh has anything to do with donald trump. but it is folly to say that someone sending 13 pipe bombs to 13 people that donald trump recites every chance he gets isn't tied to donald trump you beyond that, even if you want to cut him a break and give him the benefit of the doubt and say he's not responsible. he is responsible for setting everybody tone it down. starting with my cell. he doesn't take responsibility but he has a unique voice. >> you are exactly right. the right, throughout eight years - - we, as conservatives,

did not stand up every day and point the finger at barack obama when police officers were being attacked and shot across this country in numbers - - but i don't think that's true. the beer summit - - >> come on, that's not serious. >>howard: another person was made news is michael cohen. he's been sentenced next month. he told vanity fair in an interview that donald trump when he knew him in private made racist comments and one of them was that after a rally in which michael cohen told then businessman donald trump in a meeting of mostly white people. he said he responded because black people are too stupid to vote for me. is that damaging coming from michael cohen? >> not at all. michael cohen, no one takes him seriously on either side of the

aisle. it's a tremendous burden for michael cohen to walk around and not be the center of attention. michael cohen, during the campaign made the exact opposite statements. - - talked about them. they traveled together throughout the campaign. pastor scott said the exact opposite of what michael cohen is saying. he traveled every day with michael cohen and never heard those things. it's outrageous. >>howard: the media reaction is that's bad, the accusation that he said these things peoplewhat you expected it won't hurt him . >> he makes ronald reagan's teflon look like saran wrap. nothing hurts donald trump in terms of michael cohen, someone being upset with her former boss are having a grudge doesn't make them less credible. anymore than sammy the bull bravado in terms of caesar. why did note about michael cohen is he's the son of a

holocaust survivor and it's possible these days he's being shaken by these things. >> he told vanity fair, i should have been a bigger person and should have left. by the way, kanye west, he now tweets i've been use to spread messages i don't believe in and i'm stepping away from politics. media reaction, never mind. reporters chastising sarah huckabee sanders and john stuart on how trump is

>> the escalating rhetoric between the president and the press produced tense moments in the white house briefing room. >> shouldn't you reserve the term enemy for people who are actually the enemy of the united states rather than journalists?>> the president is not level thing all media. he's talking about the growing amount of fake news that isexis in the country. >>howard: cnn's jim acosta. white house reporters and others are revolting against the president bringing back discharge, fake news, enemy of the american people. i always thought that went too far rhetorically.

several sanders wouldn't name outlets. your take on this rhetorical escalation? >> cnn acts like a democrat super pack. all day, every day. that is all they do is act like they are trying to elect democrats. and they are trying to attack this president all day every day. so this president says, the fake news is the enemy of the people. he's not seeing the media. he sang the fake new. >> he said it's abc, cnn, nbc, "washington post", new york times so that's a lot of media. >> because they have all made mistakes made yesterday, cnn puts a woman on during a rally. we found this woman in the audience and the interview her and it's andrew gillum's mother. >>howard: it was disclosed. >> not until they are caught. >>howard: i think it was disclosed at the time. president trump told axios this is my only way to fight back

but counterpunching against the vote that's constantly pummeling them. >> counterpunching is lying. the things he does, let's narrow it down including several sanders made its lying. when he says enemy of the people, this is the one persons enemy list that he keeps reciting point it's as simple as that. >>howard: how was it lying if that's his opinion. it's not an opinion i agree with. >> i think in general, lying is off the trumpet he's lied more than 5000 times. at the rate of 80 a day.>> he's demonized by the mainstream media, by the left-wing mainstream media on a daily basis since he won the election in november 2016. not for one minute have they allowed him the breathing room like they have other presidents. to have that honeymoon. >> 93 of thepercent of the cove is negative, 93 percent of what he does is negative. >> the facts are is the economy

is better off, we are more secure abroad since this president has come into office. those are the facts. the media doesn't want the american people to hear how good things are going because they're afraid of having republicans in control on tuesday. >> the good thing is about talking about tuesday is we will go from fake news and fake poles to real voting. after the blue tornado. i don't think it's a way you will see whetherthis works . >>howard: fascinating that you would say the negative coverage - - let me get you both. let me go to jon stewart, no fan of president trump point hears what he said. >> i think the journalists have taken it personally. they are personally wounded and offended by this man he baits them and they dive in and what he's done well is appeal to their own narcissism

. to their own ego. because what he says is these are the journalists - - we are noble, how dare you sir.they take it personally. >>howard: is jon stewart right? is the media towards the narcissists and not the other way around as they often say? >> of course. it's amazing he would make that point. jon stewart, bill marr, you know the so-called comedian. they are 100 percent whether it's in the entertainment industry or media, these folks are all leftists and they are opposed to everything this president has done. >>howard: that may be true but here is jon stewart saying the press is beating - - the president is beating the press at their own game. >> i don't think so. it's hard to sit here after 15 years i think both you and david know i've had my own problems with the press. but there's a constructive way to do it in a nonconstructive way. it is not fair to say that he's playing them. by the way, he has made any

press is good press maxim, wrong. most of his press is bad. >> i think it helps him. >>howard: when you push back against the press as a campaign person, how is that different except perhaps in tone than the president doing it? >> because he's not just some guy sitting next to me like david. he is a high responsibility to not do this. he didn't get the memo. >> the media is offended because this president doesn't bow to him. he does it his way every saturday and they are offended by it. they lash out at him. >> they are offended by his form of truth. >>howard: got to go. still to come, or the media capturing the anger of america on the brink of the election? we just got married.

we're all under one roof now. congratulations. thank you. how many kids? my two. his three. along with two dogs and jake, our new parrot. that is quite the family. quite a lot of colleges to pay for though. a lot of colleges. you get any financial advice? yeah, but i'm pretty sure it's the same plan they sold me before. well your situation's totally changed now. right, right. how 'bout a plan that works for 5 kids, 2 dogs and jake over here? that would be great. that would be great. that okay with you, jake? get a portfolio that works for you now and as your needs change from td ameritrade investment management. >> final stretch of the

midterms. there is no shortage of anger out there as we see by this . . . was done by hbo and vice

news. they came together to give the american people a chance to put a mirror up to see exactly what they're saying and doing. the last one airs monday night on hbo. i have never done a session without people yelling at each other. i've never done a session this year without it degenerating into this abusiveness that your own children, i say this to the - - they think they have the right to yell and scream if there are offended with.if your own children behave that way, you send them to their rooms and yet this is how adults behave when they talk about politics in every state in the country. >>howard: in terms of the battle for the house since we all believe that anger is a motivating factor for people turning out to vote. does this mean whether democrats or republicans are angrier could affect the outcome of the election? >> it absolutely could but there's always been anger with a level of control point i can't say a four letter word on this show or i'd never be on fox news again.

you have to carry yourself with the koran. there is no to quorum anymore. - - toorum. it's almost all the negative ads and abusiveness and these debates have degenerated but i'm afraid. >>howard: i bet many in the audience a it's trumps on the other half say it's the media's fall. >> it's our fault. the public. i am responsible for everything i say on your show. i am responsible for how i carry myself and so are you and so are the 320 million americans. they want to ignore that responsibility and blame someone else. we are now in a blame game society and its long. it's wrong if we do it on the right and the left. >>howard: president trump has the biggest megaphone and some people blame him. we who sit in front of television cameras have a big megaphone. how much divisive media

coverage contributing to this climate of anger? >> i still read the new york times and "washington post". i would say to them, every editorial are hostile to the president, why should anyone read it. they know exactly what you're going to say. if i turn on a cable news program and i only get one side, i'm only halfinformed and that's the not the way we should be. you're getting a winter mission to affirm us and not inform us. that is the core problem that's contributing. the other part is the is no civics. our kids are not being taught about history, politics, elections. >>howard: is this a climate that's created in part by president trump and his approach to the office? an exacerbated or amplified by media . >> every outlet tries to get me

to blame the president or congress. i always say the same thing. it's both of them. they both should be held to a higher standard and the public is responsible for playing along and actually agitating it. they want to hear the lines. they want to hear the slogans that give them the right to yell and scream and we've got to stop. >>howard: so you're pointing the finger at most americans. how does this affect your polling this year? the anger and divisive issues. >> i have less confidence in polling that i ever had. i'm looking at turnouts in places like texas. his presidential level turnout. some states are turning out at a typical off year. i would not use polling to predict or project. i would simply use it to explain what is happening and why. >>howard: frank, thank you. that's it for this edition of "mediabuzz". check out my new podcast paid we kick around the days top or fascinating stories. you can subscribe. check out our facebook page.

we post daily videos and columns and let's continue the conversation on twitter.it may be an emotional conversation these days but it's an important one to have. see you next sunday at 11 eastern for the latest buzz.

no one is going to argue that secretary pompeo isn't tough on iran and no one is going to argue that president trump isn't doing the same. heather: white house reimposing economic sanctions on iran, thousand rogue regime is now firing back. >> you may be surprise today hear he's a congressional candidate from texas and not