Following the attack on a journalist at a Donald Trump election campaign, correspondents have called on the US president to position himself clearly against such attacks. British Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt also condemned the attack on the BBC cameraman. "It's never acceptable for journalists and cameramen to be attacked for just doing their jobs," he told Sky News.
A Trump supporter had on February night at a presidential campaign in El Paso, Texas, a cinematographer of the British broadcaster BBC violently shouted and insulted during the filming. Trump himself had heard the scene and interrupted his speech to ask if everything was alright with the journalist. In the further course of his performance, the president then scolded again about the "totally dishonest media".
Video: Trump supporter attacks cameraman
REUTERS
The broadcaster BBC reportedly wrote to the White House press secretary, Sarah Sanders, and asked them to review the security arrangements for journalists on Trump's campaign appearances. According to the BBC Office Director for North America, media access was unattended during the Trump event. Also, no security officers intervened during or after the attack, wrote Paul Danahar. He opposed the presentation of Trump's campaign team for 2020, which had praised the "rapid intervention" of the security forces.
I've been writing to @PressSec for the BBC cameraman at the President's rally. Access into the media area was unsupervised. No one in law enforcement intervened before, during or after the attack.
- Paul Danahar (@BBCDanahar) February 12, 2019Sanders said the president condemns all acts of violence against individuals or groups - including journalists. "We call everyone who attends an event to be peaceful and respectful." For the security measures in Trump campaign appearances but his campaign team is responsible.
Trump fan tried to destroy camera
The Association of Correspondents reporting on the White House also condemned the attack. "We are relieved that this time no one was seriously injured," said their president Olivier Knox on Tuesday in Washington. He also warned that Trump must make it clear to his followers that violence against reporters was unacceptable.
The attacker in El Paso wore a cap with the Trump slogan "Make America Great Again" and shouted anti-media slogans when he started on the BBC man. The journalist was unhurt. The BBC Washington correspondent, Gary O'Donoghue, also reported at the event that the Trump fan was trying to smash the BBC camera.
Journalists are regularly booed and abused at Trump's election campaigns, fueled by the media clamor of the president, who denounces journalists as "enemies of the people". Also in El Paso Trump complained on stage about supposedly lying reporting.
Journalist associations have long warned that Trump's aggressive rhetoric against the media is dangerous and spurs attacks on reporters. Last October, Trump had praised a member of the congress for violently assaulting a journalist, and had received severe criticism.