DONALD TRUMP: … China should start an investigation into the Bidens. Because what happened in China is just about as bad as what happened with, with Ukraine. So, I would say that President Zelensky, if it were me, I would recommend that they start an investigation into the Bidens, because nobody has any doubt that they weren't crooked. - ABC News Channel, 4 October, 2019

Hello, I’m Paul Barry, welcome to Media Watch.

And yes, that was the US President openly asking communist China to investigate his political rival, Joe Biden.

These are strange days indeed.

And in Trump’s mounting rage against the Democrats, the media and impeachment, it seems anything goes, including this unseemly moment in a joint press conference with the Finnish President:

DONALD TRUMP: Are you talking to me? JEFF MASON: Yeah I was, just a follow up of what I just asked you, sir. DONALD TRUMP: You ready? We have the President of Finland, ask him a question. JEFF MASON: I have one for him, I just wanted to follow up on the one that I asked ... DONALD TRUMP: Did you hear me? Did you hear me? Ask him a question. - Nine News, 3 October, 2019

But as always, it’s on Twitter where Trump likes to cut loose. And one tweet last week had the media stumped:

SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: And the President’s tweets tell the story as well, nearly 300 in just the last week, the majority of them about impeachment. And this one in particular from him grabbing headlines for its use of profanity. - Today, NBC, 2 October, 2019

Yes, Trump tweeted “bullshit”. And the American media was all in a spin over how to respond:

LESTER HOLT: And we have to warn you, the President used some obscene language. PETER ALEXANDER: On Twitter with profanity, blasting Do Nothing Democrats ‘wasting everyone’s time and energy on BS.’ - NBC Nightly News, 2 October, 2019

Thank heavens for BS, which was the preferred means of delivery, sometimes complete with theatrical pause:

ANDREA MITCHELL: … ‘not wasting everyone’s time and energy on BS’ … - Andrea Mitchell Reports, MSNBC, 2 October, 2019

Meanwhile CBS and ABC News censored the tweet altogether — text and all:

NORAH O’DONNELL: The President tweeted they’re ‘wasting their time on BS’ but he used the long form. - CBS Evening News, 2 October, 2019

And true to form, Fox News had a whole new take on the forbidden word:

HARRIS FAULKNER: ... ‘not wasting everyone’s time and energy on’, in all caps, ‘bull-blank’. MELISSA FRANCIS: Oh. You handled that very well. - Outnumbered, Fox News, 2 October, 2019

Bull-blank?

So, what about the Australian networks? Were they any less cautious?

Not at all. Here is Nine News:

ALEXIS DAISH: … ‘not wasting everyone’s time and energy on [BEEP]’. - Nine News, 3 October, 2019

But our favourite is from SBS, which navigated Trump’s troublesome tweet with great panache:



PRUE LEWARNE: Earlier on Twitter, Mr Trump characterised the inquiry colourfully. - SBS World News, 3 October, 2019

And no doubt it won’t be the last time that Trump is using the swear jar.