Howard Kurtz: Media personalities ‘Trump cult’ remarks ‘deepen the country’s division’
FOX News media analyst Howard Kurtz slams former ‘Today’ host over ‘Trump cult’ remarks.
Remarks by former “Today” show host Katie Couric in which she described Trump voters as members of a cult is “deepening the divide” in America, Fox News media analyst and “Media Buzz” host Howard Kurtz said Tuesday.
“It kind of reflects a worldview that the other people who disagree with you politically, they’re not just wrong, they’re not just misguided. You know, they’re really sad cases or, you know, they’re members of a cult which has become a common thing for media detractors of this outgoing president to say,” Kurtz told “America Reports.”
Kurtz highlighted a tweet from “Cheers” actress Kirstie Alley, who pushed back on Couric’s comments.
“I mean, it’s that kind of language that I think kind of deepens the divisions in this country,” he said. “It’s fine to disagree. It’s fine to criticize the people, the criminals and thugs who broke into the Capitol and damaged our democracy, but not all the people who support Donald Trump.”
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During an appearance Friday on “Real Time with Bill Maher,” former “CBS Evening News” anchor Couric ripped the Republicans in Congress who voted against impeaching President Trump over a charge of inciting insurrection.
“The question is, how are we going to, really almost deprogram these people who have signed up for the cult of Trump?” Couric said.
Her language mirrored that of liberal Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson, who said last week on MSNBC that “there are millions of Americans, almost all White, almost all Republicans, who somehow need to be deprogrammed.”
“How many people are in this cult?” Kurtz asked rhetorically. “All the people who voted for Donald Trump? When you say they need to be deprogrammed, we’re talking about they’re brainwashed, they’re morons. They can’t really think for themselves. Everything they believe must be lies.
“And I’ve known Katie Couric for a long time. She’s very talented, not only [hosting] the ‘Today’ show, she was the anchor of the ‘CBS Evening News’. She’s a podcaster now, she’s entitled to her opinion, but this is pretty disappointing language.”
Fox News’ David Rutz contributed to this report.
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