Reality TV host Donald Trump, who for whatever reason is taken seriously as a political pundit by many TV news outlets, was called out by NBC News anchor Brian Williams after he sent a series of ridiculous tweets last night.
After Mitt Romney‘s loss was apparent, Trump took to the social network to vent his frustrations:
This election is a total sham and a travesty. We are not a democracy!
Advertisement— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 7, 2012
Trump also called for a “revolution” because at the time Romney was winning the popular vote. Once it became clear that Obama would likely win the popular vote, Trump deleted his tweets about revolution and the popular vote. On NBC’s coverage last night, Williams said “Donald Trump, who has driven well past the last exit to relevance and veered into something closer to irresponsible here, is tweeting tonight,” before reading some of Trump’s tweets and adding “that happened.”
Update: Trump has responded to Williams, check it out after the jump.
WATCH:
As I have written, NBCUniversal is by far the biggest backer of Trump in the media, mostly through the reality TV program “The Celebrity Apprentice,” but also through CNBC, which gives Trump a megaphone every Tuesday morning. Fox News and CNN also take Trump seriously as a pundit, with weekly appearances on “Fox & Friends” and occasional appearances on CNN shows like “Piers Morgan Tonight.”
Trump provides no notable ratings bump when he appears on regularly scheduled TV news programs, and “Celebrity Apprentice” draws mediocre ratings at best on Sunday nights, despite the claims by Trump that it is one of the highest-rated programs on TV. Trump usually likes to pick fights with critics, as he has for MSNBC host Lawrence O’Donnell and billionaire Mark Cuban, but on the NBC totem pole, Brian Williams is higher up than Trump, so it would be shocking if Trump aimed any criticism his way.
Update: Never mind! Trump did attack Williams on Twitter, though it was a pretty lame one as far as they go. Given that Williams was exactly right, and Trump was wrong, it shouldn’t be that surprising.
.@bwilliams knows that I think his newscast has become totally boring so he took a shot at me last night.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 7, 2012
The only thing more boring than @bwilliams newscast is his show Rock Center which is totally dying in the ratings—a disaster!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 7, 2012
.@bwilliams–wouldn’t you love to have my ratings?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 7, 2012
For the record, Williams usually draws more viewers every weeknight at 6:30 PM than Trump draws once a week during “Celebrity Apprentice.”
Trump has said nothing that suggests he deserves to be taken seriously by TV news organizations. Will NBCUniversal, Fox News, CNN and other outlets continue to host him as though he is a serious arbiter of news? We shall have to wait and see.