Trump to reporter about not wearing facemask: it's a protest

Trump To Reporter About Not Wearing Facemask: It’s a protest

Posted by
1 min read
August 8, 2020

BEDMINSTER, NJ – President Donald J. Trump while visiting New Jersey shut down a reporter who complained about his guests not following COVID-19 guidelines told the reporter, it’s a protest.

“We lost 6,000 Americans this week, and just in this room, you have dozens of people who are not following the guidelines in New Jersey, that say you should not have more than…” said liberal Washington Post reporter Toluse Olorunnipa.

“No, this is a political activity. You’re wrong on that because it’s a political activity. They have exceptions … and it’s also a peaceful protest,” Trump responded, cutting off the reporter.  The crowd booed the reporter and laughed.   “And to me, it looks like they all have — pretty much all have their masks on. You know, you have an exclusion in the law that says peaceful protest or political activity, right? In fact, specifically, yeah, it says exactly political activity or peaceful protest. And you can call it political activity, but I call it peaceful protest because they heard you were coming up and they know the news is fake. They understand it better than anybody.”

Phil Stilton

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.

Don't Miss