A video played at an American Priority conference proved controversial and received wide criticism from multiple media outlets. The conference took place on Oct. 14 at President Donald Trump’s Doral resort in Miami, Florida. The video shows an edited scene from “Kingsman: The Secret Service,” in which a secret agent visits a church where everyone in it is forced by the villain to become immensely aggressive. The scene was edited to have Trump’s face superimposed on the agent, and the faces of Trump’s political rivals and more liberally inclined news outlets on the church-goers.

The political event itself, hosted by Republican, pro-Trump organization America First Events, was objectively a professional affair overall. It was orchestrated as a standard political conference for those within the organization. The unauthorized screening that took place under the noses of those running the event is where the conflict truly begins. 

The video, while originally created as an attack towards President Trump’s public enemies, heightens my opinion on the ridiculous and redundant state of conflict between the nation’s president and those who oppose him. The event is an escalation of the persistent theme of the media versus Trump and his supporters that are quickly breeding a tumultuous environment for American society as a whole. 

If our president’s hate speech inspires this kind of violent content, it just emphasizes how inadequate and tasteless he is when regarding social media and news. Time and time again, he goes straight to attacking his opponents the second he comes under fire, which is juvenile and unprofessional for the nation’s leader. This event represents yet another messy publicity stunt to add to the president’s generous resume. 

I believe this kind of uncontrolled political outburst, especially against journalism, can have adverse effects by increasing stress on civil discourse and encouraging acts of violence against journalists who play a vital role in reporting on an administration that has already aggravated issues of gun control, climate change and immigration. This kind of aggressive rhetoric towards journalists and news outlets damage our first amendment right. 

Never before have we seen this level of controversy and tension with a president. Trump is too emotionally driven and blinded by the shame of his own inadequacy. While the American Priority scandal was standalone in its presentation in a public setting, this demeaning attitude of Trump and his affiliates is a major step backwards for American society and creates a dent in the relationship between government and media.