Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Staff of Annapolis Newspaper Where Five People Were Killed Just Clapped Back at Donald Trump in Moving Letter to Readers

Staff of Annapolis Newspaper Where Five People Were Killed Just Clapped Back at Donald Trump in Moving Letter to Readers
MT PLEASANT, WI - JUNE 28: President Donald Trump speaks to guest during a groundbreaking ceremony for the $10 billion Foxconn factory complex on June 28, 2018 in Mt. Pleasant, Wisconsin. Foxconn, a Taiwanese electronics manufacturer that currently builds Apple iPhones, Amazon Kindles and Echo Dots at their factories in China will manufacture LCD screens at the Wisconsin facility. The facility is expected to create 13,000 jobs. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Well said.

The staff of the Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland issued a letter on Sunday, thanking readers and the public for their support in the wake of last week's newsroom shooting that left five dead. The letter also took a not-so-subtle jab at President Donald Trump, saying: "We won’t forget being called an enemy of the people."


After thanking their community "for the outpouring of sympathy for the terrible tragedy that took place Thursday in our Annapolis office," the Capital Gazette wrote:

Here’s what else we won’t forget: Death threats and emails from people we don’t know celebrating our loss, or the people who called for one of our reporters to get fired because she got angry and cursed on national television after witnessing her friends getting shot.

"We won’t forget being called an enemy of the people," the paper continued, directly addressing comments Trump has made both as a candidate and as president. "No, we won’t forget that. Because exposing evil, shining light on wrongs and fighting injustice is what we do."

We are The Capital. We are the Maryland Gazette. We are the Bowie Blade-News and Crofton West County Gazette. We are more than just our questions and our writing and our headlines. We are journalists.

Shortly after taking office last year, Trump issued a hostile tweet directed at American media, which he called "the enemy of the American people." The original tweet, which was deleted and reposted as the one below, contained the word "SICK!" at the end.

Trump regularly chides the press as "fake news" (the exception being Fox, where Trump has an intimate relationship with the likes of Sean Hannity) and often goes after critics who don't paint him in a positive light.

At a rally in South Carolina last week, Trump referred to comedian Stephen Colbert as a "low life."

"Yes, we bring values and beliefs to our work. We believe in truth. We believe in speaking for those who don’t have the power to speak for themselves. We believe in questioning authority," the paper said. "We believe in reporting the news."

On Thursday, a gunman wielding a pump-action shotgun barged into the newspaper's office and murdered four journalists - Rob Hiaasen, Gerald Fischman, Wendi Winters, John McNamara - and Rebecca Smith, a sales assistant.

Following the shooting, Trump's tone toward the press appeared to have softened. In a statement, the president offered condolences to those who were directly affected in the attack.

"This attack shocked the conscience of our nation and filled our hearts with grief," Trump said. "Journalists, like all Americans, should be free from the fear of being violently attacked while doing their job."

“To the families of the victims, there are no words to express our sorrow for your loss. Horrible, horrible event, horrible thing happened,” the president said. “The suffering is so great – I’ve seen some of the people – so great.”

“My government will not rest until we have done everything in our power to reduce violent crime and to protect innocent life,” Trump added. “We will not ever leave your side. So, our warmest, best wishes and regrets. Horrific, horrible thing. Thank you.”

Over the weekend, Salon reported that the shooter had extensive ties to the alt-right, often tweeting about Trump and another far-right politician named Michael Peroutka.

The gunman "was a lone nut who was not politically motivated, but he was politically influenced by the alt-right,” Annapolis writer Jonathan Hutson, who had had previous contact with the shooter in 2015, told Salon.

The gunman had previously been accused of stalking a reporter and issuing threats toward the Capital Gazette and its staff.

“So what happened this past week?” Hutson asked. “On June 25, Trump – at his South Carolina rally – pointed to members of the media, and called them the enemy of the people. This is a phrase that throughout history has been used by autocrats to incite violence."

"The suspect, [name omittted], had contacted Hutson in March 2015, taunting him about his role in alerting law enforcement and thwarting a potential mass killer who threatened schoolchildren and Jews in far-away Montana," Salon wrote.

More from People/donald-trump

The outside of a best buy store
The image shows the exterior of a best buy store.

Major Companies People Think Won't Exist In 20 Years

No business is immortal.

But some business are especially vulnerable, owing to the passing of time, or the advancements of technology.

Keep ReadingShow less
Gavin Newsom; Donald Trump
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images; Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Newsom Channels Trump In All-Caps Vow To Redistrict California After Trump 'Missed' Deadline

The latest in the ongoing feud between MAGA Republican President Donald Trump and California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom involves a bit of imitation—but it definitely wasn't the sincerest form of flattery.

Newsom has been actively locking horns with Trump and his fellow governor, MAGA Republican Greg Abbott of Texas.

Keep ReadingShow less

Teen influencer stranded in Antarctica

A globe-trotting teen pilot and social media star has agreed to make a hefty donation to avoid standing trial after an unscheduled Antarctic detour landed him in hot water with Chilean authorities.

Ethan Guo, a 19-year-old Chinese American with a Guinness World Record in his sights, found himself grounded—literally—when he landed his Cessna 182Q on Chile’s King George Island earlier this summer without permission.

Keep ReadingShow less
​Aubrey Anderson-Emmons
Steve Granitz/FilmMagic/Getty Images

'Modern Family' Star Opens Up About Her Decision To Change Her Name For Career Pivot

Aubrey Anderson-Emmons is creating buzz again, this time with the announcement of her new name: Frances Anderson.

The former Modern Family actress, who effectively ended her acting career at the age of 12 when the show ended, went viral during Pride Month when she shared with the world that she was bisexual, with a little help from her "I'm gay!" clip from the show.

Keep ReadingShow less
Nicholas Hoult attends the "Superman" Fan Event at Cineworld Leicester Square on July 02, 2025 in London, England.
Samir Hussein/WireImage for Getty Images

Fans Shocked by Hoult's Handsome Confession

Superman fans were shooketh after seeing a resurfaced interview of Nicholas Hoult explaining why he doesn’t feel like “a beautiful person.”

Hoult, who has been a movie franchise darling from Mad Max to X-Men, is used to admirers complimenting his looks. I mean, even as the bald, scheming villain Lex Luthor, people were still out here blushing like Gilded Age debutantes trying to land a railroad tycoon.

Keep ReadingShow less