'Wildly inappropriate': Internet wants reporters fired after hot-mic joke about Trump being assassinated 'like JFK' sparks outrage

WASHINGTON, DC: Two unnamed media members were caught on a hot mic on Tuesday, January 9, making disturbing jokes about former President Donald Trump being assassinated while waiting for him to arrive at a federal courthouse in Washington.

Their off-color remarks, which referenced the 1963 assassination of President John F Kennedy, sparked outrage online acros various social media platforms, as reported by The New York Post.

Journalists caught on hot mic joking about Donald Trump assassination

The journalists, whose identities have not been released, were providing live coverage outside the E Barrett Prettyman US Courthouse when they started complaining about not having a good camera angle to capture Trump's arrival.

“You know what the worst part is? Even if he has his window open and he’s hanging out of it, he will be on the other side of the street,” one journalist said, lamenting the difficulty of getting good footage of Trump's arrival. “I mean, if he’s driving, we’ve got a good shot,” the other replied hopefully.

The conversation then took a dark turn, with one of them suggesting it would be good if Trump arrived in an open-top car. "Yeah, or if it’s a convertible," the second man said. "Yeah, I wasn’t thinking about that," the first man replied.

"Yeah, like if he just pulls up in one —" the second began to add before the first made an explicit reference to JFK's assassination: "Like JFK?" The second man continued, laughing, "Maybe someone, just like they told JFK, ‘You know what you should do? You should take a convertible! It’s so nice out.’"

Donald Trump was at courthouse facing pivotal DC appeals court panel

The hot mic controversy erupted as Trump faced a DC appeals court panel hearing arguments about whether he can be charged for efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.

Trump's legal team contends he should have immunity from prosecution because he was president at the time. "To authorize the prosecution of a president for official acts would open a Pandora's box from which this nation may never recover," Trump attorney John Sauer argued.

Prosecutors countered that Trump should face consequences for attempting to obstruct an official government proceeding - Congress' certification of Joe Biden's victory.

The appeals court decision carries high stakes not only for the justice department's landmark criminal case but also Trump's 2024 presidential run. A swift ruling is important for special counsel Jack Smith to meet the March 4 trial start date and avoid overlapping with the November elections.

Internet reacts with dismay to unsettling hot mic remarks by journalists

The public's reaction surged across social media platforms in response to the unsettling remarks made by the journalists. Expressing a blend of shock, outrage, and calls for accountability, online users voiced their dismay at the incident.

"Imagine if they said this about Biden or Obama. They would be in jail already," highlighted one X user. Another user took a more serious tone, stating, "I think they need a visit from the Secret Service."

A third individual condemned the journalists, saying, "These people aren’t only disgusting but they’re everything they claim to hate." Expressing strong disapproval, another person criticized the journalists for their conduct: "Disgusting and disgraceful. These are the thugs peddling their propaganda as 'news' and denying any bias in doing so. Legacy media has Zero credibility."

One user ridiculed the trust placed in such journalists, stating, "These are the kinds of Numnut reporters many Americans 'trust' to report on President Trump. Ridiculous." In a call for action, another user urged their employer to take decisive measures, stating, "This is beyond horrific and wildly inappropriate. The network should consider removing these reporters, at the very least."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.