There are so many Trump travesties every day that it is hard for me to decide which is bad enough to write about. Here's one comparatively minor story that got my attention from HUFFPOST:
Above: BFMTV journalist attacked for her French accent in the United States, "She thinks I should be deported"
Here are translated excerpts from the long article which is written in French:
BFMTV journalist Sonia Dridi, who was criticized for her French accent by MP Marjorie Taylor Greene, has received support from her channel.
The latter was the target of harsh criticism from far-right US Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who pointed out her French accent.
BFMTV JOURNALIST SONIA DRIDI CRITICIZED BY US MP
In a tweet published this Sunday on X (formerly Twitter), the SDJ of BFMTV, an association of journalists formed within the editorial staff of the continuous news channel, defended its correspondent at the White House.
Earlier, Sonia Dridi, based in the US capital Washington, took the microphone during a press briefing led by Karoline Leavitt, the new spokesperson for Donald Trump's government. The French journalist, who had asked two questions about diversity within aeronautical agencies after the terrible plane crash in Washington, was then criticized for her accent by a far-right US Congresswoman.
BFMTV SOCIETY OF JOURNALISTS DEFENDS SONIA DRIDI
Faced with this situation, the SDJ of BFMTV was quick to react. In a statement published on social networks, the society expressed its unconditional support for Sonia Dridi, emphasizing that such an attack constituted a direct attack on freedom of the press.
The SDJ recalled that the work of foreign correspondents, like that of Sonia Dridi, is essential to offer a global and critical vision of international issues.
"The SDJ of BFMTV gives its full support to its correspondent in the United States Sonia Dridi, ostracized as a foreign journalist by the American far-right MP Marjorie Taylor Green, who attacked the fundamental principle of freedom of the press. The work of national and foreign media in the United States is more necessary than ever at this time to highlight the reality of Donald Trump's mandate," we can read in the press release.
Here's the post from The Honorable Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene:
Marjorie Taylor Greene has decided that a foreign accent is toxic. Of course she means the accent of someone from another country, since all American accents are considered foreign by people in other countries. This is Make America Great Marjorie, so an accent from anywhere else is considered foreign the way a parasite is an unwelcome foreign creature in a human being,
For some people a southern or Maine accent sounds foreign to people from other parts of the country. When I went from New York to Michigan to go to college my accent led one kid in the dorm to ask me "what are you?" There are at least 30 accents or dialects spoken in the United States (reference), but Greene doesn't care about this because the reporter was a woman from, horrors upon horrors, France. You know, those French women with offensive accents...
Sonia Dridi, a reporter from France24, was asking about Trump's repsonse to the Washington, DC plane crash.
After Greene attacked her on X, this was her straightforward response:
Translation: Marjorie Taylor Greene apparently didn't appreciate my accent while I was occupying the seat reserved for the few foreign journalists who are in our White House Foreign Press Association. She is now suggesting that we kick the foreign press out of the press room.
I doubt that Greene would be able to identify the French flag on Dridi's first post.
I am curious about how Dridri even found the Greene post. She follows over 7000 people on X and I have no way of knowing if Greene is one of them. Perhaps she is.
I see Greene's X post as an attempt to stroke Donald Trump's, uh, ego, and prove what a loyal soldier she is. Let's wait and see whether Trump follows Greene's suggestion and ends up barring members of the Foreign Press Correspondents USA from his press conferences. He has to contend with American reporters asking inconvenient questions especially as they, hopefuly, get more bold. I doubt he wants some woman with what many would find a sexy French accent asking him a question.
Addendum:
Some of the comments on the HUFFPOST article...
