FREE SPEECH FOR ME, NOT FOR THEE: Journalists Freak Out Over New Pro-Trump T-Shirt

By Rachel Stoltfooz

Journalists were disturbed to see a Donald Trump supporter wearing a T-shirt joking about lynching the press at a rally in Minnesota Sunday [Ed.: Ace has an excellent storify on this topic.].

Jonathan Ernst snapped a shot for Reuters of the man wearing the shirt, which read: “Rope. Tree. Journalist. Some Assembly Required.” An older woman in a Trump hat and a young girl standing next to the man, whose back is turned, smile joyfully into the camera.

"Rope. Tree. Journalist." shirt spotted at @realDonaldTrump rally in MN _ Reuters photo by Jonathan Ernst pic.twitter.com/1VTkYPOOVo

— Michael Biesecker (@mbieseck) November 7, 2016

The photo quickly began making the rounds on Twitter.

“This is honestly so disturbing on so many levels,” a self-described news lady and cat lover from New Jersey tweeted.

Rope. Tree. Journalist. A t-shirt worn by a #Trump supporter yesterday. This is honestly so disturbing on so many levels via @breanne_dep pic.twitter.com/ybP4Ry3Y0X

— Alexa Green (@AlexaTWCNews) November 7, 2016

“Wow,” a blogger tweeted. “Nasty.”

Wow. Nasty
A man wears a shirt reading "Rope. Tree. Journalist. " as supporters gather to rally with... https://t.co/21Q9w1a78I via @Reuters

— Tim Watkin (@Tim_Watkin) November 6, 2016

One reporter took the shirt personally and responded with a threat of his own.

“Come at me bro,” he tweeted. “I have someone I’d like you to meet.”

Some tweeted at the company that makes the shirt in hopes it would ban production.

Hey @teespring - this sort of sucks. Any chance you can ban this seller? https://t.co/lrEAIto33J https://t.co/jgpIS205yO

— Carlito Grimm (@carlitogrimm) November 7, 2016

“Hey @teespring – this sort of sucks,” one New Yorker tweeted. “Any chance you can ban this seller?”

Those horrible "Rope. Tree. Journalist" t-shirts are nothing new, but they definitely have a new meaning post Trump https://t.co/wDsNNwx3Jj

— Alexander C. Kaufman (@AlexCKaufman) November 7, 2016

Others pointed out the shirt’s been around for years, but insisted it takes on a “new meaning” in a post-Trump for president world. They “definitely have a new meaning post Trump,” a Huffington Post reporter tweeted.

Jezebel called the shirt a “neat encapsulation of the escalating trend of violence and abuse against reporters” at Trump rallies.

One guy said he was “impressed” by the shirt and suggested the Trump supporter try reporting. “Impressed by the creative spirit of this Trump supporter,” he tweeted. Get a rope, pull down a tree, pulp it to make paper, become a journalist. Noble.”

Impressed by the creative spirit of this Trump supporter. Get a rope, pull down a tree, pulp it to make paper, become a journalist. Noble. pic.twitter.com/UMX2rmmGAv

— Matt Leys (@mattleys) November 7, 2016

Read more at Daily Caller.