I’m baffled how you can describe this as manipulative. It’s a literal description of what happened. As you say, Trump’s exact words were “Proud Boys, stand back and stand by.” How exactly is the headline manipulative?

Your interpretation that he’s saying this to everybody, when he refers to them by name and makes no attempt to mention anybody else, is bizarre. Open mindedness isn’t trying to find a more generous interpretation than makes any sense as you seem intent on doing. In fact, that is bias.

Also, you keep highlighting the word opinion as if I’m unaware that my opinions are opinions. The only person who has access to the facts of what Donald Trump thinks is Donald Trump. The rest of us are stuck listening to his words and going from there. However in this case, you’re the one reading meaning into his words which isn’t there.

Yes, the media can be manipulative, I definitely won’t argue with you there, but simply disagreeing with everything they say doesn’t make your opinions any more insightful.