The New York Times delved yet again into the mystery of Trump supporters this weekend, with a piece examining women who attended Trump rally throughout the country — including a Montana woman who pleaded guilty three years ago to multiple felonies and is therefore unable to vote.
Reporters Julie Hirschfeld Davis and Katie Rogers did not mention the criminal background of Rachell Tina Marks, whom they described as working in “car sales” with a super-fan’s attachment to the president.
Marks was sentenced to 10 years of probation on charges of felony deceptive practices and exploitation back in 2015 for fleecing two elderly Montana residents, ages 78 and 92, out of more than $36,000, according to the Billings Gazette. Marks used the money to buy pearls, a fur coat and “SpongeBob SquarePants-themed golf clubs,” the paper reported.
In a statement to TheWrap, the Times said its editors knew about Marks’ criminal record but considered it irrelevant.
“Editors were aware of the source’s criminal record. That record is not disclosed in the story because it is unrelated to both the overall topic of the story and the subject’s quote,” a spokesperson told TheWrap.
Though her criminal history went unmentioned by the Times, the paper did run a large photo of her wearing a richly adorned red fur jacket.
“I have an infatuation and a love for this man that’s not normal,” Marks said in the piece. “I give the highest respect when people are telling the truth and giving their political power. If anything, I have a deeper respect now.”
Marks also shrugged off Trump’s praise for Montana’s U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte, who achieved national infamy after body-slamming a reporter from the Guardian.
9 Times New York Times Editorial Made Everyone Freak Out
Bari Weiss: We're All Fascists Now
The New York Times opinion editor set the Internet ablaze after going after college students who she said were trying to shut down free speech. Critics pointed to Weiss mistakenly linking two fake ANTIFA Twitter accounts
MSNBC
David Brooks: 'Girl I Want Your Body'
New York Times Op-Ed columnist David Brooks offered his spin on the MeToo movement in November. But his attempt to speak the language of sex and passion led him to write some lines like "girl I want your body" and "sex is a gold nugget" and the Internet went nuts.
Getty
Bret Stephens' "A Defense, of Sorts, for Harvey Weinstein"
The October, 2017 piece was actually titled "Weinstein and Our Culture of Enablers," but Stephens couldn't resist throwing in the trollish alternative headline see above into a tweeted description of the article -- which promptly precipitated an Internet meltdown
YouTube
David Brooks Urges "Respect to Gun Owners" After Parkland, Florida Massacre
David Brooks set passions aflame after urging "respect" for gun owners after 17 children were killed at a school shooting in Parkland, Florida. "So if you want to stop school shootings it's not enough just to vent and march. It's necessary to let people from Red America lead the way, and to show respect to gun owners at all points," he wrote.
Getty
Quinn "Been Friends with Various Neo-Nazis" Norton
The New York Times got more than they bargained for when they hired tech writer Quinn Norton. Almost immediately after the news was announced old tweets began to emerge including where Norton said she had "been friends with various neo-nazis" and used the N word. The Times cut her loose just hours after she was hired.
YouTube
Bari Weiss Attacks Aziz Ansari Accuser: 'I'll Get Crushed for This'
Weiss risked more wrath on the set of "Morning Joe" in January after blasting a woman who accused comedian Aziz Ansari of sexual misconduct. "It's called bad sex," she told Joe and Mika. "I'll get crushed for saying this."
TheWrap
Bari Weiss Quotes Hamilton: 'Immigrants: We Get the Job Done"
Anti-Weiss Internet mobs were set ablaze after she tweeted out "Immigrants: we get the job done," in response to Olympian Mirai Nagasu's triple axel. Nagasu was born in California to immigrant parents and Twitter furiously dragged her for not paying sufficient deference to the decision.
Getty
James Bennet Diversifies the Times Opinion Pages
Editorial Page Editor James Bennet has said his mission is to broaden editorial diversity on the Times newsroom. The initiative has often been rocky and the paper has been beset by online criticism of hiring choices, and targeted leaks by Times employees unhappy with his changes.
YouTube
David Brooks Sandwich-Shames Less Educated Friend
Perhaps most egregious of all in the mind of Internet warriors was Brooks' confession in a July, 2017 column that he once took a friend "with only a high school degree" into a gourmet sandwich shop but decided to pull a quick switch for Mexican food after, so he said, she appeared overwhelmed by words like Soppressata and Capicollo.
Creative Commons
1 of 9
Most of the recent fire and fury comes from the paper’s editorial pages
Bari Weiss: We're All Fascists Now
The New York Times opinion editor set the Internet ablaze after going after college students who she said were trying to shut down free speech. Critics pointed to Weiss mistakenly linking two fake ANTIFA Twitter accounts
MSNBC
Getty
