Hey, I'm Brian Stelter. Welcome to Reliable Sources. This is our weekly look at the story behind the story of how the media really works, how the news gets made, and how all of us can make it better.

In the immortal words of Edward Armero,

we must not confuse dissent with disloyalty.

But President Trump is trying to confuse everybody.

This weekend he's tripling down on those attacks against the people he calls the four Congresswomen.

He says he doesn't think they're capable of loving our country.

He's calling them names, questioning their patriotism, reminding everyone of his

racist attack from last weekend. If this is what Trump wants the next 16 months to be

about, is the press up to the challenge? That's going to be our big story today. As we

cover the president, we have to cover his crowds as well. In fact I think oftentimes

the crowds are the more interesting story.

Why they respond to his provocations, why they chant send her back.

We need to show that it's all part of a pattern.

This pattern can be traced back to 1989 when Trump

one of the Central Park Five executed. The five black and Hispanic teenagers

were later exonerated. Now flash forward two decades. Trump promoted the lie that

President Obama was not born in the United States, a lie that many right-wing

voters still say they believe. As recently as November 2017 advisors told the New York Times that Trump still

questions the authenticity of Obama's birth certificate. Look those portions of

the president's track record on race are very well known.

His line about Mexican rapists from his campaign launch event.

His call for a total incomplete shutdown of Muslims entering the US.

...