Today's New York Times offers a rare opportunity for a side-by-side comparison of how the newspaper covers Democrats and Republicans with similar policies.
Here is a passage from a Times news article about President Trump proposing an arms sale to Taiwan: "The proposed sales come as President Trump and his campaign strategists try to paint him as tough on China in the run-up to the election in November. They are eager to divert the conversation among American voters away from Mr. Trump's vast failures on the coronavirus pandemic and the economy, and to paper over his constant praise for Xi Jinping, China's authoritarian leader, and his earlier encouragement or tolerance of some of Mr. Xi's most repressive policies, including in the regions of Xinjiang and Hong Kong."
It's remarkable to see this reference to "Mr. Trump's vast failures on the coronavirus pandemic and the economy" in the middle of what is supposed to be not an opinion article or editorial but a straight up news article. All the more so because the same page carries a news article about Senator Schumer, a Democrat, getting tough on China without ascribing to Schumer any such political motivations. Rather, the Times reports, the Democratic initiative "comes as relations between Washington and Beijing have spiraled downward, setting the stage for a new era of confrontation, and as President Trump and congressional Republicans, especially in the Senate, have sought to harness Americans' growing animosity toward China as a political weapon against Democrats."
Got that? When the Republicans are tough on China, it's a "political weapon." But when Democrats are tough on China, the Times reports it relatively straight, dialing back the sneering. Meanwhile, we are supposed to believe both that Trump constantly praises Xi Jinping and, simultaneously, that Washington-Beijing relations have spiraled downward?
It's almost like the Times is having a hard time restraining its partisan enthusiasm as the election approaches.
It is true that Trump has praised Xi Jinping from time to time. My read on that has been that it is transactional and comes when he needs China to do something, such as sign a trade deal or allow shipments of medical supplies to the United States.