Is Trump culpable for threats from the deranged?

t was probably only a matter of time before some unbalanced person decided that he needed to take out a few members of the “fake news” media.

And it was inevitable that his actions — in this case, his threats — would be placed at the feet of Donald Trump, who has spent a considerable amount of time and energy demonizing the media. If you’re a disturbed 19-year-old, then maybe you hear a call to arms from the commander in chief.

Fortunately, Brandon Griesemer didn’t hurt anyone, nor did he travel to CNN’s Atlanta headquarters as he allegedly threatened to several times over the course of two days and 22 phone calls to the cable network earlier this month. FBI agents tracked Griesemer down in Novi, Michigan — a Detroit suburb — and charged him with interstate communications with intent to extort, threaten or injure. He made an initial appearance in court on Jan. 19 and is currently free on a $10,000 unsecured bond until his next hearing in February.

This arrangement would seem to suggest that Griesemer’s alleged threats have been deemed unserious enough to warrant his release, but this is cold comfort to the many journalists who recently have felt that they have a target on their backs. I’m not alone in having received death threats and other unpleasant suggestions when I’ve written critically of Trump. Whether this is at least partially Trump’s fault is an interesting question without a convenient answer.

One can reasonably argue that Trump isn’t to blame for what others do or say. On the other hand, one could also posit that when the president targets journalists or media institutions by name in his frequent “fake news” rants, he bears some responsibility for what happens as a result, assuming a direct connection can be made.

Trump has said, after all, that he prefers Twitter to reporters because he can talk directly to people. Tweeting for him is like whispering in someone’s ear — a few million at a time. This false intimacy can be almost like having a conversation, as I’ve heard many of his supporters say. Given this perception and the relative novelty of social media, is it time to expand the definition of conspiracy or to tweak laws against yelling-fire-in-a-crowded-theater? When a pattern of incitement can be demonstrated, should the inciter be held accountable?

Excerpts from the calls, which were also laced with anti-Semitic and racist language, suggest a familiarity with the president’s messaging:

“Fake news. I’m coming to gun you all down,” the caller said. “F*** you, f***ing n*****s.”

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