It has been nearly two weeks since the release of the audio of Donald Trump’s lewd comments about women, and the fallout continues.
Now that the president has announced he will be holding a town hall meeting with the local paper, many are questioning whether the paper will be ignored by the president.
The Louisville Courier-Journal, a city paper, has been the focus of many a media storm since the audio was released.
The newspaper released a statement from editor and publisher Chris Waddell on Wednesday night.
Waddill wrote, “We understand the impact the president’s comments have had on our local community and want to assure everyone that the Courier-Journos editorial team will be there to cover this story with the same focus and commitment as all of our other reporters.”
The Courier-Jeannette also released a video statement from Waddel, which reads in part, “I am saddened that the Louisville Courier and Courier Journal would be the focus for a town-hall meeting hosted by President Trump, and I am deeply disappointed that we will not be invited.
This is a great opportunity for the people of Louisville to learn from and hear from leaders of the country, not the president.”
A few hours after the video came out, the newspaper released an interview with Waddll in which he said the president was being unfairly singled out because he is not a member of the paper’s board.
Wadll said the paper has not endorsed anyone in the past, but was looking forward to a discussion with the president about issues facing the community.
Wadhill said the meeting will be open to the public, with the intent to provide a public forum for the American people to discuss their concerns.
Waddell said he is confident that the newspaper’s reporters will be covering the meeting with Trump and his administration, and will be able to cover it in a fair and balanced way.
“I am confident that our reporters will have the information that they need to tell the president and his team that he’s not the only one who’s offended by the comments he made,” Waddil said.
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, a Democrat who is running for re-election in 2018, said that it is “disheartening” to hear the news.
Fischer said that he was not aware of any other media outlets that had invited the newspaper.
CNN reported that the group that Waddells office holds an annual “Day of Action” in celebration of the publication of the book of the same name, and is planning to attend the town hall.
Trump’s administration has responded to the fallout with a new campaign video, in which the president defends his remarks, and says he was merely stating facts.
Trump has also been calling for the resignation of the Louisville mayor, and has suggested that he will seek impeachment against the city’s Republican leader, Joe “the Tank” Fields.
It has not been clear if Fields will join the president in the meeting, although the mayor has not spoken out against the president publicly, and he has previously said that Fields is a good person.
Fields has previously expressed his displeasure with the Louisville paper’s coverage of the story, writing on Twitter, “The Courier Journal is a horrible paper that should be taken out of business and replaced with a better paper.
If you have a problem with it, I can’t tell you.”
Trump has been widely criticized for his handling of the allegations against him, but he has not faced any legal repercussions for his comments.
In a statement to the Louisville Metro News, Fields said, “While I do not believe that the allegations are accurate, I am confident in the fact that the women who came forward and have spoken out have been treated fairly.
The Courier Journal and its reporters are well aware of the facts, and have stood by our reporting in this matter.
As to the president, he has made no comment and has no plans to respond to my questions.”
In his statement, Fields added, “It is unfortunate that this story has been reported in a way that will further divide the country.
I have spoken with the mayor of Louisville, who is not involved with this story, and they have assured me that they will not tolerate this type of conduct.”
Follow Alex on Twitter at @AlexLemieux