CBS Austin reporter Vinny Martorano was praised in MAGA circles for continuing to cover a pro-Trump rally despite messages he received from his bosses during live coverage. Martorano was hailed as a hero and was given a job offer in case he faced any adversity at his current workplace for disobeying orders from his superiors. During the Facebook Live broadcast, a staff member handed Martorano a cellphone with a message displayed on it. The reporter asked what this meant. Staffers told him the office did not want them to focus on pro-Trump rallies. “Okay. Well, I am,” Martorano said. Rally participants reported by Martorano chanted “Thank you Trump!” Thank you Bibi, as the U.S. attacked Iran and eliminated Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, triggering a major escalation in the Middle East. When Martorano opened his piece to the camera, he also didn’t glorify the pro-Trump protests. “There are a lot of different opinions across Austin about the joint U.S. and Israeli attack on Iran that happened this morning. Some, like the group behind me, thanked Trump and the U.S. administration for the attack on Iran, while others across the city said more peace is needed in the Middle East,” he said. But BTS drew criticism from CBS Austin, as MAGA activists claimed CBS Austin was trying to suppress one side of the story. But CBS Austin released BTS through their social media accounts. CBS Austin is not owned by CBS. The station, called KEYE-TV, is owned and operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group, one of the largest and most conservative media groups in the United States. Martorano, a Ball State University journalism graduate, has yet to comment after his remarks went viral. On his social media, he posted videos covering protests by pro-Trump and anti-Trump groups. “This morning, a group of people protested at the state Capitol against the recent U.S. attacks on Iran, saying the world needs peace,” he wrote. “‘Thank you Trump.’ There was a large crowd in front of the Texas State Capitol early this morning celebrating the coordinated strikes against Iran. Some of the people I talked to moved from Iran to Austin,” he wrote, describing the protest that made him famous.
