Trump Attacks "Dishonest Media" For Failing to Report a Deal that Hasnt Happened yet [View all]

[TomCADem]

There a lot of threads on DU attacking the media today, which is odd, because normally the First Amendment is seen as a liberal virtue. The irony, of course, is that attacking the "dishonest media" is a favorite pass time of Donald Trump who used disparagement of the media to insulate himself against fact checks of his numerous lies. Thus, it is odd for folks on the left to repeat Trump's most popular talking points.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/01/06/donald-trump-wants-the-media-to-report-a-deal-that-hasnt-happened-yet/?utm_term=.996a48438716

Trump's frustration appears to stem from coverage of an effort by congressional Republicans to construct a wall using taxpayer dollars, rather than money from Mexico.

“This is an important tweet because obviously a centerpiece of Donald Trump's successful campaign was, 'I'm going to build the wall and have Mexico pay for it,' " Trump senior adviser Kellyanne Conway said Friday on Fox News. “That hasn't changed, but Congress is examining ways . . . to have the wall paid for through their auspices, and then Mr. Trump is making the point — the president-elect is making the point — that he will have Mexico pay it back.”

“I think the tweet was engendered by people in the media — the 'dishonest media,' as Donald Trump calls them — making the suggestion that he's going back on a campaign promise,” Conway added. “That is not true. He is going to build that wall, and Mexico is going to pay for it. That hasn't changed.”

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But, at the moment, payment by Mexico is far from a sure thing. It would make zero sense for the media to report that “any money spent . . . will be paid back” because there is no such agreement in place.