Trump Lies. Media Surrenders.
For more than an hour yesterday, Donald Trump ducked reporters’ questions and told lie after lie after lie – and the media meekly played along.
MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell, the best talking head on TV, rightly ripped the media – and his own network – for its passive performance. His on-air spanking last night is well worth watching.
Trump arranged yesterday’s non-press conference so viewers couldn’t hear the questions and couldn’t know that he never answered a single one of them.
He just lied.
There was one good, short, sharp, direct question: Would Trump direct the Food and Drug Administration to revoke access to mifepristone, which can end a pregnancy less than 10 weeks along?
Here’s what Trump said:
“You could do things that will be, would supplement. Absolutely. And those things are pretty open and humane. But you have to be able to have a vote, and all I want to do is give everybody a vote and the votes are taking place right now as we speak. There are many things on a humane basis that you can do outside of that, but you also have to give a vote and the people are going to have to decide.”
Pure gibberish. Not an answer. And no follow-up from reporters.
Slamming his papers on his desk, O’Donnell thundered, “The words Donald Trump spoke to those reporters in response to that clear, simple and important yes or no question were an insult to everyone in that room and they took the insult. Nothing in those words was an answer, nothing.”
He went on: “Donald Trump is not smart enough to answer questions. Anyone who then tells you that Kamala Harris has to answer questions from reporters because Donald Trump already answered questions from reporters is lying to themselves and to you and you must not allow them to do it.”
O’Donnell called the media’s uncritical airing of Trump’s lies “2016 all over again.”
Compare the reporters’ deferential questioning of Trump with their shouting, badgering and interrupting President Biden.
Has Trump bullied the media into submission?
Why didn’t reporters ask him:
Did you take $10 million in cash in duffel bags from Egypt in 2017?
Why did you tell your nephew that disabled people like his son “should just die”?
And: Why are you hiding instead of campaigning? Why do you stand by JD Vance? Aren’t you too old, too out of it mentally and too corrupt to be President?
Trump put on yesterday’s charade so he can proclaim – and the media can parrot – that Kamala Harris isn’t answering reporters’ questions.
Don’t fall for that.
Trump isn’t answering reporters’ questions; he’s lying.
Yes, Vice President Harris has a responsibility to answer reporters’ questions. But Trump has a responsibility to answer questions honestly. And the media has a responsibility to call out, confront and challenge his lies to his face.
Trump Lies. Media Surrenders.
For more than an hour yesterday, Donald Trump ducked reporters’ questions and told lie after lie after lie – and the media meekly played along.
MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell, the best talking head on TV, rightly ripped the media – and his own network – for its passive performance. His on-air spanking last night is well worth watching.
Trump arranged yesterday’s non-press conference so viewers couldn’t hear the questions and couldn’t know that he never answered a single one of them.
He just lied.
There was one good, short, sharp, direct question: Would Trump direct the Food and Drug Administration to revoke access to mifepristone, which can end a pregnancy less than 10 weeks along?
Here’s what Trump said:
“You could do things that will be, would supplement. Absolutely. And those things are pretty open and humane. But you have to be able to have a vote, and all I want to do is give everybody a vote and the votes are taking place right now as we speak. There are many things on a humane basis that you can do outside of that, but you also have to give a vote and the people are going to have to decide.”
Pure gibberish. Not an answer. And no follow-up from reporters.
Slamming his papers on his desk, O’Donnell thundered, “The words Donald Trump spoke to those reporters in response to that clear, simple and important yes or no question were an insult to everyone in that room and they took the insult. Nothing in those words was an answer, nothing.”
He went on: “Donald Trump is not smart enough to answer questions. Anyone who then tells you that Kamala Harris has to answer questions from reporters because Donald Trump already answered questions from reporters is lying to themselves and to you and you must not allow them to do it.”
O’Donnell called the media’s uncritical airing of Trump’s lies “2016 all over again.”
Compare the reporters’ deferential questioning of Trump with their shouting, badgering and interrupting President Biden.
Has Trump bullied the media into submission?
Why didn’t reporters ask him:
Did you take $10 million in cash in duffel bags from Egypt in 2017?
Why did you tell your nephew that disabled people like his son “should just die”?
And: Why are you hiding instead of campaigning? Why do you stand by JD Vance? Aren’t you too old, too out of it mentally and too corrupt to be President?
Trump put on yesterday’s charade so he can proclaim – and the media can parrot – that Kamala Harris isn’t answering reporters’ questions.
Don’t fall for that.
Trump isn’t answering reporters’ questions; he’s lying.
Yes, Vice President Harris has a responsibility to answer reporters’ questions. But Trump has a responsibility to answer questions honestly. And the media has a responsibility to call out, confront and challenge his lies to his face.