Donald Trump does live in his own special universe.
Yesterday, while speaking to U.S. Central Command, he claimed that the media isn’t reporting on terrorist attacks. In fact, he went so far as to claim that they don’t want to report on them, because reasons.
“You’ve seen what happened in Paris, and Nice. All over Europe, it’s happening. It’s gotten to a point where it’s not even being reported. And in many cases the very, very dishonest press doesn’t want to report it. They have their reasons, and you understand that.”
Considering the extensive coverage that dominates the news cycle every time an attack occurs on Western soil, it’s hard to understand what is going on in the President’s mind. Trump either believes there is widespread terrorism that none of us have ever heard of due to an elaborate cover up, or he doesn’t follow the news very closely.
Perhaps Trump is thinking of the Bowling Green Massacre, which failed to receive any media attention back when it didn’t happen. Kellyanne Conway has been mercilessly trolled by Twitter and fake memorials after justifying the immigration ban by pointing to a non-existent terrorist attack (which she too accused the media of failing to cover).
White House Press Sec Sean Spicer– who I’m starting to feel a bit sorry for to be honest– again tried to straddle the enormous chasm between The Truth and the President’s words, to land somewhere in the vicinity of “almost true.” Spicer clarified that the President merely meant these things had been underreported, that they “aren’t exactly covered to the degree to which they should be” which is quite different to Trump’s “it’s gotten to a point where it’s not even being reported.”
The White House has since put out a list of terrorist attacks which it claims did not receive adequate media attention. It includes tragedies such as the 2015 Paris attacks and the 2015 San Bernardino shooting (which is spelled incorrectly).
Tweet via @danmericaCNN
The Guardian compiled a quick list in response showing how each of these attacks were reported in the mainstream media. It links to coverage, and with some incidents points out that it “received blanket worldwide coverage” (Sydney Siege) or that “media coverage extended to networks carrying live footage as reporters entered the couple’s home (San Bernardino).
The list stops at 2016, but one wonders if Trump considers last week’s Quebec shooting to have been intentionally un/underreported. He still has not made a statement about the attack which killed six Muslims, despite tweeting in that time about an attack in France in which no one was killed or seriously injured.
Tweet via @realDonaldTrump
Top image via Washinton Post video
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