Less than one month into his chaotic, flailing presidency, Donald Trump felt the need to shore up his spirits with a campaign rally today. Fox News, ever on the lookout for ways to help promote the very unpopular Trump, decided to suggest that Barack Obama had held a similar rally even earlier in his presidency. Unfortunately for Fox, that's what their beloved Donald might call "fake news."
The New York Times wrote about Trump's rally:
It is not abnormal for a sitting president to hold a political rally in the months before an election, and Mr. Trump has said he plans to campaign actively for Republicans who support him and against Democrats who seek to stymie his agenda. But Mr. Trump’s return to the campaign trail on Saturday is unusually early. Even the midterm congressional elections for members of Congress are still 21 months away.
Earlier today, Fox News tweeted out the following.
Presidential rallies after inauguration. pic.twitter.com/YhFVb0hMma
— Fox News (@FoxNews) February 18, 2017
Nice try, Fox! Although The Times described Obama's February 9, 2009 event as "campaign-style," it was not a campaign rally but a pitch for his stimulus package.
President Obama took his case for an $800 billion economic recovery package to one of the most distressed places in America on Monday as he opened a series of campaign-style events intended to press Congress to approve the plan by week’s end.
While it's amusing to see Fox holding up Obama's behavior - the man the network spent eight years smearing - as justification for Trump's, the truth is, it's a deceptive effort.
I'm not the only one who thinks so. The Daily Beast's Marlow Stern put it a bit more bluntly:
Fox News bringing the bullshit, per usual. Obama in Elkhart was town hall to discuss stimulus plan, not a campaign rally. #TrumpRally pic.twitter.com/P7qV7EThGl
— Marlow Stern (@MarlowNYC) February 18, 2017
NewsHounds' Richard wondered if Fox's Howard Kurtz will bring it up on MediaBuzz tomorrow, his weekly show about the media.
@NewsHoundEllen I wonder if Howard Kurtz is going to cover this dishonest FOX graphic on MediaBuzz? https://t.co/VSRt2qgeMj
— Richard W. (@IceManNYR) February 18, 2017
Nobody is holding their breath.
Donald Trump graphic by DonkeyHotey via Creative Commons license.
I tried to watch Der Donald’s “campaign” speech. All I heard was the usual fake info and me, me, me.
There’s also a Paris Kentucky and a Paris Missouri, but I doubt that you’d find any Renoirs there either since both states went for Trump in the elections and more than likely never heard of him.
You might find American Gothic or a Grandma Moses or two.
Marge has me recalling one amusing side story here is the rally signage. No spontaneity or grass roots in the signs his supporters were carrying as they were all produced by the Trump administration. People weren’t allowed to carry in their own. Out of fear folks like Marge might sneak in and spoil the moment.
Though this isn’t without precedent. Nuremberg rallies worked this way too. Can’t ruin Leni Riefenstahl’s imaging.
Which brings up a huge difference between Obama and Trump at this point. Obama had a town hall which hardly was as staged as Trump’s canned campaign pep rally. The administration’s excuse is bringing a message directly to the people but what message? No policy pitch. Just Hair Hitler pimping a narcissistic view of his presidency.
As an aside, I work with mentally disabled people. Mostly autistic, Downs and learning disabilities. One 29 year old man I work with that has autism has progressed to the point that I could let him go into a small store such as a convenience store, pizza, hamburger, or hoagie shop as long as he had a written note that he could hand over stating what he wanted to order (he’s non verbal). without me having to go in with him and stand over him. Just what his mother wanted him to be able to do.
Since Dump was elected, I feel I need to go back into the stores with him again because I’m afraid that the bullies are now emboldened and may pick on him. Dump sucks and so do many of his supporters.
