Donald Trump can’t be bothered with intelligence briefings because, he says, he’s “like, a smart person.” When he does take them, he wants them “as little as possible.” But Fox & Friends seems to be Trump’s idea of worthwhile information about terrorism – and he leaves the fact checking up to them, apparently.
In a comparison of Fox & Friends and Trump’s tweets yesterday, Washington Post reporter Jenna Johnson found some frightening correlations. For example, after a news report misleadingly reported that 122 former Guantanamo prisoners had “REENGAGED IN TERRORISM,” Trump tweeted, “122 vicious prisoners, released by the Obama administration from Gitmo, have returned to the battlefield. Just another terrible decision!”
122 vicious prisoners, released by the Obama Administration from Gitmo, have returned to the battlefield. Just another terrible decision!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 7, 2017
Unlike Trump, Johnson did some fact checking:
The [Fox] report did not note that of the 122 prisoners who were released and then reengaged in terrorism, 113 were released by the administration of George W. Bush, according to a report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
Johnson also noted that guest and Trump pal Laura Ingraham seemed to direct her criticisms of the Republican Death-to-Americans Obamacare “replacement” bill more to Trump than to the cohosts. Apparently, Ingraham knew her audience. After she complained that “competition across state lines” was missing, Trump assured America he’d take heed in another tweet. He even name-checked @foxandfriends.
Don't worry, getting rid of state lines, which will promote competition, will be in phase 2 & 3 of healthcare rollout. @foxandfriends
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 7, 2017
Ironically, Trump concluded his Twitter/Fox session by ranting about "fake news."
The entire article is a must-read.
Watch Ingraham use her Fox perch to “talk” to Trump about the GOP Death-to-Americans Obamacare repeal bill below, from the March 7, 2017 Fox & Friends.
(H/T Eyes on Fox)
Are you thinking of Syria?
Regardless, yes, it’s worrisome. Especially as Trump is escalating at the same time he’s going again for his Muslim ban.
Though predictable, this is still disappointing. While I can’t deny that a nice little war can be very effective in deflecting attention from less flattering results, I’m hoping that Americans have had their fill of fighting for the economic elites. This may be what President Trump was referring to during his visit to the CIA: a second chance at getting Irak’s oil. I guess that’s one quip that we should have taken literally.
If so, then — in between that, and Steve Bannon getting to sit in on NSC meetings, we’re pretty much screwed . . .
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