On Monday morning, President Donald Trump participated in his usual morning routine, which he's regularly followed since his election. He wakes up, watches cable news and gets angry because the news doesn't line up with his unique take on reality.
It's unclear what exactly his disagreement with reported facts was this particular morning, but he apparently thought that at 9:04 a.m. — as his interim pick to lead the CFPB was starting a showdown with the acting director of the regulatory agency and as his party's tax bill remained in a state of uncertainty — it was appropriate to tweet that there should be a "FAKE NEWS TROPHY" awarded to the network that agrees with him the least.
We should have a contest as to which of the Networks, plus CNN and not including Fox, is the most dishonest, corrupt and/or distorted in its political coverage of your favorite President (me). They are all bad. Winner to receive the FAKE NEWS TROPHY!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 27, 2017
Here we see the problem Trump creates for the media and for the nation captured in 250 characters.
At this moment, the president isn't proposing a major policy right now. That would require effort and an understanding of how our government works, both on a granular level and a macro level, two things he has expressed an aversion to in his actions if not his words.
He isn't even suggesting doing something more tongue-in-cheek, like proposing an actual, satirical tournament for a real fake news trophy. That, again, would require effort including finding facts that were wrong, then organizing and ranking them.
No, Trump would rather just sit back and retweet other people, without even looking at who they are or what they're promoting. Trump made headlines with a different tweet over the weekend, retweeting a fake news peddler going by the Twitter handle "Magapill."
Wow, even I didn’t realize we did so much. Wish the Fake News would report! Thank you. https://t.co/ApVbu2b0Jd
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 25, 2017
While outlets were quick to point out that Trump retweeted someone who peddles in fake news (it's not a surprise anymore), the following should also be asked: How long did the president look at the link before writing, "even I didn't realize we did so much?" Did he see the headlines, many of which have nothing to do with him? (One news story: "UN Security Council unanimously imposed new sanctions on North Korea.")
What about his staff? The White House communications office isn't a well-oiled operation. Though press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders has been blindly obedient to her boss, her team has traditionally treated Trump as some sort of Schrodinger's cat. That is to say, his Twitter rants are official policy, until they're just his personal opinions.
It's trope and a cliche to write, but it's worth repeating that Trump isn't a traditional politician and shouldn't be treated as one, particularly by reporters. The Associated Press can't write that Trump "will not campaign" for Roy Moore. Yes, he's not on the trail, but his paid shill went on TV to tell Alabamians to vote for Moore and the president tweeted this out over this weekend:
The last thing we need in Alabama and the U.S. Senate is a Schumer/Pelosi puppet who is WEAK on Crime, WEAK on the Border, Bad for our Military and our great Vets, Bad for our 2nd Amendment, AND WANTS TO RAISES TAXES TO THE SKY. Jones would be a disaster!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 26, 2017
I endorsed Luther Strange in the Alabama Primary. He shot way up in the polls but it wasn’t enough. Can’t let Schumer/Pelosi win this race. Liberal Jones would be BAD!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 26, 2017
He's campaigning, for sure, just not within the the narrow AP definition of the term.
Overall, Trump's Twitter account is not a Rosetta Stone for the American public many of us in the press make it out to be. It doesn't say anything of import. It doesn't reveal his or his administration's inner workings.
Instead, it paints a picture of a man screaming into the void, one who has all the hallmarks of a "malignant narcissist who is also on the bipolar spectrum," according to John Gartner. Gartner isn't the only psychologist who seems to think that there are problems with Trump's mental state. More and more are speaking out, and, more and more, it's becoming important to listen to them.
Until we litigate that out, here's a tip to keep your sanity with Trump in charge in the meantime: Pay attention to his actions, not his words. While we in the press can't "unfollow" him, you certainly can.
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