August 3, 2018: President Trump Really Hates the News - Unless It Makes Him Look Good

 

8/3/18: It’s another day of “Fake News” in Trumpistan. We know what the president thinks. Paul Manafort, whose trial continues, is being victimized by federal investigators gone wild. 

And reporters are mean. 

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Raising doubts about verifiable facts.

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We read in the “Fake News,” that Cindy Laporta, Manafort’s former accountant (testifying under limited immunity) admits in court she filed false tax returns in her client’s name. She says she reported $900,000 in income for Manafort as a loan, meaning the money wouldn’t be taxed. Philip Ayliff, who handled Manafort’s taxes till he retired and passed the job to Laporta, testified that he had never been told by his client that he had multiple offshore bank accounts, although Manafort had numerous chances to reveal their existence.

 

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UNITED NATIONS EXPERTS on freedom of expression have warned that President Trump’s continued attacks on the free press are increasing the risk of violence against journalists. 

This isn’t “Fake News.” The story is reported by, among others, The Independent, a British newspaper, The Times of India, Newsweek, Reuters, the BBC, Axios, CBS, CNN, Google, Pen America and many other media outlets. 

Says the U.N.: 

His [Trump’s] attacks are strategic, designed to undermine confidence in reporting and raise doubts about verifiable facts.

 

These attacks run counter to the country’s [the United States’] obligations to respect press freedom and international human rights law.

 

We are especially concerned that these attacks increase the risk of journalists being targeted with violence.

 

In his most recent attacks, the president has escalated his rhetoric. Now members of the free press are “horrible, horrendous people,” “sick people.” The “fake, fake, disgusting” journalists must be stopped. (See: 7/29/18; 8/16/18.)

 

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EVENING COMES. Trump has dinner, heads for his room, dons his monogramed Art of the Deal pajamas and settles down in bed to watch his favorite TV shows. Unfortunately, while channel surfing, he catches Lebron James on Don Lemon’s CNN show. James has just donated millions to fund a school in Akron, Ohio, for 240 needy kids. 

Lebron has also been critical of the president in the past, and now, talking to Lemon, is again. 

We all know the president won’t be able to let it go. He fires off a tweet: “Lebron James was just interviewed by the dumbest man on television, Don Lemon. He made Lebron look smart, which isn’t easy to do. I like Mike!” 

Okay, Trump likes Michael Jordan. Finally, one African American he doesn’t feel a burning need to insult. (See: 8/4/18.)