It’s a touchy subject since the president and the media have been less than friendly from the very beginning of Donald Trump’s campaign, but the “non-fake” news outlets do not appreciate it when Trump does an end-run around them and heads straight for social media.
As Twitchy reported, Trump issued three tweets in the wake of a terror attack in London Saturday night.
Trump:
–Read Drudge Report.
–Travel ban needed.
–Prayers for London. pic.twitter.com/ZL7N1umf7m— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) June 3, 2017
The first, and most problematic for the press, was a retweet of the Drudge Report news flash.
Fears of new terror attack after van 'mows down 20 people' on London Bridge…
— DRUDGE REPORT (@DRUDGE_REPORT) June 3, 2017
That one went out at 6:10 p.m., or 17 minutes before Sean Spice tweeted that the president had been notified of the incident by his national security team. Is he possible he knew something reporters didn’t yet, or was he just being careless? In either case, he managed to ruffle someone’s feathers at the old peacock network.
Pres. Trump has used Twitter to share news report on London incident.
We aren't relaying president's retweet, as the info is unconfirmed.
— NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt (@NBCNightlyNews) June 3, 2017
Remarkable https://t.co/g4UTvbdCtF
— Jonathan Lemire (@JonLemire) June 3, 2017
https://twitter.com/SteveKopack/status/871140166978633730
It says “fears of.” This is such a cheap criticism.
— Charles C. W. Cooke (@charlescwcooke) June 4, 2017
You know, no reporter has ever tweeted something and then found out his big scoop about, say, the president choosing to ignore a speech at the G7 wasn’t true after all. The thing is, there might be a legitimate criticism of the president here, but the media have made it so difficult to take them seriously.
Recommended
Trump immediately goes there. Meanwhile no one in UK has confirmed these are terrorist incidents…. https://t.co/xRra7PMHxm
— grace wyler (@grace_lightning) June 3, 2017
Yeah, for the millionth time in a row it actually was. https://t.co/H8ucZyNnrY
— Carl Gustav (@CaptYonah) June 4, 2017
Are we a little uncomfortable that the president is retweeting Drudge Report headlines? A little, but we weren’t thrilled either when BuzzFeed was covering President Obama while at the same time shooting scripted promotional videos in the White House to promote his causes.
Going to go ahead and guess the president of the United States has a bit more intel knowledge than the social media weekend editor NBC News
— Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) June 3, 2017
This may be the only time in recorded history one could doubt this
— John Podhoretz (@jpodhoretz) June 3, 2017
If Trump had waited and retweeted NBC News after it had confirmed the story, would that have been better? Or would his retweet have “tainted” the network’s brand? In any case, police very quickly declared Saturday night’s incidents acts of terror.
LIVE LOOK into @NBCNightlyNews editorial staff: pic.twitter.com/0Rrp8b3mht
— BlazeTV (@BlazeTV) June 4, 2017
Hang on … we have some breaking news from NBC.
BREAKING: Incidents at London Bridge and Borough Market "have been declared terrorist incidents," Met Police say.
— NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt (@NBCNightlyNews) June 3, 2017
So, the fears of a new terror attack in London turned out to be true after all. Crazy.
really. What would we do without you. https://t.co/EYOUFHHlBt
— Ursus, Director of Weather and Banana Programming (@AceofSpadesHQ) June 4, 2017
https://twitter.com/JammieWF/status/871160763184033794
We all knew that three hours ago.
Thanks.— Sam Crowley (@SamCrowley) June 4, 2017
Got there at last, did you? ?
— Swizzle (@lemon_swizzle) June 4, 2017
PR 101 @NBCNewsPR It doesn't look like Trump tweeted out unconfirmed information. It now looks to everyone like he was right again. Bravo
— Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) June 4, 2017
Breaking: The media's anonymous illegal leakers have now confirmed it is in fact terrorism, so the media can report the fucking obvious
— Ursus, Director of Weather and Banana Programming (@AceofSpadesHQ) June 4, 2017
Pres. Trump has used Twitter to say God bless to the U.K.
We aren't relaying president's retweet, as existence of God is unconfirmed by NBC
— Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) June 4, 2017
Now here’s a scoop!
EXCLUSIVE: Putin tells NBC News’ Megyn Kelly that U.S. hackers may have framed Russia for election interference https://t.co/LgVJPJB7rv
— NBC News (@NBCNews) June 2, 2017
So NBC News will tweet out an unconfirmed (and untrue) Putin quote but will not say what Trump tweeted because it's unconfirmed. ? https://t.co/0TMYSA55Ck
— Josh Jordan (@NumbersMuncher) June 4, 2017
* * *
Related:
CNN clown Reza Aslan calls Trump a ‘piece of sh*t’ for being RIGHT about #LondonTerrorAttacks https://t.co/lHGCNWaE9Q
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) June 4, 2017
‘Liberal NUMBSKULL’: James Woods BLASTS Twitter co-founder’s apology for ‘giving Trump a platform’ https://t.co/wjyTlU2YpL
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) May 23, 2017
Join the conversation as a VIP Member