The logical fallacy “post hoc ergo propter hoc” — after, therefore because of — has been showing up in more and more headlines recently as the mainstream media completes the shedding of its credibility, and on Tuesday, the Washington Post came up with a great example.
Clinton pressed Trump to deploy hospital ship Comfort to Puerto Rico. Now it’s on the way. https://t.co/t13bfx5iUP
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) September 26, 2017
It’s true that Hillary Clinton — who appears to indulge often in a fantasy world where everyone is continually asking for her advice — did suggest that the Trump administration send the USNS Comfort to Puerto Rico.
President Trump, Sec. Mattis, and DOD should send the Navy, including the USNS Comfort, to Puerto Rico now. These are American citizens. https://t.co/J2FVg4II0n
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) September 24, 2017
She also took a shot at Trump, suggesting as she did later to … Maxwell that the president doesn’t know Puerto Ricans are Americans (a claim shredded by Jim Treacher.)
So, was Clinton’s tweet responsible for the deployment of the Comfort? The Washington Post investigates:
Clinton’s tweet lacked important context: The Navy already had two amphibious ships off the coast, the USS Kearsarge and the USS Oak Hill, so the few thousand Marines and sailors aboard could launch relief operations. But her call to action took off, with a petition on the federal website Change.org garnering more than 100,000 signatures in three days and critics expressing frustration with the hashtag #SendtheComfort.
Since then, the call for the Comfort has come to symbolize something larger: A call for the Pentagon to send more.
More food. More water. More generators. More aircraft.
More everything.
Oh, so her tweet inspired a petition on Change.org, and that’s what spurred the Trump administration to finally spring into action. And if not exactly that, it was symbolic, asking Trump to care more.
The Post reports the action “comes after days of critics saying that the U.S. government isn’t doing enough to support hurricane relief in Puerto Rico.” Um, hey crack reporters at the Post … what do you by “critics”? Who exactly has been criticizing the Trump administration? Puerto Rico? Or holdovers from previous administrations and campaigns?
Can we please, please retire the fiction that nothing has been done for Puerto Rico and be done with tweets like these?
Trump's racist neglect of Puerto Rico is threatening lives. It is time to start caring about the crisis there.
— Brian Fallon (@brianefallon) September 25, 2017
Just stop.
https://twitter.com/Cameron_Gray/status/912781953425985541
OK, crazy replies coming up …
https://twitter.com/MaraLaGoFuckYou/status/912781298867085312
So sad that it took other past presidents to pressure our @POTUS to react to this tragedy! Thank you President @BillClinton
— Mom's Resistance "NEVER TRUMPER" (@edieconstantine) September 26, 2017
Thank you President Hillary Clinton!! @HillaryClinton
— DB☮♥⚯͛ALLCAPS? (@DC4Hope) September 26, 2017
Thank you @HillaryClinton – No thanks to the white supremacist in the white house. @realDonaldTrump
— Emilio D ✊? (@Emiliothesaint) September 26, 2017
Why did it take so long?! And why should anyone need to press a president into doing the right thing?! #unfit #unethical
— Heather Poulson (@hkpoulson) September 26, 2017
Thank you Madam President
— Sheila Hogan (@janetracker) September 26, 2017
Finally, some action!
— Alt USDA_ARS (@AltUSDA_ARS) September 26, 2017
Moral is if you want a man to do his damn job get a woman to force him to.
— ?Coolsome ?? #Sora4Smash (He/Him) (@CoolsomeXD) September 26, 2017
YES! can queen @HillaryClinton just tweet what trump's supposed to do, & then maybe he'll do it, & we'll all just agree she's prez? https://t.co/EoTuh5PM7Z
— Ginger Gonzaga ✨ (@gingerthejester) September 26, 2017
I could kiss this headline, I love it so much!!! #PuertoRico @HillaryClinton #OnwardTogether https://t.co/fnk0cwJn7o
— Randy (@RandyRNB) September 26, 2017
We’re pretty sure that was the idea.
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Related:
Charles C.W. Cooke BUSTS Hillary's 'narrative-building' on Puerto Rico in one tweet https://t.co/sYAjm2xAgB
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) September 26, 2017
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