As we told you over the weekend, President Trump wasn’t in attendance at this year’s White House Correspondents Dinner, but he was certainly the main topic of conversation. The Correspondents Association did away with the idea of having a comedian headline this year, and instead, presidential historian Ron Chernow kicked things off and offered this quote as shared by CNN’s Chris Cillizza:
“Campaigns against the press do not get your face carved in Mount Rushmore because when you chip away at the free press you chip away at the heart of democracy.” — Ron Chernow #WHCD2019
— Chris Cillizza (@CillizzaCNN) April 28, 2019
That quote’s being lapped up by the media, but just how accurate is it? Well…
Lol my man @edkrayewski pic.twitter.com/OCrjCUGYj3
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) April 28, 2019
D’OH! Maybe the presidential historian hasn’t heard these:
"Nothing can now be believed which is seen in a newspaper. Truth itself becomes suspicious by being put into that polluted vehicle." – Thomas Jefferson, who is on Mt. Rushmore
— I'm real (@edkrayewski) April 28, 2019
"No president ever cracked down on the press more than Abraham Lincoln did," Harold Holzer, author of "Lincoln and the Power of the Press," winner of the 2015 Gilder Lehrman Lincoln Prize for the finest scholarly work on the Civil War or Abraham Lincoln, who is on Mt. Rushmore
— I'm real (@edkrayewski) April 28, 2019
“The man who did nothing else (but be a muckraker [investigative journalist]) was certain to become a force of evil.” – Teddy Roosevelt, also on Mt. Rushmore
— I'm real (@edkrayewski) April 28, 2019
Did it just get awkward?
This is a pretty dumb quote from a brilliant historian considering that Lincoln, Jefferson, and Roosevelt are all on Rushmore and ALL had tremendous feuds with the press. https://t.co/hb1rSayJKW
— Eddie Zipperer (@EddieZipperer) April 28, 2019
Womp womp!
presidential historian apparently unaware of what previous presidents have said about the press. Also, he knows Lincoln had entire newsrooms shuttered and owners arrested, yea? https://t.co/E2eBRP5BSL
— T. Becket Adams (@BecketAdams) April 29, 2019
Perhaps Chernow knew he had a roomful of “journalists” to please.
Absolutely REKT
— A (@Aposter1228) April 28, 2019
This is art. https://t.co/bO2kJeZSvr
— Drew (@DR73SEN) April 28, 2019
Hello, 911?
Yes, I'd like to report a murder https://t.co/Uu3RWRHZ9C
— William (@LastWordWilliam) April 29, 2019
Holy Crap!! Talk about the ultimate take-down! https://t.co/I9EZJGLJWY
— (((WitCoHE))) (@E__Strobel) April 29, 2019
Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.
— HockeyFightGirlProblems (@WriteGrlProbs) April 29, 2019
So it’s settled then:
The only conclusion I'm drawing from any of this is Trump is gonna be on Mt. Rushmore
— Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) April 29, 2019
Should we start carving Trump into Mt. Rushmore now or later? https://t.co/DYy0tRPpyX
— Most Likely Eric Swalwell ?? (@shaneriderMA) April 29, 2019
LMAO!
