This is how the fake news is made, continued.
Here’s Jonathan Alter on an “obscure law” that would require Steve Bannon get confirmation by the Senate before serving on the National Security Council. As they say, big if true…
Breaking: obscure law requires Sen confirmation for WH aide like Bannon to serve on NSC. 50 U.S. Code § 3021 https://t.co/1sRQEnP3CY
— Jonathan Alter (@jonathanalter) January 31, 2017
…but it’s not true. Here’s liberal constitutional law professor Laurence Tribe — no fan of President Trump, that’s for sure — on the “obscure law” that isn’t:
1/The law isn't obscure but it dsn't require Senate confirmation to serve on the Principals Committee, which isn't part of NSC as such. The https://t.co/gqcMc3gPfu
— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) January 31, 2017
2/role Bannon has been given is crazy and dangerous but it doesn't seem to violate any law, though it probably should.
— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) January 31, 2017
And others from our side weigh in:
Why non-lawyers should avoid legal analysis, Part MCMXVIII. Bannon is an invited attendee, not a member of the NSC. https://t.co/dSVEuMaQgl
— The Nats Won The World Series (@EsotericCD) January 31, 2017
https://twitter.com/seanmdav/status/826293380900614145
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This is wrong. Bannon not on NSC, he's on NSC Principals Committee, a subset of NSC. No need for Senate confirmation to participate https://t.co/Cr5ojswPeB
— John Bresnahan (@BresPolitico) January 31, 2017
And this is how the fake news is made. Check out the number of RTs on Alter’s false claim:
Jonathan Alter's false claim that the law creating the NSC is obscure and requires Bannon to be confirmed by the Senate has 8,000+ retweets. pic.twitter.com/vlp66rziMJ
— Gabriel Malor (@gabrielmalor) January 31, 2017
Alter has yet to respond to Professor Tribe or correct his much-shared tweet.
Editor’s note: We mistakenly identified Jonathan Alter as associated with Newsweek; He is formerly with Newsweek and currently a contributor to the Daily Beast.
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