Below is my column in the Hill newspaper on the recent controversy surrounding The Atlantic article on alleged comments by President Donald Trump disparaging veterans and war dead buried at Aisne-Marne American Cemetery. I have been highly critical of President Trump response, particularly his calling for the firing of a Fox reporter for confirming elements of the story. In truth, Fox did not confirm that Trump called the dead buried at the French cemetery “losers” and “suckers.” Indeed, Fox reporter Jennifer Griffin said today that her source did not hear those references to those buried at the cemetery. However, there are sources that have said that Trump used such terms to describe Vietnam veterans. Conversely, in an interview with CNN, the author of the article Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg was confronted by strong rebuttals by various officials over the assertion that the cancellation of the Trump visit was due to his concern over his hair or a disparaging view of the fallen. When asked about documents and witnesses suggesting that the cancellation was weather related as claimed, Goldberg simply seemed to shrug and say that those accounts might be true but that Trump still holds disrespectful views of veterans. That was hardly a resounding defense of those elements of his article. Moreover, when the evidence was presented that the helicopter was grounded, Goldberg noted that the grounding is insulting to Marines who said that they can fly in any weather. However, again, that is not what the story said and it was the military that objected to flying (the issue was not that the helicopter could not fly but that it would have to fly too low for the safety of the President). The problem for many in the public is that we have lost any presumption that either the president or the press is a reliable source in such controversies. Indeed, according to polls, a majority find both untrustworthy. This is where the cost of such eroded trust are the highest. After years of lying or bias, both sides have left the public with no credible basis to know the truth in a major scandal.
Here is the column:
Until this week, the most famous quote related to World War I’s Battle of Belleau Wood was U.S. Marine Capt. Lloyd Williams’ declaration to a French commander: “Retreat, hell! We just got here.” Now, a more famous quote could well become President Trump’s alleged description of the battle’s fallen Americans as “losers.”
Like the war itself, today’s political battle is between entrenched forces — Trump and Republicans on one side, Democrats and the media on the other. In the middle are the rest of us. The lack of movement by public opinion may not reflect an even split of support but, rather, a widespread view of both sides as equally unbelievable.
This latest controversy was triggered by an Atlantic article written by the magazine’s editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg. The article alleges damaging statements by Trump, such as dismissing the dead buried at Aisne-Marne American Cemetery as “losers” and “suckers.” What is most striking about this story is that, ordinarily, it would be entirely unbelievable. What person, let alone an American president, would refer to brave Americans in such terms?
The problem is, Trump has made a long line of such unbelievable comments and then lied about them. Indeed, in denying this latest story, he insisted “I never called John [McCain] a loser.” Yet, in 2015, he indeed did say of McCain, a former prisoner of war, “I like people who weren’t captured,” and later referred to the former Republican presidential nominee with “I don’t like losers.”
He later retweeted a headline: “Donald Trump: John McCain Is ‘A Loser.’ ” A Fox News reporter said that her own sources confirmed that Trump disparaged veterans and did not want to drive to the cemetery. Trump has reached a point where there is nothing that most of us would rule out in terms of shocking or offensive statements. He often refers to people as “losers” and allegedly once said that of those who fought in Vietnam instead of getting a deferment or medical exclusion, as he did.
If an article included such an alleged statement by either President Bush, it would have been dismissed instantly as ridiculous. Over the past three years Trump has made himself vulnerable to such allegations, due to his history of outrageous remarks.
Yet the same is true of the media. Three years ago, a story of this kind would have been devastating for any president — but the media has rendered itself as unbelievable as the subject of its current ire. While denouncing Trump as a pathological liar, the media has been pathologically biased. Polls consistently show the media racing Trump to the bottom on trustworthiness. Most of the media now feeds a steady diet of unrelentingly negative stories to a shrinking audience of true believers.
As a result, the media has hit a historic low, with less than half of the populace finding it credible. Some polls show that the only group deemed less trustworthy than Trump is the media. The Knight Foundation has found that three-fourths of the public believe the media is too biased; some 54 percent believe reporters regularly misrepresent facts, and 28 percent believe reporters make things up entirely.
There is a reason for this view of bias: It’s true. Many journalists do not attempt to hide their anti-Trump agendas. In the age of “echo-journalism,” it is even viewed as an essential commitment on some networks. False stories about Trump or Trump aides have been published regularly, only to be quietly withdrawn or “corrected” after the news cycle has run.
Indeed, as reporters pummeled the White House with angry questions over the Atlantic story, a press conference held by Democratic nominee Joe Biden was the very image of deference and decorum. Reporters seemed to go out of their way to confirm months of criticism over the softball treatment given to Biden. Atlantic staff writer Edward Isaac Dovere asked Biden: “When you hear these remarks — ‘suckers,’ ‘losers,’ recoiling from amputees — what does it tell you about President Trump’s soul and the life he leads?”
There was a time when a statement in a major publication was taken as true. My children, however, have no such presumption about any news source. Even more disturbing, neither do I these days. The Atlantic article embodies the discomfort with movement journalism. It has been the repository of all things anti-Trump, with such articles as “Donald Trump, the Most Unmanly President” and “Donald Trump is a Broken Man.” Past claims in the Atlantic on the Trump campaign, like former Attorney General Jeff Sessions colluding with Russians, were debunked by the special counsel investigation. In an age of echo chamber journalism, The Atlantic is deafening.
The core alleged comment, attributed to unnamed sources, has been denied by a host of officials who were with Trump in France at that time, including figures like former national security adviser John Bolton. The article also states that Trump did not visit the cemetery in part over his concern that the rainy day would mess up his hair, but White House documents show that, as stated at the time, the military notified his staff that the presidential helicopter should be grounded. Bolton has confirmed the weather was the reason and noted that, if this story were true, he would have made it a chapter in his anti-Trump book. Trump might not have wanted to go, but the reason was a bad helicopter day, not a bad hair day.
Other allegations include Trump deriding the death of the son of Gen. John Kelly at his Arlington gravesite. Kelly has not commented on whether Trump expressed disbelief that such men would give their lives for their country: “I don’t get it. What was in it for them?” Kelly should now confirm or deny it. Indeed, if true, what many of us do not get is why Kelly would not only ignore such a vile question but continue to serve as Trump’s Homeland Security secretary and, later, as White House chief of staff.
The real story this week is not whether Trump or The Atlantic are lying but why either possibility is viewed as equally plausible. The public is left with an incredible tale told by two equally noncredible sources. That is the real story — and a truly sad one.
Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University. You can find his updates online @JonathanTurley.
One of Snowden’s many comments about the show trial:
https://twitter.com/Snowden/status/1302994269062529028
“Edward Snowden
@Snowden
·
5h
They literally re-arrested him on the day of his trial. For those keeping note: yes, they re-arrested a man already in prison. This entire process is less trial than Soviet joke.
Quote Tweet
Edward Snowden
@Snowden
· 5h
Read this and tell me that the show trial of Assange doesn’t read like something from Kafka. The judge permits the charges to be changed so frequently the defense doesn’t even know what they are, the most basic demands are denied, no one can hear what the defendant says—a farce. twitter.com/kgosztola/stat…”
The news media has carefully molded the President into a auto- responce voice box that lashes back automatically to certain inputs. I have learnd to ignore what He says and notice what He does!
You capitalize ‘He’. The only other time I have seen that convention is when one is referring to God. Perhaps you pay attention more closely than you know.
“Julian Assange suffers setback during first day of extradition hearing”
https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/julian-assange-suffers-setback-during-first-day-of-extradition-hearing-20200908-p55td2.html
Excerpt:
“Attempts to beam in the first witness appearing for Assange, an American journalist and academic Professor Mark Feldstein ran into multiple technical difficulties and the first day of the resumed hearing was abandoned early.
Assange’s hearing has already been delayed this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. His supporters argue that the extradition request is politically motivated and claim he will not survive if he is taken to the US to face the justice system there.
His supporters, including father John Shipton and fashion designer Vivienne Westwood were among protesters outside the Central Criminal Court in the City of London, along with Assange’s new partner and father of their two children Stella Morris.
“It’s an abuse trial,” Shipton said. “Julian is a publisher, a publication is WikiLeaks…It’s an oppression of journalism and free press everywhere in the Western world,” he said.
A van with a billboard featuring a picture of Assange’s face with the words “Don’t Extradite Assange” and “journalism is not a crime” was driven outside the courtroom where media and protesters were gathered.
The hearing resumes on Tuesday and is expected to run for four weeks until early October.”
If I were Trump I would pardon Assange just because Hillary hates him. Also I would pardon him because it is the right thing to do.
Young, write to the president to encourage that.
Both of us should. It would be a splendid thing if Assange were released.
All ‘of us should.’ Both Assange and Snowden should be pardoned.
And democrat election cheating goes on and on and on.
____________________________________________
BOMBSHELL: NH Elections Official: ‘I VOTED TWICE’ AG Announces Prosecution After Veritas Involvement…But had File for 8 Months!
Deputy State AG Acknowledges File Was “Under Review” For Months
Double Voter: “I Got In Trouble Because I Voted Twice and The Cops Found Out”
Democratic Party Chair Appointed “Helen Ashley” To Elections Inspector
Dem-Appointed 2020 Election Inspector Voted Twice, Once Under False Identification
Visit ProjectVeritas.com For More Stories
CONCORD, N.H – As a direct result of a Project Veritas investigation, a case of double voting in the Granite State is now being prosecuted by the state’s Attorney General Gordon
MacDonald, who announced today that Vincent Marzello of West Lebanon, NH, was arrested and charged with Felony voter fraud for voting twice during the 2016 General Election.
https://www.projectveritas.com/news/bombshell-nh-elections-official-i-voted-twice-ag-announces-prosecution-after/
https://twitter.com/ggreenwald/status/1302941871094759428
“Glenn Greenwald
@ggreenwald
The greatest threat to press freedom since 2016 — the ongoing attempt by DOJ to extradite Assange in connection with publishing documents — is underway in the UK, and US journalists who spent 4 years flamboyantly depicting themselves as free press warriors are largely silent:
Quote Tweet
Aisha Ahmad
@aishaismad
· 7h
There is no rule of law and the trial of Julian Assange is its most tragic proof
7:08 AM · Sep 7, 2020·Twitter Web App”
https://twitter.com/Snowden/status/1302984557449351168
“Edward Snowden
@Snowden
The extradition of Julian Assange is a malicious prosecution by any standard. Even critics of the man ought to condemn this as a show trial. The “crime” in question is the greatest public service @Wikileaks ever performed: exposing Iraq-era abuses.
Drop the charges. #FreeAssange”
Another quiet day in the basement for “You Ain’t Black,” “Jim Crow Joe” Biden.
Take a nap, “Sleepy Joe,” you deserve it.
No Coup D’etat in America meetings with Obama (can you say, “He violated the Logan Act, Joe?”).
No teleprompter flubs.
No press conferences.
No debates.
No “fake” defamatory accusations.
No Tara Reade facts and unimpeachable testimony.
No Joe Biden reporting the the main stream media.
No influence peddling by the Biden’s in Ukraine.
No billion dollar Chinese portfolios for Hunter.
No billion dollar quid pro quo with Ukraine.
No problems.
47 years of no problems – 47 years of nothing from “Sleepy Joe.”
Just like ya can keep you Doctor, your insurance. Or those rascally police did this without cause. Does the press have a bias, well goulllllley Jethro I don’t think so!
“Trump didn’t say it and I was there.”
“If Trump would have said that, I would have put it in my book.”
– John Bolton
___________
Put it in my book!!!
Well duuuh!!!
Whaddaya say, Jenn?
_________________
“Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.”
– Sir Walter Scott
Just keep throwing that mud against the wall and try your best to make it stick.
The accusation is so consequential and momentous, it eliminates the need for facts.
Now you know why the American Founders established a restricted-vote republic, distinctly not a one man, one vote democrazy – turnout, by design, for the election of George Washington in 1788 was 11.6%.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
“the people are nothing but a great beast…
I have learned to hold popular opinion of no value.”
– Alexander Hamilton
How about the link and a brief paragraph?
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/01/us/politics/trump-republicans.html
Professor Turkey seems to casting equal blame. I do beg to differ. What should the President do stand aside and allow the media to cast lies and aspersions and just say Oh Well thats the press you know how the hate change or WHATEVER! “NOT”
Jonathan Turley, above:
“The public is left with an incredible tale told by two equally noncredible sources. That is the real story — and a truly sad one.”
Meanwhile Julian Assange languishes in prison. Crickets from Turley, not even a tweet.
“EDITORIAL: A Trial Begins in London”
https://consortiumnews.com/2020/09/07/editorial-a-trial-begins-in-london/
Years ago, Jonathan Turley wrote the following:
“10 reasons the U.S. is no longer the land of the free”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/is-the-united-states-still-the-land-of-the-free/2012/01/04/gIQAvcD1wP_story.html
Now?
Silence is complicity, Jonathan.
I had friends who got married to escape the draft, or stayed in school, or fled to Canada . . . not so much because they were idealists, but because they didn’t want to be shot at ( evening newsreel footage was pretty scary ).
Bill Clinton wrestled with his image ( for future political reasons ) if he continued to avoid the draft, enlisted in the National Guard, and then was AWOL when he was ordered to report for basic training.
So there were numerous reasons to despise the Viet Nam War . . . maybe not so many valid reasons for despising those who did go . . or did not go
The Atlantic is an opinion magazine, not a news supplier.
Which means expect it to lie. So why bother citing it?
Young — Not so. To lie is to knowingly state an untruth.
Use the language with precision.
Or better, remain silent.
They knew they were lying. The story fell apart from its own weight within 48 hours.
On what planet, Young?
What planet? Obviously not yours. What is the home planet of the Olaf species?
Young, how could you possibly know that?
Quit Making Stuff Up.
David Benson is the God Emperor of Making Stuff Up and owes me forty-five citations (one from the OED, one from the town ordinances and two from the Old Testament), an equation and the source of a quotation, and his mental health professional certificate after eighty-eight weeks, and needs to cite all his work from now on. and is suffering from cementia – David, even the author is backing away from his story now.
Allan explained it in a post I will paste here. They knew they were lying. No attempt to defend their false statements. No surprise they were false.
Writing in the fashion of Needs to be Committed I will copy a portion of an article from the Federalist: (The difference is that this posting contains no lies and Goldberg’s quote on the subject is the complete quote in context.)
“Atlantic Editor Concedes Central Claim Of Trump Hit Piece Could Be Wrong
On Sunday, Atlantic Editor in Chief Jeffrey Goldberg admitted the White House’s account that President Trump’s trip to a cemetery of fallen World War I soldiers in France in 2018 was modified due to bad weather is probably accurate.”
In the article Bolton’s statement was read in a rather complete fashion and Jeffrey Goldberg was asked about that statement by Bolton that has been copied on this blog.
Goldberg’s answer very surprisingly was that Bolton’s statement was true. It was captured on video and his exact remark was “hm… my response is…I’m sure all those things are true” at which time Goldberg changed the subject.
https://thefederalist.com/2020/09/07/atlantic-editor-concedes-central-claim-of-trump-hit-piece-could-be-wrong/
Young — “They knew they were lying.”
You cannot possibly know that. Quit Making Stuff Up!
Admitted. I can’t know they were lying, but it was either that or they were incredibly stupid and corruptly ignoring readily available evidence to the contrary of their narrative.
Either way, they exhibited moral depravity. But lying will do.
Do you think they were telling the truth?
Young, they were Making Stuff Up. That’s different from lying. Do use a dictionary…
♏
Now you are doing a Commit. It is not a good look on you.
Please do distinguish between ‘Making Stuff Up’ and “Lying’.
Very good! This show wouldn’t be possible these days.
David Benson is the God Emperor of Making Stuff Up and owes me forty-five citations (one from the OED, one from the town ordinances and two from the Old Testament), an equation and the source of a quotation, and his mental health professional certificate after eighty-eight weeks, and needs to cite all his work from now on. and is suffering from cementia – Your cementia is kicking in, David. You, of all people, should not be talking about people making things up
omg. not this again.
It’s never gone away. 🙂
Saying it “could be wrong” isn’t an admission that it is. The WH is known for fabricating “facts” in order to back up the president even when he’s clearly lying. The WH has no credibility with its statements. That’s why saying the central claim “could be wrong”, but still falls short of outright admission that it is.
Unless the sources themselves state what the president said and given the president’s penchant for lying is well known. It is far more conceivable that it is true. After all he’s on record disparaging the military on multiple occasions.
Young, the federalist “article” contains only one paragraph and a single line being quoted.
That’s pretty sloppy in terms of a rebuttal if all they could prove is that “it could be accurate” or “could be wrong”.
None provide any admission that the claims were not true.
(music to tune of Hello Muffs, Hello Fadda)
We need Harry.
Harry Truman.
No more Hitler’s. No more Commies!
You remember… FDR…
He refused to deseg the army in the war!
Harry came thru…
Like a Man!
He dropped the nukes…
On Japland!
And .. FDR fell victim to his anti-Semite friends and supporters, like Henry Ford, and refused to permit Europe’s Jews to escape Nazis and enter the USA!
Trump supporters are not very keen on reality and they have no interest in it. They go around with their blinders on and could care less about facts, truth and reality. So, “You’ve made your bed, now lie in it”
Not only was The Atlantic’s story not confirmed by the supposed corroboration of some of the details, but there is also no way you can confirm a story premised solely on anonymous sources: A journalist cannot possibly know if he is receiving confirmation of the facts by another source, or merely hearing the same lies from the same source who peddled the initial story.
https://thefederalist.com/2020/09/07/how-the-atlantics-helicopter-hit-job-on-trump-follows-the-lefts-propaganda-playbook/
I gave up following this story a few days ago. When anonymous A says something and anonymous B,C and D, back him/her up and there are no names to A through D for anyone to question, in my world that is a rumor. And we all know how reliable rumors are.
While denouncing Trump as a pathological liar, the media have proven to be pathological liars.
That statement would be more accurate. Did Sullivan grease the skids for the false reporting we’re seeing today? The media strategy is obvious. It’s blatant propaganda intended to influence the outcome of the November 2020 election. Intentionally publish false stories that flood news feeds and social media under the control of the tech giants. Then, when retractions are made, those same tech giants control the visibility of the retractions. The damage is done. Even if there were lawsuits, those would take years to wind their way through the courts.
Democrats and their media army have done exponentially more damage to our national security, through their relentless disinformation campaign, than any foreign government could ever dream of.
While I agree with Prof. Turley that both the president and media are wrong, I don’t think the wrong are the same in terms of public interest. Citizens rely on the media’s objective to be informed and to decide whom to vote for; therefore, biased media has a huge impact to the country negatively. On the other hand, the president is a politician who is fighting for his re-election and the president’s flaw character affects mainly himself (his re-election chance). His character will be considered by the voters in the Nov election (and if the majority think he is not qualified, he will be out of the office) e.g. its negative impacts to the country is much more limited.
therefore, biased media has a huge impact to the country negatively…His character will be considered by the voters in the Nov election (and if the majority think he is not qualified, he will be out of the office)
That’s the point isn’t it. Propaganda is intended to influence people to think a particular way. Although the President is swimming against a riptide of media bias, he’s still holding his own with a large percentage of voters. Something tangible is clearly working in his favor and I believe it to be what was documented during the Republican convention. If the tables were turned and the media wasn’t doing anything to keep Biden/Harris and the Democratic party afloat, the only questions remaining at this point is whether Biden/Harris would get any electoral votes and how large a majority the Republicans would have in the Senate and the House. Same down ticket.
Olly– “Democrats and their media army have done exponentially more damage to our national security, through their relentless disinformation campaign, than any foreign government could ever dream of.”
Truer words were never spoken. That is why it is nearly impossible to think that there are any true patriots among them. Democrats and the media have lied repeatedly and consistently for four years about President Trump. If it was just to destroy one man that would be an awful sin but to do so knowing that you are planting the seeds for the destruction of your own country, causing millions of innocent people to suffer, and now supporting incredibly destructive criminal syndicates like Antifa and BLM is treasonous– perhaps not legally but certainly in all other ways.
That is why it is nearly impossible to think that there are any true patriots among them.
It would defy reality to believe otherwise. It was not so long ago that both major parties were united on the fundamental principle of forming a more perfect union. Their differences were reflected in their respective platforms to get there. Today, we find ourselves in war for the very existence of our constitutional republic. The parallels with what the founding generation battled are eerily familiar. The election in November won’t be the low point. I believe the war will get hotter regardless of the outcome.
HLM,
Here’s a great piece describing what the Left is war-gaming.
Over the summer a story was deliberately leaked to the press of a meeting at which 100 Democratic grandees, anti-Trump former Republicans, and other ruling class apparatchiks got together (on George Soros’s dime) to “game out” various outcomes of the 2020 election. One such outcome was a clear Trump win. In that eventuality, former Bill Clinton White House Chief of Staff John Podesta, playing Biden, refused to concede, pressured states that Trump won to send Democrats to the formal Electoral College vote, and trusted that the military would take care of the rest.
https://americanmind.org/essays/the-coming-coup/
And here is one shot across the bow:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/09/03/trump-stay-in-office/?arc404=true
If you haven’t heard of it, look up Transition Integrity Project. Patriots? Just the opposite.
Here’s a link:
https://www.revolver.news/2020/09/transition-integrity-project-is-this-soros-linked-group-plotting-a-color-revolution-against-president-trump/
Thanks for the link.