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The Media Finally Figured Out How to Rattle Donald Trump
At issue during this Press Conference was the Republican Presidential Candidate's often-repeated and very public boast about raising six million dollars for Veterans instead of attending the last debate in Iowa, hosted by Fox. A subsequent investigation by the Washington Post tried to track down the money, but could only account for roughly half of the money. The Trump campaign responded by stonewalling reporters, offering a lower estimate of the amount raised, and Trump only cut the one million that he promised to donate himself just this last week (along with about a dozen other checks that same day).
The Press Conference initially consisted of Donald Trump reading off the 41 veterans groups which received donations for a total 5.6 million - still shy of the 6 million claim, but close enough. The "official" Trump story (at least as of today) is full of inaccuracies and pants-on-fire lies, but the most important thing is that the Veterans got their money.
So kudos to the media for holding his feet to the fire. When you try to use the veterans as a political prop for your campaign by claiming to raise money for them, then you had better damn well send them the money.
But then, the Press Conference took a fairly typical turn when Donald Trump started to attack the media. And normally, when Trump attacks the media, he does so from a dais surrounded by thousands of supporters where the reporters are unable to respond. Tuesday was different because when Trump attacked them this time, they were standing right there and could fire back.
Kudos to the Media.
Donald Trump, to his credit, makes himself readily available to the press. This does not always mean that the press always makes the most of Trump’s availabilities or that Trump uses the time to offer thoughtful responses. At his not-infrequent press conferences, Trump typically babbles about his greatness and the weakness of his opponents, and the press laughs along with the shtick, gets its quotes, and moves along.
Tuesday’s conference was different. It was contentious and uncomfortable, which is to say it was the best Trump press conference yet.
At issue during this Press Conference was the Republican Presidential Candidate's often-repeated and very public boast about raising six million dollars for Veterans instead of attending the last debate in Iowa, hosted by Fox. A subsequent investigation by the Washington Post tried to track down the money, but could only account for roughly half of the money. The Trump campaign responded by stonewalling reporters, offering a lower estimate of the amount raised, and Trump only cut the one million that he promised to donate himself just this last week (along with about a dozen other checks that same day).
The Press Conference initially consisted of Donald Trump reading off the 41 veterans groups which received donations for a total 5.6 million - still shy of the 6 million claim, but close enough. The "official" Trump story (at least as of today) is full of inaccuracies and pants-on-fire lies, but the most important thing is that the Veterans got their money.
So kudos to the media for holding his feet to the fire. When you try to use the veterans as a political prop for your campaign by claiming to raise money for them, then you had better damn well send them the money.
But then, the Press Conference took a fairly typical turn when Donald Trump started to attack the media. And normally, when Trump attacks the media, he does so from a dais surrounded by thousands of supporters where the reporters are unable to respond. Tuesday was different because when Trump attacked them this time, they were standing right there and could fire back.
Jim Acosta [whom Trump mocked as a "real beauty"], of CNN, asked, "You seem to be resistant to this kind of scrutiny, the kind of scrutiny that comes with running for President of the United States."
Tom Llamas [whom Trump referred to as a "real sleeze"], of ABC, asked, "You said you had raised $6 million. Clearly you had not. Your critics say you tend to exaggerate and have a problem with the truth. Is this a prime example?"
Carl Cameron, of Fox News, wanted to know why Trump was treating questions as attacks and another reporter wanted to know if Trump would need thicker skin as president
Kudos to the Media.