Trump's own staffers are reportedly feeding him 'fake news'
White House officials barely managed to stop President Trump from tweeting about a widely circulated internet hoax after a printout of the hoax was left on his desk by his deputy national security adviser, Politico reports. Trump had believed the printout was real and that it highlighted the media's hypocrisy; the hoax depicted two Time magazine covers, a recent one warning about the dangers of global warming and a seemingly contradictory, but fake, cover from 1977 warning about the coming ice age:
"While the specific cover is fake, it is true there was a period in the '70s when people were predicting an ice age," a White House official later defended to Politico. "The broader point I think was accurate."
Yet the incident is only the most recent in a flood of near-misses stemming from staffers intentionally leaving dubious articles that fuel their own agendas on the president's desk in the hopes of swaying his opinion and policies. Chief of Staff Reince Priebus recently asked staff to follow the often-ignored laws that require a proper catalog of what lands on the president's desk: "They have this system in place to get things on his desk now," a White House official said. "I'm not sure anyone follows it."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
In another instance, the president received a news printout claiming without evidence that Deputy Chief of Staff Katie Walsh was behind the White House leaks, prompting Trump to begin inquiries. And in another case, Trump was slipped a New York Times op-ed by four of his former economic advisers and after reading it, Trump immediately demanded their proposal be his official tax plan.
Ultimately, it was. "I've probably written 1,000 op-eds on my life but that might have been the most impactful," marveled one of the authors, Stephen Moore.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
Are 'judge shopping' rules a blow to Republicans?
Today's Big Question How the abortion pill case got to the Supreme Court
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Climate change is driving Indian women to choose sterilization
under the radar Faced with losing their jobs, they are making a life-altering decision
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
'A great culture will be lost if the EV brigade gets its way'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Trump, billions richer, is selling Bibles
Speed Read The former president is hawking a $60 "God Bless the USA Bible"
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump gets $289M break, first criminal trial date
Speed Read The former president's fraud bond has been reduced to $175 million from $464 million
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US-Israel rift widens after UN cease-fire resolution
Speed Read The U.S. declined to veto a U.N. resolution calling for a two-week "immediate cease-fire" in Gaza
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
New Jersey first lady exits race to replace Menendez
Speed Read Tammy Murphy dropping out paves the way for Rep. Andy Kim to become the state's next senator
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Russia blames Ukraine for deadly ISIS Moscow attack
Speed Read Putin has ignored the Islamic State's claim of responsibility for the concert hall shooting
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump-RNC pact puts Trump legal bills ahead of GOP
Speed Read The former president has struck a deal with the Republican National Committee to put donations toward his legal bills
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Vietnam president resigns amid scandal
Speed Read Vietnam loses its second president in two years as Vo Van Thuong steps down
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Texas migrant law in limbo after Supreme Court OK
Speed Read The law has been blocked again, mere hours after the Supreme Court allowed the state to arrest migrants
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published