President Trump is back with another blatantly obvious lie.
On Wednesday, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was arrested after Ecuador revoked an asylum claim that let him live in its London embassy. The U.S. Department of Justice then charged Assange with conspiracy to hack Pentagon computers, prompting a reporter to ask Trump if he "still love[s] Wikileaks." "I know nothing about WikiLeaks. It's not my thing," Trump responded — a confusing statement given that he'd repeatedly declared his love for the site during his 2016 campaign.
By C-SPAN's count, Trump mentioned WikiLeaks at least 44 times throughout presidential debates and campaign rallies in 2016. And by NBC News' tally, he said "WikiLeaks" at least 145 times during the last month of the race alone. They weren't just innocent mentions — Trump went so far as to call Assange's site a "treasure trove" after it exposed emails from Hillary Clinton's campaign manager John Podesta, and he repeatedly said, "I love WikiLeaks." Watch a highlight reel of all that love below. Kathryn Krawczyk
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.
-
Can Trump bully Netanyahu into Gaza peace?Today's Big Question The Israeli leader was ‘strong-armed’ into new peace deal
-
‘The Taliban delivers yet another brutal blow’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Renewables top coal as Trump seeks reversalSpeed Read For the first time, renewable energy sources generated more power than coal, said a new report
-
Court allows Trump’s Texas troops to head to ChicagoSpeed Read Trump is ‘using our service members as pawns in his illegal effort to militarize our nation’s cities,’ said Gov. J.B. Pritzker
-
Judge bars Trump’s National Guard moves in OregonSpeed Read In an emergency hearing, a federal judge blocked President Donald Trump from sending National Guard troops into Portland
-
Museum head ousted after Trump sword gift denialSpeed Read Todd Arrington, who led the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, denied the Trump administration a sword from the collection as a gift for King Charles
-
Trump declares ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartelsspeed read This provides a legal justification for recent lethal military strikes on three alleged drug trafficking boats
-
Supreme Court rules for Fed’s Cook in Trump feudSpeed Read Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook can remain in her role following Trump’s attempts to oust her
-
Judge rules Trump illegally targeted Gaza protestersSpeed Read The Trump administration’s push to arrest and deport international students for supporting Palestine is deemed illegal
-
Trump: US cities should be military ‘training grounds’Speed Read In a hastily assembled summit, Trump said he wants the military to fight the ‘enemy within’ the US
-
US government shuts down amid health care standoffSpeed Read Democrats said they won’t vote for a deal that doesn’t renew Affordable Care Act health care subsidies
