Jeryl Bier reports that no, Trump’s lawyers did not send a threatening letter to Berkeley Breathed, creator of “Bloom County.”
No, the Pope didn’t refuse to smile during his meeting with President Trump.
No, the Trump administration didn’t make a long, diva-ish list of demands to the Israelis before his visit.
No, Trump did not praise the Civil War service of Colonel Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken.
No, Trump did not plagiarize his inaugural address from the film Avatar.
No, President Trump is not planning on banning Facebook.
Nor did Trump legalize the hunting of bald eagles.
No, FBI Director James Comey did not tweet about the “pee tape” before he was fired.
No, a little girl did not tell the president that he’s “a disgrace to the world.”
Fake news didn’t get invented in the fall of 2016. Throughout the campaign, plenty of liberals fell for “satire” stories about the GOP presidential candidates, and shared them as if they were actual news. And yes, many Trump voters eagerly shared news that the Pope had endorsed him, that Robert DeNiro had apologized to him, etc.
Trump has plenty of serious flaws as president. But he’s only helped when liberals who are convinced they’re crafting a hilarious hoax end up creating what becomes “fake news” – and the legitimate criticism of his actual actions get mixed in with tall tales and urban legends.
And if Trump is so self-evidently awful, why do so many of his opponents feel the need to make up hoax stories about him?