Fake News Awards? Don’t Roll Out the Red Carpet Just Yet
- 6 years ago
Fake News Awards? Don’t Roll Out the Red Carpet Just Yet
Two Republicans from Arizona, Senator John McCain and Senator Jeff Flake, denounced Mr. Trump’s anti-press attacks, with Mr. Flake noting in a speech on the Senate floor on Wednesday
that the president had borrowed a term from Stalin to describe the media: “enemy of the people.” (Ms. Sanders shot back at Mr. Flake on Wednesday, saying, “We welcome access to the media every day.”)
Adding to the drama, White House aides remained silent on the details, unwilling even to confirm the fact that the awards would happen at all.
Late-night comedy shows created satirical Emmys-style advertising campaigns to snag what some referred to as a coveted “Fakey.”
“The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” bought a billboard in Times Square, nominating itself in categories like “Least Breitbarty”
and “Corruptest Fakeness.” Jimmy Kimmel, who has emerged as a Trump bête noire, called it “the Stupid People’s Choice Awards.”
Politico reported that the awards could even pose an ethical issue for White House aides, with some experts arguing
that the event would breach a ban on government officials using their office to explicitly promote or deride private organizations.
So when the White House released Mr. Trump’s Wednesday schedule without any mention of an awards ceremony
intended to denigrate the media, there was some suspicion that the festivities may not be fully cooked.
“We’ll keep you guys posted,” Mr. Trump’s press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, said at an afternoon press
briefing, after attempting, repeatedly, to duck a question about the matter from a Fox News reporter.
President Trump — who gleefully questioned President Barack Obama’s birthplace for years without evidence, long insisted on the guilt of the Central Park Five despite exonerating proof and claimed
that millions of illegal ballots cost him the popular vote in 2016 — wanted to have a word with the American public about accuracy in reporting.
Two Republicans from Arizona, Senator John McCain and Senator Jeff Flake, denounced Mr. Trump’s anti-press attacks, with Mr. Flake noting in a speech on the Senate floor on Wednesday
that the president had borrowed a term from Stalin to describe the media: “enemy of the people.” (Ms. Sanders shot back at Mr. Flake on Wednesday, saying, “We welcome access to the media every day.”)
Adding to the drama, White House aides remained silent on the details, unwilling even to confirm the fact that the awards would happen at all.
Late-night comedy shows created satirical Emmys-style advertising campaigns to snag what some referred to as a coveted “Fakey.”
“The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” bought a billboard in Times Square, nominating itself in categories like “Least Breitbarty”
and “Corruptest Fakeness.” Jimmy Kimmel, who has emerged as a Trump bête noire, called it “the Stupid People’s Choice Awards.”
Politico reported that the awards could even pose an ethical issue for White House aides, with some experts arguing
that the event would breach a ban on government officials using their office to explicitly promote or deride private organizations.
So when the White House released Mr. Trump’s Wednesday schedule without any mention of an awards ceremony
intended to denigrate the media, there was some suspicion that the festivities may not be fully cooked.
“We’ll keep you guys posted,” Mr. Trump’s press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, said at an afternoon press
briefing, after attempting, repeatedly, to duck a question about the matter from a Fox News reporter.
President Trump — who gleefully questioned President Barack Obama’s birthplace for years without evidence, long insisted on the guilt of the Central Park Five despite exonerating proof and claimed
that millions of illegal ballots cost him the popular vote in 2016 — wanted to have a word with the American public about accuracy in reporting.