Imagine, if you will, a world where the media took claims of President John F. Kennedy abusing women seriously. Or reported on rumors that President Bill Clinton was treating young White House interns like his own personal playthings.
You might call such a world one filled with journalistic integrity. But, as we know by history, that’s not how the press handled those presidents’ affairs. Instead, they provided cover, tossing newspaper over the lurid deeds.
But that same standard doesn’t apply to First Lady Melania Trump. For the past few days, the media has been stoking a vicious rumor that the First Lady had gone into hiding after undergoing surgery. This happened, despite Melania making a public appearance during an event closed to the press. (RELATED: CNN Claims Melania Trump Hiding from Public Despite Being Seen at White House).
The number one backer of the conspiracy was Brian Stelter of CNN, who zealously speculated that Melania was buried in a hole somewhere:
If any First Lady “disappeared,” you’d “want to know where she is.” Here’s our @CNN discussion: https://t.co/qCLndJKRMp pic.twitter.com/eJ5KY0xTzu
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) June 3, 2018
It didn’t stop there. Some journalists openly speculated that Melania was being abused by Trump:
I wish that I didn’t suspect that the prolonged, poorly explained public absence of Melania Trump could be about concealing abuse. I wish that it was a ludicrous prospect. I wish that the @POTUS wasn’t a man with a history of abusing women, including those to whom he is married.
— Jamil Smith (@JamilSmith) June 3, 2018
Suppose President Trump punched the First Lady in the White House (federal property = federal jurisdiction), then ordered the Secret Service to conceal the assault. POTUS has Article II authority over Secret Service. Is that obstruction? Under Sekulow/Dowd, apparently NO
— David Frum (@davidfrum) June 2, 2018
These are horrible rumors spread by men considered journalists. I know it’s a tired game, but imagine if any journalist speculated Obama was abusing Michelle. The screaming and cries of terror would never cease.
President Trump finally had enough of the malicious rumormongering, and lashed out over Twitter:
The Fake News Media has been so unfair, and vicious, to my wife and our great First Lady, Melania. During her recovery from surgery they reported everything from near death, to facelift, to left the W.H. (and me) for N.Y. or Virginia, to abuse. All Fake, she is doing really well!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 6, 2018
…Four reporters spotted Melania in the White House last week walking merrily along to a meeting. They never reported the sighting because it would hurt the sick narrative that she was living in a different part of the world, was really ill, or whatever. Fake News is really bad!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 6, 2018
This understandable response prompted Stelter to tweet the following “who, me?” rejoinder.
Trump is conflating random Twitter commenters with “the media” here. A common tactic of bad faith critics. But disappointing to see POTUS do it. pic.twitter.com/7tWObMmUdD
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) June 6, 2018
Seeing as how Stelter was one of the most prominent journalists to speculate about Melania’s absence, this is really rich coming from him.
But now it looks like Trump had another motivation for sending those tweets. Maggie Haberman, the New York Times reporter who has been connected to Trump for years, tweeted out the following:
So you’re saying someone is writing a story you’re trying to pre-empt… https://t.co/s17jc8YhdT
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) June 6, 2018
Remember, Haberman is super familiar with Trump world. She may know an explosive report is coming about a strained relationship between Trump and Melania.
What do you think? Is the media trying to smear Trump again? Tell us your thoughts below!
