President Trump on Monday lashed out at a Time magazine columnist who completely fabricated a quote in which the former supposedly compared Joe Biden unfavorably to North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.
Ian Bremmer, who also lists himself as a political scientist, posted the quote to social media where it quickly went viral and was used by prominent media members as an example of the President being unhinged.
The fake statement read, “President Trump in Tokyo: ‘Kim Jong Un is smarter and would make a better President than Sleepy Joe Biden.'”
Bremmer provided no disclaimer indicating the tweet was satirical in nature and instead presented it as a straight quote. As a member of the blue checkmark media on Twitter, people took it seriously.
Bremmer left the quote up for several hours before declaring that he was simply trying to make a point that the idea of Trump saying this was “completely ludicrous” and “yet kinda plausible.”
That’s not how the media and reporting works – or should work – Chief.
Libs Bought It – Hook, Line, and Sinker
The anti-Trump left bought Bremmer’s fake quote without even bothering to question the accuracy of a “completely ludicrous” statement.
Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu and CNN contributor Ana Navarro shared Bremmer’s tweet and had to be called out for it.
Fantastic social experiment by @ianbremmer
Shows that members of Congress like @tedlieu will share fabricated quotes and never fact check or confirm.
Democrats are all Alex Jones! pic.twitter.com/SAsdXtZ2DE
— Mike Cernovich (@Cernovich) May 26, 2019
Navarro, a CNN contributor and co-host of ‘The View’ who suffers from acute Trump Derangement Syndrome on the daily, not only shared the fake news but went on a crazed rant about the President.
“Don’t shrug your shoulders,” she told followers of the made-up quote. This “IS NOT FREAKING NORMAL.”
Fact checking is too hard for Ana Navarro, who will regurgitate anything to support her narrative that Orange Man Bad. pic.twitter.com/NLJqyWMz4k
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) May 26, 2019
Joshua Holland, a contributor to ‘The Nation,’ responded: “It’s pretty amazing to consider what Republicans are OK with.”
Trump Responds
President Trump hit back hard against Bremmer’s clear case of journalistic malpractice, even suggesting libel laws in America need to be changed to combat ‘fake news.’
“This is what’s going on in the age of Fake News,” he wrote. “People think they can say anything and get away with it. Really, the libel laws should be changed to hold Fake News Media accountable!”
Bremmer responded by admitting the President was right but adding it was all “meant in jest.”
My tweet yesterday about Trump preferring Kim Jong Un to Biden as President was meant in jest. The President correctly quoted me as saying it was a “completely ludicrous” statement. I should have been clearer. My apologies.
— ian bremmer (@ianbremmer) May 27, 2019
Bremmer previously praised Trump for his diplomatic efforts on the Korean peninsula, claiming he should be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
In hindsight, perhaps that statement was ‘meant in jest’ as well.
