Do you believe "everyone" attending the Group of 20 summit is talking about John Podesta's refusal to hand over the DNC server to the FBI and CIA?
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That's what Donald Trump tweeted today ahead of his momentous meeting with Vladimir Putin.
How did Podesta, who had no connection to the DNC during the presidential campaign, jump ahead of issues such as globalization, trade, climate change, security, demonstrators and North Korean missile launches?
Sounds like Fake News to me.
But in President Trump's alternate reality, the Podesta tweet makes sense. Of course, nobody at the G20 was talking about Podesta. That's beside the point.
During the campaign, Trump promised win after win after win. Once in office, he's delivered distraction after distraction after distraction.
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The Podesta tweet is part of Trump's distraction strategy, which combined with an all-out war on the press, is designed to keep the focus off his sorry legislative record and lack of political accomplishments.
Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch is Trump's only achievement. Obamacare remains the law of the land. Promises of a tax overhaul, revitalized coal sector and infrastructure program remain promises.
And what of the topics on the G20 agenda? Does Trump have a policy on globalization, trade, climate change and North Korea? What about Russian meddling in the election? Podesta is one juicy target for the commander-in-chief.
Pam Vogel blogged on the mediamatters.org site that Trump is staking his presidency on a never-ending war with the press as part of his campaign against an informed public.
But his war with the press is more of a war on truth. Trump tries to delegitimize journalism outlets such as the New York Times (failing), CNN (wrestling match logo) and MSNBC (attacks on Mike Brzezinski).
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"Trump’s actions are straight out of the authoritarian playbook, and their goal is to denigrate and delegitimize the news media while simultaneously building an alternative media of sycophants," wrote Vogel.
Facts are the enemy of Trump World. Vogel wrote: "And if the press doesn’t stand up to these clear attempts at mimicking the media environment of an authoritarian state, facts will soon become indistinguishable from lies."
Sad.
Husch Blackwell Strategies has added FleishmanHillard alum Michael Slatin as a principal in its public affairs group.
Rory Cooper, a veteran Republican operative and policy specialist, has joined Teneo’s Washington office as senior managing director in its strategy & communications practice.
Brian Fallon, who served as national press secretary for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential run, is signing on next month as Vice President’s Kamala Harris’ campaign communications director.
TikTok is nothing more than a Chinese propaganda tool that poses “a grave threat to America’s national security and, in particular, impressionable children and young adults,” say two Congressmen who want the platform registered as a foreign agent.
Public Strategies Washington has added Abbie Sorrendino, a former aide to now Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
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