Trump tweeted this morning that “negative polls are fake news.” What’s the real story?

What’s going on?

Trump was responding to a CNN poll which said that 55% of Americans view Trump’s travel/immigration ban executive order as an attempt to keep Muslims out of the country. It also indicated that 53% of Americans oppose it, compared with 47% who approve–not exactly an overwhelming majority given the error margin of such polls.

Why is it important?

Given the extent to which last year’s election was influenced by the proliferation of so-called “fake news”–which would be better described as “propaganda”–it’s clear now that Trump and his administration have glommed onto the idea as a useful tactic for themselves. Pro-Trump articles are “fake news”? Well, fine: everything against Trump is “fake news.” So far, the administration has shown an astonishing willingness to simply make things up on the fly, and to dismiss substantive criticism with claims that everyone else is lying. What they attack in others is what they loathe about themselves.

What can I do?

As always: spread the truth! Don’t let people get away with spreading lies and propaganda. Spread accurate reporting yourself, through the means available to you. It is particularly known to aggravate Trump when he senses that public sentiment is against him. Use that to your advantage and do your part to remind him that facts are facts whether he believes them or not.

Photo by dullhunk