American Conservative Union chairman Matt Schlapp and his wife, an employee of Team Trump, walked out of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner during Michelle Wolf’s performance on Sunday night.
He said he’d had enough of “elites mocking all of us.” She said it’s “why America hates the out-of-touch leftist media elites.”
And, beyond just being offended by the nastiness of the comedian’s barbs, Schlapp had a problem with her calling out lies. He went on CNN on Monday to explain himself. One comment he made really resonated on social media:
‘Just present the facts and let the American people decide if they think someone’s lying. Journalists shouldn’t be the one to say the president or his spokesperson is lying.’
If you just muttered “huh?” to yourself, you’re not alone.
Host Alisyn Camerota offered up her measured response: “I understand that debate. Obviously, we’re fact-based, so when the president is fact-free or he doesn’t stick to the facts, we do have to call that out.”
……..
Nevertheless, Schlapp stood by his hot take:
I stand by that statement. Lying implies motive. Just cover the facts no matter how ugly and let the voters decide motives and intent. https://t.co/69lUe4KXxR
— Matt Schlapp (@mschlapp) April 30, 2018
Watch the full exchange, which includes a grilling from Chris Cuomo that followed the Camerota interview:
- Discussion
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Right-wing lobbyist: It’s not a journalist’s job to point out when the president lies https://t.co/fHRlelvRlB
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) April 30, 2018
In other remarks, Comrade Schlapp reminded the Union of Journalists to concentrate instead on reporting more important news, like the efforts of the Order of the Red Banner Factory Number 7 to overfulfill their quota for harvest machinery in this third year of the Five Year Plan https://t.co/mUKfT6nTxa
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) April 30, 2018
I stand by that statement. Lying implies motive. Just cover the facts no matter how ugly and let the voters decide motives and intent. https://t.co/69lUe4KXxR
— Matt Schlapp (@mschlapp) April 30, 2018
No sooner did I do that joke than he pulls the Trumpian double-down. https://t.co/PyN9RHJl0l
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) April 30, 2018
Matt Schlapp in 2015: "Media’s ?s are Constitutional safeguard against leaders (like The Clintons) who seek to rule free from scrutiny or accountability."
Matt Schlapp now: https://t.co/cmWUyahYgr pic.twitter.com/dtnAeiwouB
— Eric Hananoki (@ehananoki) April 30, 2018
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