AROUND THE BLOCK
News with a Twist
Trump special advisor defends attacks on media
Conway claims we give “alternative facts”
Following a contentious appearance by Kellyanne Conway on Meet the Press on Sunday, the concept of fake news, and who perpetuates it, took on an added dimension.
Trump and his team have been altering facts for quite some time, earning record numbers of “Pinocchios” from the Washington Post and “Pants on Fire” ratings from Politco, two media organizations that monitor and grade public statements for veracity.
Despite their own record of shading the truth, the Trump camp has consistently accused the mainstream media of dealing in fake or phony news, particularly when that news does not suit them.
In her Meet the Press appearance with moderator Chuck Todd, Ms. Conway, special advisor to the President, defended comments by White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer regarding the inauguration crowd size, calling his pronouncements “alternative facts.”
On Saturday Spicer, said that Mr. Trump had drawn “the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration,” a statement that photographs clearly show to be false.
Mr. Spicer went on to say that photographs of the inaugural ceremonies were deliberately framed “to minimize the enormous support that had gathered on the National Mall,” although he provided no proof of either assertion.
Challenged by Todd on Sunday as to why Spicer was asked to go to the podium and offer falsehoods, Conway said, “Sean Spicer, our press secretary, gave alternative facts.”
To his credit, Todd replied “Alternative facts? Alternative facts are not facts. They’re falsehoods.”
Around the Block, in an exclusive, has uncovered the reason why the Trump administration is embracing “alternative facts” in their day-to-day dealings with the media.
Sources inside the Trump White House told Around the Block, on the condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak, that the President has hired Lewis Carroll III, great-great-great grandson of Lewis Carroll, author of fantasy stories like Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland, to provide alternative facts to counter real facts promulgated by the media.
According to insiders, the younger Carroll, known inside the West Wing as Lew “Mad Hatter” Carroll (not to be confused with Secretary of Defense designee James “Mad Dog” Mattis), has, paraphrasing his great-great-great grandfather, established the following mantra for all White House communications going forward:
“In the Trump world, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn’t. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn’t be. And what it wouldn’t be, it would. You see?”
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