By only saying fake news in response to reports that he is actively trying to obstruct justice, Trump confirmed that he is committing an impeachable offense.
When Trump says fake news, he is confirming a report
Trump replied when asked about a report that he tried to obstruct justice in the Michael Cohen investigation, “No. Not at all. I don’t know who gave you that. That’s more fake news. There’s a lot of fake news out there. No, I didn’t…I have a lot of respect for Mr. Whitaker. He’s done a great job. He’s a very, very straight shooter. I watched him during the hearing, some of it. I thought he was exceptional. He’s a very fine man, and he should be given a lot of thanks by our nation.”
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All Trump can say is "fake news" in response to a report about his campaign to obstruct justice. pic.twitter.com/KFjT3SPMqY
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— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) February 19, 2019
One of the consistent patterns to emerge in Trump’s presidency is that when he claims a report is “fake news,” it is usually true. A very damaging story gets called fake because Trump’s main go-to move is not to argue facts but to discredit sources. Trump spent more time in his answer denying the characterization of his relationship with Whitaker than denying the report that he is waging a campaign of obstruction of justice.
Trump is interfering in investigations and obstructing justice
Trump’s behavior has been so troublesome that his own White House is worried that Mueller is going to bust the president for obstructing justice. Donald Trump has spent years demanding loyalty and trying to put loyalists in high ranking positions. Trump’s biggest complaint about former attorney general Jeff Sessions is that he recused himself from the Russia investigation and didn’t do enough to protect the president.
Donald Trump could have said more than fake news, but the fact that he tried to discredit the source, instead of supporting the investigations, confirms that this president is obstructing justice.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
