Does the Media Lie About Donald Trump?

CNN’s Dana Bash claims that the media doesn’t lie about Donald Trump and just lets “him speak for himself.” Here’s nine prime examples of the media mutilating Trump’s words.

SOURCES:

Dana Bash claims “there aren’t media lies” about Donald Trump. “We play him, and we let him speak for himself”: https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2024/08/11/sen_jd_vance_targets_harriswalz_during_sunday_talk_show_appearances_.html

1) The media widely reported that Trump called immigrants “animals”: https://www.google.com/search?q=Trump+called+immigrants+%E2%80%9Canimals%E2%80%9D&newwindow=1&sca_esv=77d6260ac296d3e1&sca_upv=1&biw=1260&bih=1011&source=lnt&tbs=cdr%3A1%2Ccd_min%3A1%2F21%2F2017%2Ccd_max%3A9%2F2%2F2024&tbm=nws

In reality, Trump used the word “animals” to describe murderous illegal aliens like MS-13 gang members — not immigrants in general: https://rumble.com/v4luur5-nine-times-the-media-demonized-trump-by-quoting-him-out-of-context.html?start=69

2) The media widely reported that Trump threatened a “bloodbath” if he loses the election: https://www.google.com/search?q=Trump+%E2%80%9Cbloodbath%E2%80%9D+if+he+loses+the+election&newwindow=1&sca_esv=77d6260ac296d3e1&sca_upv=1&biw=1260&bih=1011&tbs=cdr%3A1%2Ccd_min%3A1%2F21%2F2017%2Ccd_max%3A9%2F2%2F2024&tbm=nws&ei=S_nWZt2UOv7ekPIPvNDjkQ0&ved=0ahUKEwid5tzr26aIAxV-L0QIHTzoONIQ4dUDCA4&uact=5&oq=Trump+%E2%80%9Cbloodbath%E2%80%9D+if+he+loses+the+election&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LW5ld3MiLlRydW1wIOKAnGJsb29kYmF0aOKAnSBpZiBoZSBsb3NlcyB0aGUgZWxlY3Rpb25IweILUMK7C1jV2wtwA3gAkAEAmAFQoAGPBKoBATm4AQPIAQD4AQL4AQGYAgCgAgCYAwCIBgGSBwCgB_oI&sclient=gws-wiz-news

In reality, Trump used the term “bloodbath” to describe what four more years of Biden’s policies would do to the United States, particularly to the auto industry: https://rumble.com/v578tze-the-bloodbath-hoax.html

3) The media widely reported that Trump “praised white supremacists” as “very fine people”:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/15/us/politics/trump-charlottesville-white-nationalists.html
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/08/trump-defends-white-nationalist-protesters-some-very-fine-people-on-both-sides/537012/
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-lashes-alt-left-charlottesville-fine-people-sides/story?id=49235032
https://thepublicsradio.org/article/scott-mackay-commentary-sorry-president-trump-nazis-are-not-fine-people/
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/videos/a57034/trump-charlottesville-both-sides/
https://www.wired.com/story/trump-silicon-valley-elon-musk-neo-nazis-fine-people/
https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/11/politics/donald-trump-charlottesville-one-year-later/index.html
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/first-read/has-trump-lost-his-moral-authority-good-n793121

In reality, Trump called them “very bad people,” stated that he “condemned” them, and said that the “very fine people” were those who showed up to “innocently” protest: https://www.justfactsdaily.com/media-and-politicians-twist-trumps-words-about-charlottesville

4) The media widely reported that Trump said he would use the FBI and the DOJ to go after his political opponents: https://www.google.com/search?q=Trump+FBI++DOJ+political+opponents&newwindow=1&sca_esv=77d6260ac296d3e1&sca_upv=1&biw=1260&bih=1011&tbs=cdr%3A1%2Ccd_min%3A1%2F21%2F2017%2Ccd_max%3A9%2F2%2F2024&tbm=nws&ei=o_rWZt23MtGgkPIP5I7vaQ&ved=0ahUKEwidldmP3aaIAxVREEQIHWTHOw0Q4dUDCA4&uact=5&oq=Trump+FBI++DOJ+political+opponents&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LW5ld3MiIlRydW1wIEZCSSAgRE9KIHBvbGl0aWNhbCBvcHBvbmVudHNIjJEDUPjLAlifjANwAXgAkAEAmAFqoAHoA6oBAzcuMbgBA8gBAPgBAvgBAZgCAKACAJgDAIgGAZIHAKAH0AQ&sclient=gws-wiz-news

In reality, Trump said that Biden sicced the FBI and DOJ on his political opponents, and this could “happen in reverse,” but “the people aren’t going to stand for it”: https://okmagazine.com/p/donald-trump-unleashes-president-joe-biden-calls-him-corrupt/

5) The media widely reported that Trump told governors to “dominate protesters” during the 2020 George Floyd riots: https://www.google.com/search?q=Trump+%E2%80%9Cdominate+protesters%E2%80%9D&newwindow=1&sca_esv=77d6260ac296d3e1&sca_upv=1&biw=1260&bih=1011&tbs=cdr%3A1%2Ccd_min%3A1%2F21%2F2017%2Ccd_max%3A9%2F2%2F2024&tbm=nws&ei=S_vWZtn8CvXckPIPjsb08As&ved=0ahUKEwiZzr_f3aaIAxV1LkQIHQ4jHb4Q4dUDCA4&uact=5&oq=Trump+%E2%80%9Cdominate+protesters%E2%80%9D&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LW5ld3MiH1RydW1wIOKAnGRvbWluYXRlIHByb3Rlc3RlcnPigJ1IzZwDUNC6AljDlgNwBHgAkAEAmAFKoAHaAqoBATa4AQPIAQD4AQL4AQGYAgCgAgCYAwCIBgGSBwCgB7wD&sclient=gws-wiz-news

CNN’s Anderson Cooper took it another step further by saying that Trump “seems to think that dominating black people, dominating peaceful protesters is law and order”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMrImA2DPy8

In reality, Trump stated he is an “ally of all peaceful protesters” and that governors have a duty to protect “innocent people” from “professional anarchists, violent mobs, arsonists, looters”: https://www.justfactsdaily.com/media-outlets-stir-racial-strife-slander-trump

6) The media widely reported that Trump encouraged the Capitol Hill riot by urging his supporters to “fight like hell”: https://www.google.com/search?q=Trump+%E2%80%9Cfight+like+hell%E2%80%9D&newwindow=1&sca_esv=77d6260ac296d3e1&sca_upv=1&biw=1260&bih=1011&tbs=cdr%3A1%2Ccd_min%3A1%2F21%2F2017%2Ccd_max%3A9%2F2%2F2024&tbm=nws&ei=tvvWZo_zO_qwur8P6OyqyAE&ved=0ahUKEwiPpvOS3qaIAxV6mO4BHWi2ChkQ4dUDCA4&oq=Trump+%E2%80%9Cfight+like+hell%E2%80%9D&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LW5ld3MiG1RydW1wIOKAnGZpZ2h0IGxpa2UgaGVsbOKAnUiWalD5DVj5HHAAeACQAQCYAT6gAdECqgEBN7gBDMgBAPgBAfgBApgCAqACbsICCxAAGIAEGJECGIoFwgIUEAAYgAQYkQIYsQMYgwEYxwMYigXCAggQABiABBixA8ICBRAAGIAEwgIREAAYgAQYsQMYgwEYxwMYigXCAgsQABiABBixAxiDAcICDhAAGIAEGLEDGIMBGMcDmAMAiAYBkgcBMqAHzg0&sclient=gws-wiz-news

In reality, Trump told his supporters to march “over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard”: https://www.justfactsdaily.com/the-new-york-times-brazenly-false-fact-check-about-trumps-impeachment-trial

7) The media widely reported that Trump vowed to “be a dictator on day one”: https://www.google.com/search?q=Trump+dictator+on+day+one&newwindow=1&sca_esv=77d6260ac296d3e1&sca_upv=1&biw=1260&bih=1011&tbs=cdr%3A1%2Ccd_min%3A1%2F21%2F2017%2Ccd_max%3A9%2F2%2F2024&tbm=nws&ei=8vvWZuuTO4zgkPIPvI7J6A4&ved=0ahUKEwjr1MCv3qaIAxUMMEQIHTxHEu0Q4dUDCA4&uact=5&oq=Trump+dictator+on+day+one&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LW5ld3MiGVRydW1wIGRpY3RhdG9yIG9uIGRheSBvbmVIoDJQ2RtY2RtwAngAkAEAmAFPoAGzAaoBATO4AQPIAQD4AQL4AQGYAgCgAgCYAwCIBgGSBwCgB94B&sclient=gws-wiz-news

IN FACT, Trump said he is “NOT going to be a dictator” “except for day one” to “close the border” and “drill, drill, drill.” The interviewer replied, “That sounds to me that you’re going back to the policies when you were president,” and Trump said, “That’s exactly right”: https://rumble.com/v3zwrgs-trump-promises-not-to-be-a-dictator-except-for-day-one-.html

8) The media widely reported that Trump called for Russia to hack Hillary Clinton’s emails: https://www.google.com/search?q=Trump+Russia+to+hack+Hillary+Clinton%E2%80%99s+emails&newwindow=1&sca_esv=77d6260ac296d3e1&sca_upv=1&biw=1260&bih=1011&tbs=cdr%3A1%2Ccd_min%3A1%2F21%2F2017%2Ccd_max%3A9%2F2%2F2024&tbm=nws&ei=SPzWZoOOHe3ZkPIPgPKOmAU&ved=0ahUKEwiD0qPY3qaIAxXtLEQIHQC5A1MQ4dUDCA4&uact=5&oq=Trump+Russia+to+hack+Hillary+Clinton%E2%80%99s+emails&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LW5ld3MiL1RydW1wIFJ1c3NpYSB0byBoYWNrIEhpbGxhcnkgQ2xpbnRvbuKAmXMgZW1haWxzSJciUNEUWNEUcAB4AJABAJgBQ6ABpwGqAQEzuAEDyAEA-AEC-AEBmAIAoAIAmAMAiAYBkgcAoAfeAQ&sclient=gws-wiz-news

In reality, Trump repeatedly stated that China, Russia, or an independent hacker has probably ALREADY hacked Clinton’s illegal email server, and if they did, they should release the 33,000 emails that Clinton destroyed after she received a subpoena for them: https://rumble.com/v2uoksw-full-context-of-trumps-remarks-about-hillary-clintons-emails-and-russia.html

9) The media widely reported that Trump told Republicans to vote against a border security bill because he didn’t want the crisis fixed while Biden was president:
https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/06/politics/trump-republicans-immigration/index.html
https://time.com/6589254/border-biden-texas-trump/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2024/01/31/trump-republicans-stall-biden-bipartisan-border-reform/72400737007/
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/donald-trump-republicans-border
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/07/briefing/republican-border-bill-ukraine.html
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/immoral-republicans-rebuke-efforts-kill-immigration-deal-help-trump-rcna135732
https://www.axios.com/2024/01/26/border-crisis-security-senate-texas
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/02/08/biden-border-trump-immigration/bf536878-c641-11ee-bbc9-9b5ca9b20779_story.html
https://www.thedailybeast.com/gop-blames-biden-for-border-crisis-that-gop-refuses-to-solve
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2024/02/why-republicans-dont-want-to-solve-the-border-problem.html

In reality, the bill was loaded with loopholes that permit & reward illegal immigration: https://x.com/ChrisMurphyCT/status/1754292302690812129

Trump wrote that he opposes the bill because it “only gives Shutdown Authority after 5000 Encounters a day, when we already have the right to CLOSE THE BORDER NOW, which must be done”: https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/111879340091575646

Footage from CNN is reproduced under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law for “purposes such as criticism” and “comment” (17 U.S.C. §107). https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/107