But do tell me more about how we should trust our moral, unbiased betters in the mainstream media.

Yesterday, Donald Trump was asked if he had a message for Poland on the 80th anniversary of the Nazi invasion. Part of the answer he gave is that he wanted to “congratulate” Poland and this led to the snark being unleashed at The Washington Post because they are really smart and stuff.

Analysis: Trump congratulates Poland on its Nazi invasion https://t.co/8gbd9pdTQw — The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) September 3, 2019

President Trump is known to make the odd comment here and there about foreign nations, often because he doesn’t seem particularly versed in what’s happening in them. But even by his standards, this was quite a weekend. Trump was asked Sunday about the trip to Poland he canceled to monitor Hurricane Dorian. Asked if he had a message for that country, which was commemorating the anniversary of the start of World War II, Trump decided to … congratulate it?

So did this really happen? Did Donald Trump actually congratulate the Polish on being invaded by the Nazis as the headline and lead in state?

In a word, no, no he didn’t. Here’s the full quote with the full context, which is actually in the Post article, yet their editors still thought framing it the way they did was an honest portrayal.

I do have a great message for Poland. And we have Mike Pence, our vice president, is just about landing right now. And he is representing me. I look forward to being there soon. But I just want to congratulate Poland. It’s a great country with great people. We also have many Polish people in our country; it could be 8 million. We love our Polish friends. And I will be there soon.

He was congratulating them on being a “great country with great people.” That’s the very next line, so there is no confusion about what he was saying.

You see, great countries with great people often have a tendency to survive incredibly trying situations and oppressive horrors. The Polish people did that, from the Nazis to the Soviet occupation. This shouldn’t be difficult to understand, but the Post’s Aaron Blake (who fancies himself as a “fact-checker” of sorts) is either too much of a hack or too intellectually vapid to give an honest account here. Nowhere does the President congratulate them on being invaded or even suggest such. It’s not just an uncharitable reading of his comments, it’s so ludicrous as to show immense bias by any reporter who would present it as such.

Given the actual context, what’s The Post do? Why, they double down of course and up the snark to eleven.

This is what Trump congratulated Poland for https://t.co/bvDSpnSabV — The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) September 3, 2019

Man, they are just so smart and so knowledgeable, aren’t they? I’m glad we have them here to set us straight. Also, want to know where the Post first got this story from?

This is total bullshit and the story is based off of a tweet from Vox’s Aaron Rupar, which shows just how low the standards at The Washington Post are https://t.co/4jVEGM6wnV — Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) September 3, 2019

I actually saw the original tweet by Rupar before the Post ran with it. Even then, it was obvious Trump hadn’t said what he was being accused of. Rupar’s entire shtick is to selectively edit clips of Trump and present them as accurate translations so he can snark and scoff. Amazingly, the media don’t go after him for it despite the fact I’ve been assured selectively edited videos are harmful. I guess that treatment is reserved for fork lift drivers in New York who make meme videos.

These outlets are just pure garbage at this point, only worthy of mention to critique and ridicule.

————————————————

Enjoying the read? Please visit my archive and check out some of my latest articles.

I’ve got a new twitter! Please help by following @bonchieredstate.