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WATCH: At CPAC Trump Claims He Didn’t Call the Media ‘The Enemy of the People,’ Calls Media ‘Dishonest’

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‘The Fake News Doesn’t Tell the Truth’

It took President Donald Trump less than 30 seconds to attack what he called the “dishonest media” as he began his speech at CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Convention Friday morning. The President told the cheering crowd of about 4000 conservative activists that he never called the news media the “enemy of the people,” but he called “fake news” the enemy of the people.

That’s false, as evidenced by his own tweet he posted last week:

Trump then called the news media dishonest, saying they lied about his claim that fake news, not them, being the enemy.

“In fact, in covering my comments, the dishonest media did not explain that I called the fake news ‘the enemy of the people,’ the fake news. They dropped off the word ‘fake,’” Trump said.

UPDATE: A lot has happened in the few hours since Trump’s speech –

Hours After Trump Attacks ‘Dishonest Media’ White House Blocks CNN, NY Times From Press Briefing

Just 2 Months Ago Sean Spicer Said White House Would Never Ban News Outlets Because That’s What a ‘Dictatorship’ Does

WATCH: CNN’s Jake Tapper Slams ‘Petulant’ Trump White House for Barring News Outlets

“All of a sudden the story became the media is the enemy. They take the word ‘fake’ out. And now I’m saying, ‘Oh, no, this is no good.’ But that’s the way they are,” Trump claimed, despite having specifically called out The New York Times, NBC News, ABC News, CBS News, and CNN. And even though he did not mention Fox News, Fox News anchors have insisted they were included in his attack on the media. 

“So I’m not against the media, I’m not against the press. I don’t mind bad stories if I deserve them, and I tell you, I love good stories but we won’t talk – I don’t get too many of them.”

“A few days ago I called the fake news ‘the enemy of the people’ — and they are. They are the enemy of the people, because they have no sources, they just make them up, when there are none.” 

The President went on to say, “I’m not against the media, I’m not against the press.”

“I’m against the people that make up stories and make up sources. They shouldn’t be allowed to use sources unless they use somebody’s name,” Trump said. That’s a violation of the First Amendment. It would also end whistleblowing.

“I love the First Amendment. Nobody loves it better than me. Nobody. Who uses it more than I do?” he quipped.

“But the First Amendment gives all of us, it gives it to me, it gives it to you, it gives it to all Americans the right to speak our minds freely,” Trump said. “It gives you the right, and me the right, to criticize fake news.”

“The fake news doesn’t tell the truth,” Trump said, refuting his previous claim.

UPDATE:
Talking Points Memo makes this astute observation:

Trump failed to mention that his own White House has used unnamed sources to refute the media, including in their denial of a CNN story Thursday that said the White House asked the FBI to tamp down on stories about contact between the Trump campaign and Russian nationals. Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, on Sunday, referenced unnamed intelligence officials when he said the original New York Times story about the campaign’s contacts with Russians was “grossly overstated.” 

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News

Ethics Committee Reveals Latest Republican to Come Under Review: Report

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The House Ethics Committee has reportedly announced that U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) is facing a review by the Office of Congressional Conduct.

The origin of the review was not been disclosed. Under committee rules, officials are prohibited from stating whether the matter constitutes a formal investigation or identifying its underlying cause. The Committee only stated that there is a “matter regarding Representative Nancy Mace.”

“The Committee notes that the mere fact of a referral or an extension, and the mandatory disclosure of such an extension and the name of the subject of the matter, does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred, or reflect any judgment on behalf of the Committee,” the Ethics Committee statement reads. It was posted to social media by congressional journalist Jamie Dupree.

The statement also says the committee will “announce its course of action in this matter on or before March 2, 2026.”

Congresswoman Mace is currently running for governor of South Carolina.

Earlier this month Mace warned that Republicans may lose control of the House, saying they have not “done enough” and could “do a lot more” to implement President Donald Trump’s agenda, The Hill reported.

 

Image via Shutterstock 

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Republican Vows to Block Trump’s Greenland Push

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A prominent Republican lawmaker is vowing to thwart any attempt by President Donald Trump to acquire Greenland through force or financial means.

Speaking from Copenhagen as part of a bipartisan delegation of U.S. congressional lawmakers, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), told reporters it is “an important message for the people of the Kingdom of Denmark to understand” that the United States has “three separate but equal branches” of government.

Reminding them that under the U.S. Constitution it is Congress that controls spending, Senator Murkowski, who has broken ranks and stood up to President Trump at times, said, “In Congress, we have tools at our disposal under our constitutional authority that speaks specifically to the power of the purse through appropriations.”

She noted also that “Congress has a role. Certainly, when it comes to spending authorities, the Congress has a role in basically helping to facilitate the message that comes from our constituents, to be reflected in whether it’s legislation or appropriations, or actions or measures, that can indicate, again, the will of the Congress.”

READ MORE: Trump Dangles Another Insurrection Act Threat for Minnesota

The “vast majority” of Americans do not support the acquisition of Greenland, Senator Murkowski added, noting that “some 75 percent will say we do not think that that is a good idea.”

“Greenland needs to be viewed as our ally, not as an asset,” Murkowski also told reporters.

Politico reported that U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) “also took part in the visit by House and Senate lawmakers,” and “said he would push ahead with legislation to curb Trump’s power to act unilaterally.”

He also denied President Trump’s claims that Greenland is necessary to be owned by the U.S. for national security reasons.

“Are there real, pressing threats to the security of Greenland from China and Russia?” Coons said. “No, not today.”

READ MORE: With Shutdown Looming and Crises Growing Trump Heads Off for Long Mar-a-Lago Weekend

 

Image via Reuters 

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Trump Dangles Another Insurrection Act Threat for Minnesota

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Just one day after threatening to invoke the Insurrection Act in Minnesota, which would allow him to unleash domestic military forces onto American streets, President Donald Trump once again on Friday hinted he would do so while suggesting he may be “forced” to take action.

Trump targeted Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, both Democrats, claiming they “don’t know what to do” after he deployed roughly 3,000 federal troops to the city.

“In Minnesota,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, “the Troublemakers, Agitators, and Insurrectionists are, in many cases, highly paid professionals.”

“The Governor and Mayor don’t know what to do, they have totally lost control, and our currently being rendered, USELESS! If, and when, I am forced to act, it will be solved, QUICKLY and EFFECTIVELY!”

The Guardian labeled Trump’s claims that protesters are paid as baseless.

Attorney Aaron Reichlin-Melnick wrote: “Note that the Trump admin hasn’t yet been able to produce evidence of a SINGLE ‘paid protestor.’ They’ve had total control of the FBI and the DOJ and ICE HSI and yet despite all of that, they can’t even find ONE person who they can accuse of being paid to protest.”

Separately, The Steady State, a group of over 365 former national security officials, while not referring to Trump’s remarks from Friday morning, noted that the Insurrection Act is “an extraordinary power meant for true emergencies, not a shield for unconstitutional policing. Using it to silence dissent or justify unlawful paramilitary activity at the hand of ICE undermines the rule of law.”

READ MORE: With Shutdown Looming and Crises Growing Trump Heads Off for Long Mar-a-Lago Weekend

 

Image via Reuters

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