The media is starting to play hardball with the false spin and fake news emanating from the Trump White House and spokespersons. Don Lemon let Trump’s spokesman Paris Dennard have it and did not allow him to spin.
Don Lemon shuts down Trump SPOX on fake news
Lemon justifiably prevented Paris Dennard from getting his false information into the ethos. One hopes this is now modus operandi as lies are never fully unrung.
“You just heard Tom Foreman lay it out,” Don Lemon said. “Between the First Lady living in New York, to weekends in Mar A Lago, the cost of protecting the first family could be epic. But that has always been the responsibility of the secret service. So is there anything different now? … Paris, what do you think?”
“I think this is fake news,” Paris Dennard responded with a straight face. “This is not a news story.”
Don Lemon did not let the accusation go unanswered.
“Tell me what about it is fake Paris,” Lemon interjected exasperatingly as the panel laughed in ridicule.
“Let me just tell you why” Paris replied. “The president is not breaking any laws and he is not doing anything.”
“Okay Paris,” Lemon interjected. “Hold on. Let me ask you this. … Do you actually know what is the definition of fake news?”
“What we are doing right now,” Paris replied ignorantly. “Because this is not a legit story.”
It was clear that Lemon realized he needed to school Paris to ensure the audience did not conflate the definition of fake news and the attempt by the Trump administration to deceive the American public.
“Then you are part of the fake news because you are on the network,” Lemon said as Paris shouted like an insolent kid. “And you are a part of that. … Let me explain to people out there watching what fake news is. Fake news is when you put out a story to intentionally deceive someone and you know that it is wrong. I don’t know of anyone who has put out a story in the mainstream media that I can think of right now, to intentionally deceive anyone. People get things wrong, Sources sometimes come up empty. But no one I know has put out something to intentionally deceive someone. This story that we are doing right now is not to intentionally deceive anyone. We are simply talking about the cost to keep the President safe, the Secret Service cost, and where the pros and the cons, and as Andre said if there are ways that we may be able to work on that to make it fiscally better for the American people. There is nothing fake about that. Please stop it with that stupid talking point that it is a fake news story. If you don’t want to participate in the news story on this network, then don’t come on and participate. But don’t call them fake because you don’t agree with them. Go on.”
“Don, this is a fake news story in my opinion,” Paris replied. “Because the underlying assumption is that …”
Don Lemon did not let him spin lies any further.
“Okay guys,” Lemon interrupted. “Thank you very much, everyone. Thanks for watching. Have a great weekend. Good night.”
Don then walked off of the set decidedly angry. But he did a great job in stopping the Trump deception.