Baseless accusations are the name of the game when it comes to the Trump administration and today, apparently, is no different. White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham jumped into the mix this morning with an accusation that is pretty difficult, if not outright impossible, to ever verify.
“We came into the White House, I’ll tell you something,” Grisham reportedly said during a radio interview, as first tweeted by Abby Phillip of CNN. “Every office was filled with Obama books and we had notes left behind that said, ‘You will fail,’ ‘You aren’t going to make it.’”
There’s a lot to poke holes in here, which is probably why she’s already begun backtracking (more on that below). But first, let’s go over the obvious issues here. Every office? How many notes? Whose handwriting, or were they typed and printed? Were the “Obama books” those written by former President Barack Obama, or merely ones he owned? Was this ever investigated? Not that we know of. Which brings up an important question: Why is this just coming up now, three years later?
Here’s that original tweet, and a few very important responses to it that quickly dismantle the accusation’s foundation.
And Grisham, as mentioned above, has already started walking it back. Why? Oh, probably the tweets from former Obama staffers and aides calling her out that are quickly going viral
Here she is, walking back her story. The note on not knowing why everyone is “so sensitive” is a very Trumpian approach to pretending not to know why people hold you accountable for baseless claims, conceivably meant to stir the pot and distract the general public.
And her being called out:
And again:
And again:
Ha!
And again:
And this time from a reporter with photos:
Hyperbole on Grisham’s part? Sure, though when you’re the literal White House press secretary, one would think you’d choose your words carefully—and that they’d be remotely accurate. Is it an outright baseless claim meant to distract from today’s impeachment hearings? Seems possible. After all, given that Trump has made thousands (which is being generous) of false or misleading claims since he’s taken office, it’s no surprise that his administration follows suit.
Speaking of today’s hearings, be sure to check out Daily Kos coverage, including our live blogs and standout moments.