Campaign Action
Here’s what Kellyanne Conway came up with to defend her invention of a nonexistent “massacre” to justify Donald Trump’s Muslim ban: She tweeted that “Honest mistakes abound,” and for example, “Last night, prominent editor of liberal site apologized for almost running a story re: tweet from fake account.” Oh, well then, that settles ... wait a minute. Almost? Almost running a story on a tweet from a fake account is just like going on national television and inventing a massacre to justify an actual policy that the White House has implemented, to the actual destruction of people’s lives? And let’s talk about the media’s role here.
On the one hand, you have the “prominent editor of a liberal site” apologizing for something they almost did. On the other hand, you have Kellyanne Conway on television virtually every day despite the fact that she is a known liar. Despite the fact that she tries to pass off blatant lies as “alternative facts.” Yes, she’s a top White House aide … but anyone booking her for a television news spot knows that it’s overwhelmingly likely she will use their show to peddle lies. Why would you book her under those circumstances?
The one legitimate reason to do so would be to call out her lies aggressively, to push her to the limit of her ability to lie and to expose falsehood as the Trump communications policy. But that’s not what Chris Matthews did Thursday night. Conway made up a “massacre” and attacked the media for not having covered this thing that did not exist, and Matthews just moved on. He didn’t even stop to ask her what she was talking about. Or to ask why the concern for a fake “massacre” while Trump is silent on a mass shooting at a mosque.
News shows that book Kellyanne Conway do so knowing that she will use their platform to spread falsehoods. She has a proven track record on that front and shows no signs of changing. At this point, it’s on the producers and interviewers. Either they confront her lies or they own responsibility for them. Which will it be?