President Trump is upset at the media’s mischaracterisation of the G7 summit earlier this month. It’s Fake News, apparently, to suggest that Trump fell out with other world leaders. Trump did nothing to help create this impression, of course, and anyone who saw his tweets about Justin Trudeau should know he was not being literal or serious.
No, what has really riled Trump is the widespread impression that he and Merkel clashed at the summit. That idea stems in large part from the dissemination on media and social media of that now infamous picture, the one that looks like a Dutch oil painting, of Merkel, Trump and European leaders seemingly locked in argument.
Says Trump:
I have a great relationship with Angela Merkel of Germany, but the Fake News Media only shows the bad photos (implying anger) of negotiating an agreement – where I am asking for things that no other American President would ask for! pic.twitter.com/Ib97nN5HZt
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 15, 2018
If the President is looking for people to blame for spreading this Fake News, he might want to start with his National Security Adviser, John Bolton, who was at the meeting and on his way back that Sunday (June 9) tweeted the following:
Just another #G7 where other countries expect America will always be their bank. The President made it clear today. No more. (photo by @RegSprecher) pic.twitter.com/emAVNqRqhc
— John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) June 9, 2018
That tweet was liked 45,000 times, retweeted 15,000, and helped ignite a social media firestorm around the photograph. Boom! Bolton doesn’t use Twitter very often: he prefers dropping real bombs. But when he does he packs a punch. He was even kind enough to credit the photographer.
So – et tu, Mustachio?
