Trump is not happy about the report from NBC News that he called for a tenfold increase of our nuclear arsenal. Trump says it is absolutely ‘pure fiction’ and it was made up to demean him:
Fake @NBCNews made up a story that I wanted a "tenfold" increase in our U.S. nuclear arsenal. Pure fiction, made up to demean. NBC = CNN!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 11, 2017
Trump then tweets the notion that with all this fake news, perhaps his administration should challenge the licenses of these fake news networks like NBC:
With all of the Fake News coming out of NBC and the Networks, at what point is it appropriate to challenge their License? Bad for country!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 11, 2017
Anyone with a discerning eye in this country can see how the media is essentially an arm of the Democratic party. But this is not Turkey and Trump is not Erdogan. You don’t fix the fake news problems by shutting down news organizations.
Maybe Trump is right and the report is pure fiction. But the way to combat it is to do exactly what he did, to tell the truth to the American people.
This, sadly, is what the Bush administration got wrong. They let the lies go unchallenged for the most part and it had a very corrosive effect on both his presidency and the country. And it led to Obama.
Trump has a direct line to the people and he really likes to use it a lot. Perhaps if he used it less it would have more impact. But regardless, that’s how you fight ‘fake news’. You don’t bully and threaten to shut down news organizations.
UPDATE:
As some on Twitter are pointing out…
Which is silly, because NBC doesn't have a license.
— “Dr.” The Monster (@SumErgoMonstro) October 11, 2017
WNBC and KNBC would have licenses, as would affiliates.
And…
NBC’s “license” is the Constitution. https://t.co/VkwKGUQ7LR
— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahNRO) October 11, 2017