On Sunday, CNN’s Brian Stelter dedicated a portion of his “Reliable Sources” program to discussing the typos and other factual sloppiness that mar President Trump’s Twitter feed and other official pronouncements out of the White House. After running through some egregious cases, Stelter all but apologized for dwelling on the matter: “I just wonder what the panel thinks of this, because I know this is not the most important issue in the world, but I do think it’s important because it speaks to — if you can’t get the small stuff right, can you get the big stuff right like a North Korea summit?”
Indeed. If there’s one thing Trump has accomplished in office, it’s flooding the media with issues to chew on. In this particular news cycle, for instance, there are the lingering questions about Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt; the postponement of the confirmation hearing of Ronny L. Jackson to serve as Veterans Affairs secretary “amid emerging allegations of workplace misconduct”; the numerous developments related to special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s investigation; and the many diplomatic questions at issue in the ongoing state visit of French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House — including Syria, Iran, North Korea and trade.
And now, with a flick of his wrist, Trump has injected another newsworthy issue. It happened as the press had gathered at the White House for some short remarks by Trump and Macron. On video, Trump said this:
People took note:
Around noon, President Trump and President Macron appear in a joint press briefing. Why not ask Trump: “Mr. President, why did you flick alleged dandruff from the shoulder of President Macron?” Honestly: The president’s responses to policy questions invariably plow through much-rehearsed points, if they’re even intelligible at all. Why not press him on his outlandish behavior?
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