He pulled a huge bait and swicth on the press
via Twitter
Donald Trump’s rise in conservative politics began in 2011 when he stoked the flames of racism by claiming president Barack Obama wasn’t born in the United States. His “birther” crusade against the president was a pack of lies aimed at delegitimizing America’s first black president. After today’s disastrous press conference, Trump’s original sin may wind up being the death knell for his presidential bid.
This morning, at his new hotel in Washington, D.C., Trump pulled three moves in just 30 seconds that would make any con artist proud: He attempted to make himself the champion of the racist ‘birther’ crusade, told a monstrous lie about Hillary Clinton, and trolled the press pool, resulting in a revolt.
After saying the event was going to be a press conference where he announced that he thought president Obama was born in the U.S., Trump made a quick statement and took no questions.
Hillary Clinton and her campaign in 2008 started the birther controversy. I finished it. You know what I mean. President Barack Obama was born in the United States, period. Now we all want to get back to making America strong and great again.
After his announcement, he pulled a bait and switch and used the press conference to promote his new hotel. Then a member of his staff physically detained the press pool producer, prompting the major television networks to pull their cameras and erase all footage of Trump’s tour.
Here’s Twitter’s best responses to the debacle:
Ashleigh Banfield on CNN is completely fed up with Trump's "birther crap" ?? https://t.co/4AvcEckaAb— John Whitehouse+ (@John Whitehouse+) 1474042494
The birther lie is what turned Trump from an ordinary reality TV star into a political figure. That origin story can't be unwritten.— Hillary Clinton (@Hillary Clinton) 1474045807
Donald Trump assures you Hillary was a birther first and he's got investigators in Hawaii with proof of it that he'll show you sometime.— John Fugelsang (@John Fugelsang) 1474039818
Sure Hillary started #birtherism. It's why Obama made her Secretary of State. Are we even trying anymore or is everyone too tired?— Patton Oswalt (@Patton Oswalt) 1474048817
Protip : We didn't need to create the word #birtherism. We already had a word for what that is. It's called racism.— W. Kamau Bell (@W. Kamau Bell) 1474047357
Today's #Trump "speech"... https://t.co/EpqNrdNEgE— Matt Haze (@Matt Haze) 1474040207
1) Yes I am at the #Trump press conference but I am not live tweeting his cavalcade of surrogates. Why?— Dr. Jason Johnson (@Dr. Jason Johnson) 1474039580
2) Because this event is supposed to be a speech about #Trump and birtherism - not a 40 minute commercial of Trump & veterans— Dr. Jason Johnson (@Dr. Jason Johnson) 1474039638
3) It was a trap for the mainstream press and they fell right into it. #Trump was an hour late and now is basically running a commercial— Dr. Jason Johnson (@Dr. Jason Johnson) 1474039702
4) I'm happy to cover and comment on the news. What I won't do is be a bullhorn for the #Trump campaign bait & switch— Dr. Jason Johnson (@Dr. Jason Johnson) 1474039771
5) The genesis of this presser is so that the GOP nominee for president can CHANGE his mind about a racist belief like Birtherism ?— Dr. Jason Johnson (@Dr. Jason Johnson) 1474039841
Biggest Bait & Switch ever....— Dr. Jason Johnson (@Dr. Jason Johnson) 1474040035
Then the press boycotted the tour of Trump’s new hotel.
Donald Trump Games The Media: 1. Tease Major Announcement. 2. Get All Cameras on You. 3. Tout Your Hotel / Get Army Vets to Tout You.— Dylan Byers (@Dylan Byers) 1474039175
That is all the former Presidents rolling in their graves #TrumpHotel #Birtherism https://t.co/EMxWkkQNTw— LiberalLadyVeteran (@LiberalLadyVeteran) 1474043608
Inside the Trump Hotel in Washington, DC: a Trump Hotel bathrobe, made in China. https://t.co/nxrLG7VfMN— American Bridge 21st Century (@American Bridge 21st Century) 1474040977
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