House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is an expert whip and first-rate political strategist. But it’s President Trump who’s King of the Trolls.
Pelosi has had the upper-hand in the shutdown from its beginning. In a stunning faux pas, Trump publicly claimed that he would own the shutdown before it even began, and she’s been unrelenting in her refusal to pay for the wall. She invited Trump to deliver the State of the Union but then requested he change the date in a move painted by the news media as an act of rebellious genius.
CNN called it a “power move.”
The Hill called it a “power move.”
“The View” called it a “power move.”
The Atlantic called it a “power move.”
PBS called it a “power move.”
The Washington Post called it a “power move.”
You see what I’m getting at here.
Today, Trump responded in turn, pulling the power move to end all power moves and achieving a level of petty I can only dream of one day attaining. Just 30 minutes before Pelosi and her congressional sheep were set to depart the country to tour Belgium, Egypt, and Afghanistan, Trump sent Pelosi a public letter, using his power as commander in chief to cancel the excursion.
“In light of the 800,000 great American workers not receiving pay, I am sure you would agree that postponing this public relations event is totally appropriate,” wrote the president. “Obviously, if you would like to make your journey by flying commercial, that would certainly be your prerogative.”
Trump isn’t an expert on much, but if the man knows anything, it’s how to get under people’s skins. While it doesn’t necessarily bring Trump any closer to his fleeting wall, it does demonstrate, well, sheer power. But certain reporters didn’t frame the clear power move as a “slay queen!” moment like they did with Pelosi.
“Taking the low road. Always.” wrote nobody’s favorite journalist, CNN’s Chris Cillizza.
According to The Hill, Trump “fires back.”
The Atlantic deemed the move “presidential retaliation.” The Washington Post called it “apparent retaliation.”
None of this is fake news. Nothing about it is dishonest or worthy of a catty presidential tweet. But it does provide a tiny glimpse into how the media frames the narrative for the public to consume.
