This is so stupid.
It doesn’t quite appear that Poland’s first lady snubbed President Trump on Thursday, but you’d think otherwise based on the U.S. press’ sloppy and overeager coverage.
This all starts with a Twitter user, David Lewis, who tweeted the following video with the caption, “LEGEND”:
LEGEND pic.twitter.com/UGKw0XWpPv
— David Lewis (@davidclewis) July 6, 2017
Based on that abbreviated video, it does indeed seem like Agata Kornhauser-Duda rejected Trump’s handshake attempt.
U.S. media certainly seemed to believe that’s what happened.
“Donald Trump Just Got Epically Snubbed While Trying to Shake Hands with the First Lady of Poland,” read a headline published by Marie Claire magazine.
New York Daily News went with this, “First Lady of Poland snubs President Trump’s handshake.”
“Handshake Fail: Watch Poland’s First Lady Totally Snub Trump in Warsaw,” Mediaite promised its readers.
On social media, the press’ reactions were less muted.
“Not shaking the hand that grabbed you-know-what. #snub,” tweeted columnist Clarence Page.
CNBC blared on its Instagram page, “PRESIDENT TRUMP GETS SNUBBED.”
Then there’s this from CNN’s Chris Cillizza:
Here’s a friendly tip: Coming across as a girl who is welcoming the Beatles on their first visit to the United States is a very bad and unprofessional look for supposedly professional media commentators. Try a little dignity, please.
Also, there’s this from the Washington Post:
Trump and the art of the super-awkward handshake https://t.co/XsIE1e4uG3 pic.twitter.com/hXuBbnAoMf
— Washington Post (@washingtonpost) July 6, 2017
The problem here is that there is much more to the story than what these articles and reactions suggest. Here’s a complete video of the supposed snubbed handshake, courtesy of MSNBC:
Folks, Poland’s first lady did not diss Trump’s handshake attempt. She was looking at Melania, shook her hand, then shook Trump’s. Stop. pic.twitter.com/ta8DNsv0Th— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) July 6, 2017
It looks like Trump was left hanging, but it also doesn’t look like it was intentional. It certainly wasn’t a “snub.” It appears Agata Kornhauser-Duda first made eye contact with first lady Melania Trump, the two shook hands and then Poland’s first lady moved immediately to shake Trump’s hand.
That’s it. That’s all of it. That’s the entire story. “OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD,” indeed.
It would be awesome if we didn’t have to Zapruder the news cycle because reporters can’t keep it together long enough to figure out the truth of certain events.
Can we please have just a little bit more restraint?
