Thread by @MattWolking

Acosta has received all the attention, but a week after that press conference, this exchange between Trump and reporter @jeffmason1 sticks in my mind.

https://twitter.com/MattWolking/status/1060235901484318721

I think it is very emblematic of the sickness in our media. Here's why:

Asked what he plans to say to Putin, Trump mentions a simple fact: "President Obama allowed a very large part of Ukraine to be taken"

This prompts Reuters' Jeff Mason to interject: "That was President Putin who annexed Crimea, sir."

This is a non sequitur. Trump did not say Obama annexed Crimea. He said Obama allowed Putin to take Crimea.

Does Mason not understand the difference? He obviously does.

Does Mason think Trump doesn't know Putin took Crimea? Of course not, he just heard Trump say exactly that.

And Trump makes it clear his point is that it occurred "during President Obama."

Mason obviously understands the distinction Trump is making because Mason follows with, "But it was President Putin who did the annexation."

So why did Mason interject with this bizarre, unnecessary correction?

The most likely answer is that Mason resented that Trump took a dig at Obama—a dig that was 100% true.

Mason didn't like that his president had just been blasphemed. He was triggered.

So were most members of the media. They breathlessly tweeted about it, mocking and attacking the president for something he did not say. Many reporters quoted the exchange selectively in order to present a false narrative.

This is quite literally fake news. It does not reflect what actually happened, it was manufactured to advance a politically motivated narrative, and it spreads like a virus.