Pence Blasts ‘Fake News’ and ‘Dishonest Media’ Over Taliban Meeting Coverage
Vice President Mike Pence‘s official Twitter account doesn’t regularly blast the “fake news” as President Donald Trump likes doing, but today the VP account quote-tweeted and echoed the president’s latest swipe at the “dishonest media.”
Over the weekend, the president said he called off plans to meet with Taliban leaders at Camp David after the Taliban took credit for an attack in Kabul that killed a U.S. soldier.
The administration faced some criticism for the very idea that Taliban leaders were being invited to speak with the president on American soil in the first place. CNN and NBC News are both reporting that the vice president argued against the idea.
Per NBC:
Among the concerns of administration officials who opposed the meeting was that it might take place around the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, the officials and people familiar with the matter said. Pence argued at one point that such a meeting could send the wrong message to members of the U.S. military who have fought — and been killed by — the Taliban for years, one senior administration official said.
Trump took to Twitter this afternoon to say the reporting is “False” and railed against the “Fake News” and “Dishonest Media”:
A lot of Fake News is being reported that I overruled the VP and various advisers on a potential Camp David meeting with the Taliban. This Story is False! I always think it is good to meet and talk, but in this case I decided not to. The Dishonest Media likes to create…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 9, 2019
…the look of turmoil in the White House, of which there is none. I view much of the media as simply an arm of the Democrat Party. They are corrupt, and they are extremely upset at how well our Country is doing under MY Leadership, including…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 9, 2019
…the Economy, where there is NO Recession, much to the regret of the LameStream Media! They are working overtime to help the Democrats win in 2020, but that will NEVER HAPPEN, Americans are too smart!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 9, 2019
Pence’s Twitter account then shared POTUS’ thread and also decried the “Fake News” and “Dishonest Media,” complete with the presidential capitalization:
That’s Absolutely Right Mr. President. More Fake News! The Dishonest Media never contacted our office before running with this story and if they had, we would have told them I FULLY support your decision. https://t.co/zjzro1fzSg
— Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) September 9, 2019
