For example, Trump wrongly stated that "the Democratic National Committee was totally open to be hacked. They did a very poor job. ... And they tried to hack the Republican National Committee, and they were unable to break through."
Baloney. FBI Director James B. Comey said there was evidence that Republican National Committee computers were also targeted. The critical difference, according to Comey, was that none of the information obtained from the RNC was leaked. Also, according to Comey, the Russians "got far deeper and wider into the [DNC] than the RNC," adding that "similar techniques were used in both cases."
Trump further asserted at his fake news conference that "I have no deals that could happen in Russia, because we've stayed away. And I have no loans with Russia."
Wrong again. Trump repeatedly sought deals in Russia. In a 2008 speech, Donald Trump Jr. said "Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of a lot of our assets," and "we see a lot of money pouring in from Russia."
Trump's statements at his fake news conference were, and are, big lies. They influence public understanding and opinion about two critically important issues: Did the Russians help Trump win the election, and, if so, why might they have done so?
At the very least, they should have been followed up with questions from the White House press corps. That would have happened at a real news conference in the White House press room, holding 45 correspondents from major media outlets who are assigned full-time to report on the president.
Which is the danger of evicting the press from the White House and putting press conferences into a large auditorium: Trump won't be called on his lies, and the White House press corps will lose the leverage they have by being together in one rather small room.
And that's precisely why Trump wants to evict the press from the White House.
A senior official admitted the move was a reaction to hostile press coverage. The view at the highest reaches of the incoming administration is that the press is the enemy. "They are the opposition party," said the senior official. "I want 'em out of the building. We are taking back the press room."
The incoming Trump administration is intent on neutering the White House press corps. If it happens it will be another step toward neutering our democracy.
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