Lindsey Graham: Accurate journalism is to blame for latest Trump tantrum

On Wednesday, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) blamed “the press” for Trump’s multi-day meltdown over U.K. ambassador Kim Darroch, which ultimately resulted in the diplomat’s resignation.

“Kim Darroch did an outstanding job as Ambassador and sorry to see he has resigned his post,” Graham wrote. “He got a raw deal from press.”

Graham also claimed the episode was a “good example of selective media coverage of an issue.”

But Graham failed to mention the embarrassing international spectacle of Trump throwing a tantrum at Darroch for criticizing him.

Trump’s anger was triggered by leaked documents showing Darroch accurately relaying to his superiors his assessment of the chaos and ineptitude of Trump and his diplomatic team.

“We don’t really believe this administration is going to become substantially more normal; less dysfunctional; less unpredictable; less faction riven; less diplomatically clumsy and inept,” Darroch noted.

Trump publicly whined about these reports and called Darroch “wacky,” a “very stupid guy,” and a “pompous fool” in response.

While the U.K. government voiced public support for its diplomat, Darroch ultimately resigned.

Yet in his recounting of events, Graham sidestepped the childish behavior of Trump, his fellow Republican and political ally. He even claimed Darroch had a positive view of Trump, despite clear evidence to the contrary in the leaked documents.

“Ambassador @KimDarroch always understood the strength of President Trump and referred to him as the ‘Terminator’ who is indestructible and will most likely be reelected,” Graham said.

Graham’s selective quotation ignored that when Darroch compared Trump to the Terminator, he also noted that Trump is “mired in scandal.”

Also, the Terminator in the film to which Trump was being compared was a homicidal robot sent back in time to wipe out the human race. That’s hardly a good thing.

Graham is “effectively accusing the media of providing a slanted picture and admitting that Trump was deceived by it,” the Washington Post noted in its analysis of the senator’s response.

The way Trump’s ally tried to spin the events actually makes Trump out to be a dupe who takes media coverage to be the gospel truth, and who is willing to endanger a key relationship like the alliance between the U.S. and the U.K. as a result.

Of course, based on Trump’s reactions to television coverage, this is largely true — but it’s odd for his friends to concede his inadequacies in such a public way.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.