A sign at one of many Marches for Science that took place last month in protest of the Trump administration's war on facts. (Photo: Mobilus in Mobili/flickr/cc)
May 19, 2017
A group of lawmakers has expressed official concern over President Donald Trump's media diet.
"We are concerned about the process by which you receive information," Democrats on the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology wrote (pdf) to Trump on Thursday, describing the president as "vulnerable to misinformation and fake news."
The letter cited Politico reporting from earlier this week, which revealed that deputy national security advisor K.T. McFarland at one point "had given Trump a printout of two Time magazine covers. One, supposedly from the 1970s, warned of a coming ice age; the other, from 2008, about surviving global warming, according to four White House officials familiar with the matter."
According to Politico, "Trump quickly got lathered up about the media's hypocrisy. But there was a problem. The 1970s cover was fake, part of an internet hoax that's circulated for years. Staff chased down the truth and intervened before Trump tweeted or talked publicly about it."
Such incidents have "been a recurring issue with your administration," the Democrats wrote in their letter Thursday. "You previously made the false claim that President [Barack] Obama ordered your phones to be 'tapped' based on false reports which have subsequently been contradicted by senior U.S. intelligence officials. You also falsely stated that millions of votes were cast against you 'illegally' after reading about subsequently-debunked 'research' pushed by alt-right websites. This, by no means, is a comprehensive list of your activities peddling fake news."
And "where scientific policy is concerned," this pattern is especially troubling to the lawmakers, who noted that under Trump, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP)--established in 1976 "to provide the president and others within the executive office of the president with advice on the scientific, engineering, and technological aspects of the economy, national security, homeland security, health, foreign relations, the environment, and the technological recovery and use of resources, among other topics," according to its website--has been left "largely unstaffed and without a director."
"Until the OSTP is adequately staffed and the director position filled by a qualified, objective scientist who understands the difference between alternative news peddled on alt-right websites and legitimate well-vetted scientific facts, we fear that you will continue to be vulnerable to misinformation and fake news," the Democrats declared.
Popular Science, which first obtained and reported on the letter, pointed out that the missive "is not the first time that the administration has received criticism over its apparent disregard for science and the scientific process."
Indeed, Trump and his fossil fuel-soaked cabinet have been charged with waging a War on Science--from tapping unqualified individuals for top science and environment posts, to undermining research across multiple federal agencies, to targeting key programs with deep budget cuts.
And this anti-science campaign has only been aided by climate-denying Republicans. In fact, in December, the Democrats' GOP counterparts on the House Science Committee came under fire for tweeting a misleading article from right-wing, white nationalist website Breitbart News--one written by a climate denier and debunked by actual scientists.
Perhaps they need to rethink "the process by which [they] receive information," as well.
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. Join with us today! |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Deirdre Fulton
Deirdre Fulton is a former Common Dreams senior editor and staff writer. Previously she worked as an editor and writer for the Portland Phoenix and the Boston Phoenix, where she was honored by the New England Press Association and the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. A Boston University graduate, Deirdre is a co-founder of the Maine-based Lorem Ipsum Theater Collective and the PortFringe theater festival. She writes young adult fiction in her spare time.
A group of lawmakers has expressed official concern over President Donald Trump's media diet.
"We are concerned about the process by which you receive information," Democrats on the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology wrote (pdf) to Trump on Thursday, describing the president as "vulnerable to misinformation and fake news."
The letter cited Politico reporting from earlier this week, which revealed that deputy national security advisor K.T. McFarland at one point "had given Trump a printout of two Time magazine covers. One, supposedly from the 1970s, warned of a coming ice age; the other, from 2008, about surviving global warming, according to four White House officials familiar with the matter."
According to Politico, "Trump quickly got lathered up about the media's hypocrisy. But there was a problem. The 1970s cover was fake, part of an internet hoax that's circulated for years. Staff chased down the truth and intervened before Trump tweeted or talked publicly about it."
Such incidents have "been a recurring issue with your administration," the Democrats wrote in their letter Thursday. "You previously made the false claim that President [Barack] Obama ordered your phones to be 'tapped' based on false reports which have subsequently been contradicted by senior U.S. intelligence officials. You also falsely stated that millions of votes were cast against you 'illegally' after reading about subsequently-debunked 'research' pushed by alt-right websites. This, by no means, is a comprehensive list of your activities peddling fake news."
And "where scientific policy is concerned," this pattern is especially troubling to the lawmakers, who noted that under Trump, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP)--established in 1976 "to provide the president and others within the executive office of the president with advice on the scientific, engineering, and technological aspects of the economy, national security, homeland security, health, foreign relations, the environment, and the technological recovery and use of resources, among other topics," according to its website--has been left "largely unstaffed and without a director."
"Until the OSTP is adequately staffed and the director position filled by a qualified, objective scientist who understands the difference between alternative news peddled on alt-right websites and legitimate well-vetted scientific facts, we fear that you will continue to be vulnerable to misinformation and fake news," the Democrats declared.
Popular Science, which first obtained and reported on the letter, pointed out that the missive "is not the first time that the administration has received criticism over its apparent disregard for science and the scientific process."
Indeed, Trump and his fossil fuel-soaked cabinet have been charged with waging a War on Science--from tapping unqualified individuals for top science and environment posts, to undermining research across multiple federal agencies, to targeting key programs with deep budget cuts.
And this anti-science campaign has only been aided by climate-denying Republicans. In fact, in December, the Democrats' GOP counterparts on the House Science Committee came under fire for tweeting a misleading article from right-wing, white nationalist website Breitbart News--one written by a climate denier and debunked by actual scientists.
Perhaps they need to rethink "the process by which [they] receive information," as well.
Deirdre Fulton
Deirdre Fulton is a former Common Dreams senior editor and staff writer. Previously she worked as an editor and writer for the Portland Phoenix and the Boston Phoenix, where she was honored by the New England Press Association and the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. A Boston University graduate, Deirdre is a co-founder of the Maine-based Lorem Ipsum Theater Collective and the PortFringe theater festival. She writes young adult fiction in her spare time.
A group of lawmakers has expressed official concern over President Donald Trump's media diet.
"We are concerned about the process by which you receive information," Democrats on the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology wrote (pdf) to Trump on Thursday, describing the president as "vulnerable to misinformation and fake news."
The letter cited Politico reporting from earlier this week, which revealed that deputy national security advisor K.T. McFarland at one point "had given Trump a printout of two Time magazine covers. One, supposedly from the 1970s, warned of a coming ice age; the other, from 2008, about surviving global warming, according to four White House officials familiar with the matter."
According to Politico, "Trump quickly got lathered up about the media's hypocrisy. But there was a problem. The 1970s cover was fake, part of an internet hoax that's circulated for years. Staff chased down the truth and intervened before Trump tweeted or talked publicly about it."
Such incidents have "been a recurring issue with your administration," the Democrats wrote in their letter Thursday. "You previously made the false claim that President [Barack] Obama ordered your phones to be 'tapped' based on false reports which have subsequently been contradicted by senior U.S. intelligence officials. You also falsely stated that millions of votes were cast against you 'illegally' after reading about subsequently-debunked 'research' pushed by alt-right websites. This, by no means, is a comprehensive list of your activities peddling fake news."
And "where scientific policy is concerned," this pattern is especially troubling to the lawmakers, who noted that under Trump, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP)--established in 1976 "to provide the president and others within the executive office of the president with advice on the scientific, engineering, and technological aspects of the economy, national security, homeland security, health, foreign relations, the environment, and the technological recovery and use of resources, among other topics," according to its website--has been left "largely unstaffed and without a director."
"Until the OSTP is adequately staffed and the director position filled by a qualified, objective scientist who understands the difference between alternative news peddled on alt-right websites and legitimate well-vetted scientific facts, we fear that you will continue to be vulnerable to misinformation and fake news," the Democrats declared.
Popular Science, which first obtained and reported on the letter, pointed out that the missive "is not the first time that the administration has received criticism over its apparent disregard for science and the scientific process."
Indeed, Trump and his fossil fuel-soaked cabinet have been charged with waging a War on Science--from tapping unqualified individuals for top science and environment posts, to undermining research across multiple federal agencies, to targeting key programs with deep budget cuts.
And this anti-science campaign has only been aided by climate-denying Republicans. In fact, in December, the Democrats' GOP counterparts on the House Science Committee came under fire for tweeting a misleading article from right-wing, white nationalist website Breitbart News--one written by a climate denier and debunked by actual scientists.
Perhaps they need to rethink "the process by which [they] receive information," as well.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.