Today was a dramatic, landmark day in the media’s coverage of an American president.
The New York Times on its front page remarkably and powerfully used the word “lie” in referring to Trump’s claim at his first meeting with Congressional leaders that millions of imaginary voters prevented his popular vote win, describing it as an “obsession.”
And The Guardian published a news headline and photo comparing Trump to Kim Jong-un.
Justin McCurry writes:
Donald Trump has echoed North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, after declaring that the day of his inauguration should be a “national day of patriotic devotion” – a rallying cry that would not be out of place in the secretive state’s propaganda.
Trump’s proclamation, which was made official on Monday, has been uttered by Kim in speeches to his 1.2 million-strong military and members of the ruling Korean Workers’ party in recent years.
In an address to a military parade in Pyongyang on 10 October 2015 – the party’s 70th anniversary – Kim thanked the “heroic men and women” of the army and security services who, “in hearty response to the party’s appeal, have worked with patriotic devotion and created one heroic miracle after another” in their quest to build a “thriving socialist nation”.
The phrase also crops up in North Korean propaganda.
The Guardian goes on to list examples demonstrating how the phrase “patriotic devotion” is popular rhetoric in North Korea.
Trump has gotten the war with the media he wanted.
And then some.