Charlie Kirk‘s Twitter feed is pretty typical for a young Trump-supporting conservative. The founder of Turning Point USA tweets out lots of warnings about creeping socialism, people getting “free stuff” from government, evil atheists and their “blind faith,” the baby-killing machine Planned Parenthood, etc. He also isn’t a big fan of “the media”; you know, that all encompassing thing that’s mired in a giant conspiracy to take down President Trump.
This Saturday, Kirk expressed his displeasure with the liberal media complex for allegedly refusing to show pictures of Trump interacting with the children of Hurricane Harvey survivors in Houston. In Twitter post, he shared photos of Trump at the Houston Arena and lamented that they’re examples of pictures “the media will never show you.”
Pictures the media will never show you #MAGA#HarveyRelief pic.twitter.com/0LnP8rgtKp
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) September 3, 2017
Here’s the problem with that complaint: each of the pictures Kirk alleged were neglected were first published by the Associated Press, followed by ABC News, MSNBC, POLITICO, The New York Times, as well as other legacy media outlets.
It was a small detail that wasn’t lost on most people:
So did you sneak into CNN and MSNBC’s secret vault and snatch these or did you screen shot them from WHEN THE MEDIA SHOWED THEM TO AMERICA?!
— Tony Posnanski (@tonyposnanski) September 3, 2017
The media will never show us the images here that were taken and distributed by the media?
Sure thing, champ.
— Kevin M. Kruse (@KevinMKruse) September 4, 2017
Funny, watched it on CNN. Must have been fake news…
— Jeremy Withrow (@m0rb1dt3x4n) September 3, 2017
Strange. I’ve seen all of them on various news feeds today.
— Rob Croxton (@latteman5103) September 3, 2017
Seriously! No way @CNN would just run video of this right on their website….wait…yeah they are. Nice try. pic.twitter.com/L5NGrDM1er
— Fred Wellman (@FPWellman) September 3, 2017
Funny, these images have been on constantly. Does that mean these photos are fake news?
— karen fox (@cityfox47) September 3, 2017
Literally on the front page of the @nytimes pic.twitter.com/ZHwHeNjP8j
— aaron reiss (@erinreiss) September 3, 2017
“The media” deserves plenty of criticism, but some think there’s a conspiracy. Kirk’s post is a perfect example of how Trumpian attacks on the press just simply don’t add up.