While I am trying to be fair and dispassionate in my opinions the news is making it difficult. About the news conference the President held for almost 1 ½ hours, the media has blown it up into evidence the President is mentally unstable and trying to destroy free press by calling them out. The press has set itself up in an adversarial situation, which is fine they should, but are upset that their adversary is responding in the same manor.

The biggest story pushed recently is the communications between the Trump campaign and Russia. This is being fueled by both sides of the aisle with calls of bipartisan investigations into the alleged connection as reported by several news outlets. The problem with this is that once the stories are dissected it becomes apparent that is all they are, stories. Even the latest report by the New York Times stays, in the fourth or fifth paragraph, that following investigations and speaking with intelligence sources there is no evidence to back up the claims. Let me repeat that “There is no evidence…” The president however had to withstand several questions on this rumor.

Then we go to the ridiculous. Again the New York Times puts out a report about twitter erupting over a report the President said he wants the women around him to dress like a woman. Social media went nuts even in the comments of the report on Face Book Trump was attack by all sorts of replies. The problem, if you go to the body of the report its says they cannot find where Trump ever said it or where the report came from.

Today AP put out a report that the Trump administration is planning to mobilize up to 100,000 National Guard troops to assist in immigration enforcement in several states. On its face, it does not make sense and the White House as well as the states identified have denied or said they have never heard of it. After the denials and obvious mistakes in reporting the AP went on as if it was a fact, citing unnamed sources.

I believe strongly in a free and open press. I also understand for the press to do its job it must be adversarial with any government, a situation missing in the last eight years. It has an obligation however to work to confirm the facts before reporting. Does it take much to confirm fact vs. rumor? Last week the New York Times reported a tweet by LTG Flynn following his resignation that he had been scapegoated. This brought an press conference on the hill with Congressman Cummings and Leader Pelosi demanding that this be investigated and castigating Flynn for using such a term. As you likely know it was a fake tweet. How do we know it was fake, a quick click on the id showed up as “parody”

Next time you see reports that don’t seem to ring true, PLEASE THINK.