Return of lies and disinformation in the White House? | US elections 2024

If the past is any guide to the future, the second Trump administration will continue its momentum of lies and disinformation more than ever, especially in a context where traditional media are losing ground and where pro-Trump sites are popping up everywhere.

Almost eight years ago, Donald Trump’s reign in the White House began with a first lie.

On January 21, 2017, the day after the inauguration and two days before his first official press conference, Sean SpicerTrump’s spokesperson, told reporters that they had underestimated the size of the crowd at his boss’s swearing-in ceremony, saying the event had attracted the most people ever to attend an inauguration, period – both in person and around the world.

The stage was set, reality was going to become the great absence of Donald Trump’s four-year term.

And what about alternative facts?

Described by Donald Trump as a fake news media (fake news media) (like all the media which did not praise it elsewhere), the Washington Post had taken the time to identify the number of lies, falsehoods and other untruths the president had during his first term: he had accumulated 30,573, an average of 21 per day.

At the time, our Canadian colleague, Daniel Dale, hired by CNNprobably had the most intense four years of his career as a fact-checker. Although the Biden presidency has provided him with some respite (the octogenarian’s lies and false claims were unearthed, but were by no means as immeasurable as those of Trump), Dale will probably need to take a few vitamins daily in order to cope with what awaits him from January 20, 2025.

Because, if we trust the promises of this second mandate, the falsehoods are here to stay, mature and proliferate like never before. With a victory for his camp at all levels of power (presidency, House of Representatives and Senate), Donald Trump has free rein to dictate what he sees fit. truths in the majority of cases, for at least his first two years in office.

When disinformation reigns with impunity

During this presidential campaign, the Republican Party, under the leadership of Donald Trump and JD Vance, took the opportunity to endorse the falsehoods uttered by their candidates.

For example, the statement that migrants are eating pets in Springfield, Ohio. His allegations spread amid racial tensions where recent legal immigration of Haitians was straining some public resources.

Another example: that of students who, in one day, could come home with a sex change.

Can you imagine being a parent, your son leaves home and you say to him, “Jimmy, I love you so much, go have a good day at school”, and your son comes back with an operation brutal? Can you imagine that? What is wrong with our country?

Remarks that Trump made several times during the campaign, including in Wisconsin, a key state. There is, of course, no evidence that any student has ever undergone gender-affirming surgery in a school in the United States, nor that any American school has sent a student to undergo such surgery elsewhere. But the more you repeat a lie, the more it becomes reality in the minds of some. Freedom of expressionthey say.

In this campaign, Trump was also able to count on Elon Musk, the richest person on the planet who bought and transformed Twitter into a hotbed of disinformation called X. On election day, he amplified anti-immigrant conspiracies and accused Democrats of election fraud. The billionaire told his x-themwhen Donald Trump was actually going to win the presidential election: You are the media now.

Rise of journalism pink slime

During this presidential campaign, more than ever, much of what has been done to fill the void left by the decline of mainstream media has been misinformation, and more importantly, these deliberate falsehoods for the purpose of political gain.

Increasingly present, the network of websites called pink slime who pose as traditional news outlets while disseminating biased information or lies have also played a role as vectors of these falsehoods.

Originally, the pink slime is a meat byproduct used as a food additive in ground beef and processed beef meats, as a filler, or to reduce fat content. Nothing exciting, but now this concept has made its way into journalism.

Open in full screen mode

It has become a practice where U.S. news outlets or partisan organizations posing as respectable media outlets publish low-quality reporting that appears to be local news. However, this is manipulated and biased information.

Like the pink slime fills a gap in minced meat, fake journalism fills the place of local press companies, decimated by plummeting revenues. These networks of fake news have therefore grown relentlessly in the American information deserts.

In June 2024, NewsGuardan organization that helps consumers recognize reliable information online, identified 1,265 media outlets pink slime nationwide, officially surpassing the 1,213 daily newspapers still operating in the United States.

They post a mix of press releases and county data, as well as very one-sided content that is not necessarily misinformation or liesexplains McKenzie Sadeghi, editor-in-chief at NewsGuard, but which misleads voters by selecting or presenting one side of an issue without being transparent about their political nature.

The ecosystem of lies

In order to appear more credible, they use some of the font and branding that newspapers with legitimate credibility have traditionally used. San Diego City Wire, Savannah Times et Florida Times are generic names used by these websites.

There have been left-wing political action committees that have entered the game of pink slimebut they are much rarer than those who serve the interests of the right.

But who finances these media with murky influences? Some have Russian, Chinese or Iranian origins.

They want to create chaosbelieves Alex Mahadevan, but, when it comes to American-funded news sites, they are really designed to influence a person’s vote and feelings about a candidate.

Open in full screen mode

The most famous group remains Metric Mediawhich is owned by Brian Timpone, a conservative businessman who has made election denialism and other right-wing conspiracies his bread and butter in hundreds of fake newspaper publications.x. Since the start of 2024, residents of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Ohio have been targeted by these newspapers supporters disguised as independent local news.

I think journalism pink slime is part of this new information ecosystem that is characterized by fragmented media consumption, many of which are fakeconcludes Alex Mahadevan.

Trump is certainly a big driver of disinformation and misinformation, as are his acolytes Elon Musk and RFK Jr., but they fit perfectly into this toxic ecosystem of misleading information online.

Who can cover for Trump at the White House?

A past presidency where post-truth took pride of place, a campaign where fake news was legion… what will happen to the media coverage? PERMITS par l’administration Trump?

With his inner circle leaning decidedly to the hard right, Donald Trump may consider making changes to the credentials of journalists who have access to the press room, giving some advantage to newer voices aligned with the MAGA movement. Especially since traditional media are losing influence in public opinion.

Open in full screen mode

After all, during his first term, the Republican tried to exclude the New York Times, CNN or even the BBC.

According to Axios, at least two media executives who run pro-Trump news outlets have said they intend to apply for credentials that would give them access to White House press briefings starting in January. Companies that would take the place of other established and reputable media.

Who could be the contenders who would then take the place of traditional media? Maybe Real America NewsRSBN (Right Side Broadcasting Network), or the podcast team War Room of Steve Bannon, former Trump adviser, who recently served four months in prison for contempt of Congress? Or even these content producers, youtubers and Trumpist influencers?

Who knows. But, at least, there will be no physical presence of companies journalism pink slimesince they generate their content mainly by algorithms and artificial intelligence. That’s already it…