WASHINGTON — The media showed up to the presidential ballroom of the new Trump International Hotel on Friday morning expecting Donald Trump to take questions about whether he still questions President Obama’s birthplace.
Instead, they got more than a half hour of a variety of military heroes — generals, medal of honor recipients and a gold star wife — expressing support for the Republican nominee. And it all aired live on the cable news networks.
Before the event, Trump tweeted: “I am now going to the brand new Trump International, Hotel D.C. for a major statement.” That was interpreted by the press to mean he was going to address “birther” questions.
That’s because on Thursday, Trump declined to tell the Washington Post if he still questioned whether Obama is an American citizen. But later Thursday night — after his comment took off in the media — Trump’s campaign released a statement saying: “Having successfully obtained President Obama’s birth certificate when others could not, Mr. Trump believes that President Obama was born in the United States.”
Realizing Trump was not using the occasion to address that subject — and instead focus it on the military — many in the press were not happy — and vented about it on Twitter.
18 months into this cable networks are still letting Trump hijack them for free airtime — ad time — by promising a “major announcement’
— Glenn Thrush (@GlennThrush) September 16, 2016
This is a f–king disgrace… https://t.co/YtSjlt57Os
— Glenn Thrush (@GlennThrush) September 16, 2016
So at what point does this become an-kind contribution from the networks to the Trump campaign?
— Jonathan Cohn (@CitizenCohn) September 16, 2016
Trump’s campaign hyped up change on birther issue. And now that TV networks carrying it live, we’ve had 20 mins of veterans endorsing Trump
— Jeremy Diamond (@JDiamond1) September 16, 2016
Networks going to stick with Trump as he tries to cloak his racist birtherism in the herosim and service of these vets?
— Eli Stokols (@EliStokols) September 16, 2016
“We got played, again, by the Trump campaign.” — John King just now on CNN.
— Matt Viser (@mviser) September 16, 2016
Once again, the American news media gets totally played by Trump. Wall-to-wall coverage. We’re all guilty.
— Jim Roberts (@nycjim) September 16, 2016
Jake Tapper calls it a “political rickroll.”
— Charles C. W. Cooke (@charlescwcooke) September 16, 2016
Trump’s campaign announced the endorsement of 44 new military flag officers, saying that brings the number up to 164 now.
“I am grateful for the growing support of highly respected retired generals and admirals who have been so successful in defending our country,” Trump said.
At the very end of the campaign event, Trump finally addressed the topic the media was there to hear. “Hillary Clinton and her campaign of 2008 started the birther controversy. I finished it.”
“President Barack Obama was born in the United States,” Trump said. “Period. Now we all want to get back to making America strong again.”
Many reporters, some standing on chairs, began shouting questions over the applause from the guests in attendance. But Trump, having accomplished what he wanted, took none.
