Trump has made hatred for the free press into one of the cornerstones of his administration. He decries every unflattering story as “fake news” and regularly insults, berates, and ignores journalists. It’s nothing less than an all-out war on the truth.
Given Trump’s behavior, it’s always nice to see a reporter getting back at the president, even if it’s just in a small way.
Doug Mills, a photographer for The New York Times, has been traveling with Trump during his Asia trip and is frustrated with the minimal access that the White House has afforded the press, reports The Washington Post. On Friday, he tweeted out a tongue-in-cheek message with a photo of a black box, calling attention to the fact that he had not been permitted to take the photos of Trump’s attendance at the APEC summit.
This what our APEC Summit photo coverage looks today in Da Nang Vietnam. Blank. No coverage by the White House Travel Pool photographers traveling with @realDonaldTrump #APEC2017 #apec pic.twitter.com/jFgsJW5OcO
— Doug Mills (@dougmillsnyt) November 11, 2017
Last night, in what was clearly an act of good-natured revenge, Mills tweeted out a preposterous photo of Trump at the ASEAN summit. The president is seen grimacing like a child and squeezing the hands of the world leaders on either side of him. It’s a distinctly unpresidential photograph, and it seems likely Mills chose to publish this photo rather than another, more complimentary image as payback for Friday’s media blackout.
.@realDonaldTrump joins other leaders in a handshake with President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, right, during the opening ceremony of the 31st ASEAN Summit pic.twitter.com/mfqTU8AmUr
— Doug Mills (@dougmillsnyt) November 13, 2017
The awkward moment was also caught on video:
While it’s hardly a scandal, the photograph once again shows just how boorish and undignified our current leader is. One can’t help but miss the Obama years when the American President was an intelligent, confident man with class, not an overgrown toddler with a bad spray tan.
