He told how the first president, George Washington, often felt maligned and misunderstood by the press but never generalised that into a vendetta. “Campaigns against the press don’t get your face carved into the rocks of Mount Rushmore, for when you chip away at the press, you chip away at our democracy. Chernow joked: “I’m sorry to report I’m not finished!”The historian made clear his distaste for the Trump administration’s embrace of “alternative facts” and false narratives. This year he also banned White House staff from attending, although former press secretary Sean Spicer and longtime friend Chris Ruddy were present. Clearly deficient in the art of the deal, the poor man had to settle at the lowly title of ‘father of his country’.

Source: The Guardian April 28, 2019 06:11 UTC