Twitter users were all over Fox News with “fake news” claims after the network sent a “news alert” on Twitter stating Donald Trump spent the weekend working at the White House when news reports suggest he traveled to his Virginia golf course on Saturday and Sunday.
The tweet didn’t include a link or a story, just a photo of the White House and a tag for the official @POTUS Twitter handle.
Twitter users, especially journalists, were a bit befuddled by the news alert claiming “@POTUS spending weekend working at the White House.”
According to multiple news reports, Trump had left the White House on Saturday and took meetings at the Trump National Golf Course in Sterling, Virginia, just outside the nation’s capital.
News Alert: @POTUS spending weekend working at the White House. pic.twitter.com/kAtZVQE2Mr
— Fox News (@FoxNews) March 26, 2017
And he was there again on Sunday, according to reporters, for a few more meetings, staying about an hour.
What’s more, people at the golf course shared photos on Instagram and Twitter claiming they saw Trump at the course and wearing cleats, casting further shade on Fox’s report.
1.) This is not newsworthy.
2.) This is flatly false.
3.) This is what propaganda looks like. https://t.co/M2Hn8x1dcp— Matt McDermott (@mattmfm) March 26, 2017
https://twitter.com/SteveKopack/status/846029266647158784
He was at his golf course earlier today. @FoxNews pic.twitter.com/2KSGl8qddr
— Erick Fernandez (@ErickFernandez) March 26, 2017
https://twitter.com/jbillinson/status/845732033305481216
It didn’t take long for Twitter to descend on Fox, whose on-air opinionators and pundits, such as Sean Hannity, have backed Trump on his many assertions that outlets he doesn’t agree with are “fake news.”
(By contrast, Fox News anchors such as Shepard Smith and Chris Wallace have publicly rebuked Trump for his attacks on journalists.)
Replies to the tweet filled with sarcasm and quite a few “fixes” to make it more accurate.
"this far away picture of a house will prove he wasn't golfing all weekend"
— Alex Zalben 🔜 NYCC (@azalben) March 26, 2017
Fixed it for you. @FoxNews @POTUS pic.twitter.com/rdBvn5eMLf
— david nussbaum (@theNuzzy) March 26, 2017
https://twitter.com/lpolgreen/status/846124715630612480
https://twitter.com/LeftofWherever/status/846114035535892480
Him working is news? Wasn't he golfing yesterday? pic.twitter.com/j3lmpGBCbN
— JAlien 👽✌💛 (@JAlienTrump) March 26, 2017
https://twitter.com/alexjkane/status/846139619129376768
https://twitter.com/RyanEGraney/status/846119402676391937
https://twitter.com/sledskillz/status/846133132361371649
— sara beykpour (@pandemona) March 26, 2017
Fox News wasn’t the only one to suffer ridicule on Twitter.
Trump tweeted angrily about Barack Obama playing golf instead of working many times during Obama’s presidency. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer got in on the act too, back in the day.
Wish I could be on the golf course but have to work – must be nice to be President
— Sean Spicer (@seanspicer) July 29, 2012
As the Washington Post reports, Trump has spent one of every three days of his presidency at a Trump property, with some 13 trips to his golf courses since he took the office.
Twitter users jumped all over Spicer and suggested that Trump’s behavior smacked of hypocrisy.
https://twitter.com/ira/status/845764049673510912
https://twitter.com/cxcope/status/845748610948124672
https://twitter.com/ShaunKing/status/845743326447972353
https://twitter.com/MicahSingleton/status/845769458908041216
— Amr Shady (@ashady) March 26, 2017
https://twitter.com/theyearofelan/status/845781455502372864