The White House is Using a Doctored Video of Acosta's Confrontation with Trump

Trump Kicks Out a Top White House Reporter

As most of you know, CNN reporter Jim Acosta (also one of Trump's strongest in-person critics) had his press credentials pulled after a confrontation with President Donald Trump at the White House press conference yesterday, Wednesday, November 7, 2018.

The White House claimed that he had "grabbed" a White House intern whose job it was to pass around the microphone that the various correspondents were using to ask questions of the President.  They then doubled down on this travesty by using a DOCTORED video that showed something that didn't happen.  

Let's remember why this type of intimidation can be very successful:  The White House only has to pull the credentials of one strong critic, in this case, Acosta, to affect everyone in that room.  We know these are tough reporters, but they don't want to lose access.  They may well dampen their questions, even subconsciously, just to stay a member of the White House Press Corps.  Press oversight will be lessened, even if none of us, including the reporters, realizes it.

And now Part II.. (after the photo):

Photo found at Politico HERE

I found the following on Twitter; it makes a good and very scary point: Trump has shown a willingness to use fake edited video footage to lie.  This is extremely dangerous.  Posted by Jared Yates Sexton on Twitter; italics mine:

Something of extreme importance we need to talk about regarding the Jim Acosta situation: this White House has shown a continued desire to not just lie but a willingness to use manufactured evidence, and that's something, with advances in technology, we should be terrified of. 

We've been dealing with Trump and his crew's shamelessness to lie, but they've also used manufactured media to promote their distortions. Technology is improving in this area, and if it's used like this we're in big, big trouble. 

For those who haven't heard of it yet, look up "Deep Fake Technology." It's used to doctor footage and voices. With it, people can make almost anyone say anything they want on video or create any circumstance they wish. It's almost undetectable.  

This thing today, with the doctored Acosta footage, is a crude artifact that can be dissected by editors and keen eyes. But Deep Fake technology is a whole different ballgame, and you can believe bad actors are currently honing their skills with it.  

The far right is a hit squad determined to derail liberal critics and individuals. I can tell you, personally, that they try literally anything, no matter how absurd or laughable, to bring people down. The lies and campaigns are never-ending. They grasp for straws. 

We've seen this with people mining old posts, histories, all of these things, but listen: If they have the ability to warp reality in any way they choose? That's a major, major, major issue and it's going to crack this country like an egg. 

We've seen that nefarious actors are willing to doctor footage for purposes, but we also know this White House is willing to use it without even a moment of hesitation. The administration is currently using a doctored clip as a weapon and it's such an obvious fraud.

So. If Trump is willing to use an obvious fraud as a means of attacking his opponents, what happens when the fringe right starts producing immaculately constructed frauds? We're talking things at a level that would ASTOUND you. 

This technology can be used to smear and discredit every major critic of Trump, or whoever comes after him, or construct any crisis or evidence necessary to de-legitimize any argument against them. It can create a crisis, it can lead us into some very deep and very dark waters

People can say this Acosta situation is a distraction, I disagree and think it's a major issue of free press: the underlying message here is that this administration is more than fine and more than happy to use artificial propaganda created by bad actors 

The Acosta footage was created by a group that regularly distorts the truth, scapegoats victims, and spins antisemitic narratives that have inspired assassination attempts. Listen: They're the more mainstream of these actors. There's so many people out there we don't know. 

The other people doctoring videos? They're the ones scheming to create a fascist regime in this country, the ones who have designs on some truly, truly heinous stuff. They're going to create this, and Trump will use it. Think of the memes he's already coopted. 

Remember how Fake News was obviously a problem but wasn't taken seriously enough. Technology lurks until it changes the world. We're watching the beginnings of something here that could be incredibly insidious and dangerous in a way we don't even understand. 

What is even more dangerous are the millions out there who believe that Acosta should have been kicked out; that he "deserved" it.  How did we ever get so divided as a country? 

Oh yes, I know.. and we shouldn't we all know by now?