Trump’s Towel-Throwing: A Case Study in Liberal Media Manipulation

October 21st, 2017 3:37 PM

I have never received more insults in my life, all for simply participating as a volunteer in President Trump’s visit with Hurricane María victims seeking supplies at Calvary Chapel in Puerto Rico. 

As a result of all the distorted portrayals and misinformation that have been spread about what the President did during his October 3 visit, I have decided to offer this firsthand account, which I trust will reach those who criticized without knowing all the facts, along with those who deliberately decided to present just one brief scene from the event in order to justify their hatred and political opposition against Donald Trump.

The media that failed to accurately report on the distribution of water, food and other supplies to 300 hurricane victims during the President’s visit are guilty of crass dishonesty and manipulation. Their purpose was obviously to inflame public opinion against the President, which in turn fomented the resulting insults from individuals who believed the false and deliberately incomplete reports.  

To set the record straight: most of the President’s visit to Calvary Chapel was taken up with talking and taking pictures with the people near the tables of supplies, and then handing out those supplies. Near the end of the visit, after spending several minutes handing out supplies such as canned chicken, flashlights, rice and water, he spent about 30 seconds tossing rolls of paper towels to people further back in the crowd who were not able to move toward the front where he was handing things out. 

The reality is that the President’s towel throwing took place because he saw how there were a lot of people behind those in the first few rows, who couldn’t reach him to receive anything. The President wanted to include them, since the activity was to distribute supplies. He wasn’t going to toss over to them bottles of water or canned food, which could hurt somebody, but rolls of paper towels, which wouldn’t hurt anybody.

Though it was portrayed as an act of disdain or contempt for the people, it was actually an act of frustration, due to the disorganization of the event. He wanted to reach as many as possible with the supplies, but wasn’t properly positioned to do so. From my vantage point at the event, I took photos of him in which he is clearly frustrated with the set-up of the activity.

At the end of the day, it was a politically imprudent move for him to toss those towels. Knowing that most of the media seizes every opportunity they get to cast him in the worst possible light, the President should have known that they would select it as the image to be used to define and shape the viewing public’s opinion of his visit in the worst way possible. And that’s exactly what happened: the pack instinct that exists in the media took over, as they chose to focus almost entirely on the 30 seconds of paper towel throwing. The rest of Trump’s visit to Puerto Rico practically faded into oblivion. 

It became what President Trump calls “Fake News.” And I’m sorry to say, in this case I agree with the President. The deliberately distorted portrayal of his visit to Calvary Chapel in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico was the definition of #FakeNews. I was there, and I can attest to the fact that instead of covering the entirety of the President’s visit honestly, almost all of the media chose to only cover the part of his visit that fit with their desire to present him in the worst possible light. 

Though I am criticized for speaking up about this, I am duty-bound to always defend the truth, especially when I have personal knowledge and evidence of the facts. Think what you will about me, but I am not going to lie to win the favor of anybody. Trump spent several minutes personally distributing a variety of supplies to the gathering. About 30 seconds of that time involved tossing rolls of paper towels, in order to reach those who were further back in the room. That is the truth. If after learning this you still prefer to stick with the deliberately distorted version of the visit presented to you by the manipulative media, that is your problem. 

In a situation like the one I found myself in that day at Calvary Chapel during the President’s visit, what could I do? The event’s disorganization made it practically impossible for volunteers like myself to help out. Incidentally, it is also worth noting that I never favored the candidacy of Donald Trump, nor do I have government contracts or other interests to protect. I am just a citizen like any other, who went to be part of a humanitarian effort to distribute supplies to some 300 victims of Hurricane María, with the President of the United States.