Kellyanne Conway uses 'alternative facts' to explain that doctored Jim Acosta video
Well, the definition of the word "altered" now seems to be up for debate — at least if you work for the Trump administration.
After last week's testy exchange at the White House between CNN reporter Jim Acosta and President Trump, Kellyanne Conway weighed in Sunday on the controversial video shared by the White House press secretary. Appearing on Fox News, Conway conjured up some alternative facts by saying that the video shared by Sarah Huckabee Sanders (after it had been tweeted out by an InfoWars editor) wasn't altered but, rather, like a sports highlight: “Oh, well that’s not altered. That’s sped up. They do it all the time in sports to see if there’s actually a first down or a touchdown.”
First of all, speeding a video up or doing anything that changes the original video in any way makes it, by definition, altered. And the White House, Trump included, is on record in saying that the video was in no way altered.
Second, video replays in sports are not generally sped up but, rather, slowed down because that's the only way you can really (mostly) tell if a play is a first down or touchdown. So, yeah.
Kellyanne Conway said the Acosta footage "wasn't altered, it's sped up," which is like saying she doesn't lie, she just slows down the truth.
— Frank Lesser (@sadmonsters) November 11, 2018
Later in the interview, Conway stepped in it again by acknowledging that Trump does indeed know interim Attorney General Matt Whitaker despite his stringent denials that he knew Whittaker before he picked him to replace Jeff Sessions.
It's true that Trump's claim has already been debunked but to hear Conway do it in an attempt to smooth things over was particularly eyebrow-raising. Her entire appearance is like a Möbius strip of lies that wraps in on itself for an eternity and never really makes sense no matter how many times you listen to it.
What is clear, however, is that the Trump administration is continuing to wage war on the press and will continue to do so, even if it means constantly contradicting itself at every turn.
