RNC Chair Doubles Down on 'Fake News’

Republican National Committee chair Ronna Romney McDaniel put her signature to the latest email that uses attacks on the media to try and raise money for the party and its candidates.

Taking a page out of President Donald Trump's divide to conquer strategy of trying to delegitimize negative stories, the email cites a "fake news" headline from arguably the president's favorite target—CNN—to illustrate what the party claims is "fake news" that is "far more powerful than the Democratic Party." 

The president's campaign committee and the RNC have teamed up on previous solicitations, but this one is all RNC.

"[T]hey have the power to trick American voters into believing they're unbiased—all the while they peddle hateful and deceitful rhetoric about our President," she said.

She makes it clear that CNN and the New York Times are two of those "they," saying: "They call themselves 'The Most Trusted Name in News.' They claim to cover 'All the News That’s Fit to Print…" 

Curiously, she suggested, after calling mainstream media outlets hateful and deceitful, that Trump supporters win when "we rise above their attacks" and deliver a positive message.

The email asks for a dollar to help get the President's "make America great" message past the "media filter."

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.