Dat woord
Yet more shame and degradation on the world stage, this time involving the shiny new US ambassador to the Netherlands.
Trump’s new choice for ambassador, Pete Hoekstra, who was only sworn in by the vice president, Mike Pence, on 11 December, was being interviewed for current affairs programme Nieuwsuur by reporter Wouter Zwart.
Zwart says: “You mentioned in a debate that there are no-go zones in the Netherlands, and that cars and politicians are being set on fire in the Netherlands.”
Hoekstra replies: “I didn’t say that. This is actually an incorrect statement. We would call it fake news.”
Hoekstra is then shown clips of him saying: “The Islamic movement has now gotten to a point where they have put Europe into chaos. Chaos in the Netherlands, there are cars being burnt, there are politicians that are being burnt … and yes there are no-go zones in the Netherlands.”
Oops. So how did he respond? Did he say oh sorry my bad? Did he hell.
Challenged about having called this “fake news”, Hoekstra then went on to deny to Zwart that he had in fact used the phrase “fake news”.
“I didn’t call that fake news. I didn’t use the words today. I don’t think I did.”
Think again, sir.
He’s a RW culture warrior & former Congressman from west Michigan’s Dutch Reformed Church Bible Belt. In tight with the DeVos family.
Isn’t a modicum of trustworthiness a prerequisite for an effective ambassador? Sure, I get that sometimes it’s important to lie or bend the truth in the adversarial world of international politics, but at least they should have picked someone who lies better.
If I were in charge of The Netherlands instead of my (almost) namesake, I’d chuck Hoekstra out and request an improved model.
Hahaha yes of course but in Trump world every day is Opposite Day. The president goes to Europe and pushes other heads of state out of his way live on camera; ambassadors lie to journalists live on camera and then say they never did, live on camera. Welcome to Opposite World!
I didn’t know there was a west Michigan Dutch Reformed Church Bible Belt. Good to know.
I come from a southeast Iowa Mennonite belt or probably more of a spot than a belt. They got over it though in my grandfather’s generation. People can get over these things.
“We would call it fake news”.
Well yeah, this administration calls a lot of factual reporting “fake news”, so I guess Hoekstra is technically correct?