What it’s like combating fake news from the White House in the age of Trump

The US president will seemingly say anything, however misleading, to try to control the news cycle

How does one combat false facts and misinformation stemming from a man who arguably wields the loudest megaphone in the world; a man who, despite your allegiance to the country he leads, identifies you as the “enemy of the American people”?

It’s a question I have asked myself nearly every single day since Donald Trump was elected president of the United States in 2016. His bombastic attacks against the press have created an unprecedented level of conflict between two of the most important institutions in the country – the White House and the free press.

When five people were killed during a mass shooting in a Maryland newsroom, many wondered why his response wasn’t more strident. One of his supporters sent explosives to news networks and Democratic officials across the country. Trolls now regularly send deaths threats to me and my colleagues for reporting even the most mundane stories about this presidency.