Skip to main content
  • Online media
  • Tariffs
  • Epstein
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • RSS
  • Take Action
  • Search
  • Donate

Media Matters for America

  • News & Analysis
  • Research & Studies
  • Audio & Video
  • Archives

Media Matters for America

  • Nav
  • Search
  • News & Analysis
  • Research & Studies
  • Audio & Video
  • Archives
  • Online media
  • Tariffs
  • Epstein
  • Take Action
  • Search
  • Donate
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • RSS
Donald Trump and Twitter

Ceci Freed / Media Matters | Gage Skidmore via Creative Commons

Mainstream media organizations repeat Trump’s lie justifying new tariffs

Other reports debunk Trump’s claim that governments of Argentina and Brazil devalued their currencies

Written by Zachary Pleat

Published 12/02/19 12:36 PM EST

President Donald Trump on Monday announced on Twitter new tariffs targeting steel and aluminum shipments from Argentina and Brazil, claiming the countries “have been presiding over a massive devaluation of their currencies.” Twitter accounts of NBC News, CBS News, PBS, and CNN uncritically repeated Trump’s claim, even though other reporting contradicts it.

Trump’s announcement has not yet turned into formal policy and reportedly surprised Brazil’s president. Just as Trump’s invocation of national security to justify earlier tariffs was bogus, his latest claim also appears contrary to the facts. According to Axios’ coverage of the announcement, both countries’ currencies “are freely traded and have been for years” and “have weakened because of political upheavals and dwindling growth forecasts in the two countries — not government intervention.” The Washington Post’s article on Trump’s announcement pointed to the latest biannual Treasury Department report on currency manipulation that “did not allege Brazil or Argentina had done anything improper in handling their currencies.”

Yet tweets from four broadcast and cable news networks passed on Trump’s lie justifying his action, continuing a pattern of major news outlets repeating Trump’s misinformation to their audiences:

The Latest

  1. Fox News’ Bret Baier ignores key reason why data centers may increase energy costs

    Article 06/27/25 2:45 PM EDT

  2. Fox News encouraged the US to directly attack inside Iran — and then praised Trump when he listened

    Research/Study 06/27/25 1:37 PM EDT

  3. Fox News contributor Andrew McCarthy on forum shopping: “We shouldn't delude ourselves, both sides do this sort of thing”

    Video & Audio 06/27/25 12:49 PM EDT

  4. Media Matters weekly newsletter, June 27

    Narrative/Timeline 06/27/25 10:45 AM EDT

  5. TikTok Shop is selling black market vapes to children … again

    Article 06/27/25 10:02 AM EDT

Pagination

  • Previous page ‹‹
  • …
  • Current page 29
  • …
  • Next page ››

In This Article

  • Donald Trump

    Donald-Trump-MMFA-Tag.png
  • Tariffs / Trade

Related

  1. Right-leaning podcasters are turning on Trump over Jeffrey Epstein

    Research/Study 07/18/25 1:42 PM EDT

  2. Newspapers are — correctly — flagging the inflationary effect of Trump's tariff policies

    Research/Study 07/18/25 1:18 PM EDT

  3. On MSNBC, Angelo Carusone discusses Trump's doodles and how Trump's denial of doing drawings in WSJ/Epstein story may add more fuel to the story in the media

    Video & Audio 07/17/25 8:37 PM EDT

Media Matters for America

Sign up for email updates
  • About
  • Contact
  • Corrections
  • Submissions
  • Jobs
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • RSS

© 2025 Media Matters for America

RSS