But is that really true...?

     Media in all forms is digested by most citizens in the United States in one way or another, but how are we supposed to know what is real versus what is fake on TV or online? This idea of not knowing reality from "supposed reality" portrayed on news outlets becomes detrimental to the general population, especially regarding political news. With the polarization our country is facing in the current political climate it is paramount that people are getting facts and not fiction, so what happens when this fiction is being spread by our Commander in Chief? Donald Trump is infamous for a multitude of reasons, one being his consistent proclamation of being a victim of "fake news" whenever something is published that he does not like, and lately, he has not been a fan of people fact-checking his speeches. In his 2019 State of the Union address, Donald Trump stated at least 10 false claims regarding the United States of America since he took office in 2016.

     Having used the media, particularly Twitter, as a tool to gain support throughout his campaign and presidency by speak to the general public directly, Donald Trump was not ready for the media to work against him now. On February 11, 2019, Trump shared his frustrations about being fact-checked by comparing himself to President Obama, in particular, The Affordable Care Act. Trump stated:

"You can keep your doctor, remember that, 28 times. That didn’t happen; turned out to be a lie. Hey, where are the fact-checkers? You know some of the most dishonest people in media are the so-called fact-checkers. Twenty-eight times. You can keep your doctor, that didn’t turn out to be what he said."

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     Although it is true that President Obama didn't have to get fact checked in the same way Trump does, isn't the more significant issue at hand that we need fact checkers on the President of the United States at all? Is democracy still a democracy if the people participating in government don't know how their votes will actually affect the nation? Would there be as much political polarization if people heard facts rather than bias news from media outlets that made their mind up about what side they're on far before they even hear the news? Lastly, how can average Americans know what is really true in the media at all?