Over One Hundred News Reports on Michelle Obama Mocking Melania Trump’s Inaugural Gift – Only ONE Mentioned Obama Gave Gift to Laura Bush

This how the media works to smear conservatives and protect liberals. Former First Lady Michelle Obama taped an interview on Wednesday with Ellen DeGeneres that aired Thursday in which she commented for the first time about a gift presented to her by Melania Trump at the White House the morning of her husband Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20, 2017. A laughing Obama told DeGeneres that Melania Trump had broken protocol by bringing the gift, saying, “Never before do you get this gift…what am I supposed to do with this gift.”, blaming Melania for placing her in an uncomfortable situation that forced President Barack Obama to resolve by taking the gift inside the White House.

Viral image from January 20, 2017 shows Michelle Obama grimacing for the camera as she holds gift from Melania Trump.

via GIPHY

Video loop of Michelle Obama reacting to gift presentated by Melania Trump.

The news media gleefully ran with Michelle Obama’s story of the uncouth rube Melania Trump showing up on the big day with a large, unwieldly ‘robin’s egg blue’ Tiffany gift box, forcing a breach of protocol that only Barack Obama could fix.

There’s just one problem with Michelle Obama’s story: She herself just eight years before had presented First Lady Laura Bush with a gift in the exact same situation the morning of January 20, 2009 as Laura and out-going President George W. Bush met the Obamas at the North Portico of the White House on Barack Obama’s Inauguration Day. The only differences were Michelle Obama’s gift was in a white box with a red ribbon–and Laura Bush wasn’t flustered, she handled the gift with aplomb without any help from her husband.

Oh, and the news media didn’t make an international incident out of it and Laura Bush didn’t lie about Michelle Obama on national television.

Melania Trump was following a protocol set by Michelle Obama, but that’s not how it was reported.

People Magazine broke the Michelle Obama gift story on the overnight of January 30-31, with a preview clip provided by the Ellen DeGeneres Show.

Michelle Obama Finally Opens Up About That Awkward Inauguration Gift Exchange with Melania Trump

…In her first TV interview since leaving the White House, the former first lady, 54, opens up about the gift exchange to host Ellen DeGeneres, finally revealing what was inside the Tiffany & Co. box.

“It was a lovely frame,” Obama shares, in a sneak peek of the full interview airing on Thursday.

On the morning of his 2017 swearing-in ceremony, Trump didn’t wait for his wife — or help her out of the car, or take her arm —before charging up the White House steps to greet her and husband, former President Barack Obama. Instead, Melania walked up alone, a few paces behind her husband, with the Tiffany & Co. box in her hands.

“Well, there’s all this protocol. I mean, this is like a state visit, so they tell you that you’re going to do this, they’re going to stand here. Never before do you get this gift, so I’m sort of like okay,” the mother of two tells the host.

…”What am I supposed to do with this gift? And everyone cleared out and no one would come and take the box. And I’m thinking do we take the picture with?” the Chicago native says.

“And then my husband saved the day – see he grabbed the box and took it back inside. But everybody cleared out. No staff, no one. I was like what do you do with the box?” she adds.”

People mentioned the Obamas being received by the Bushes in 2009, but failed to report that Michelle Obama brought a gift for Laura Bush.

It is a tradition for outgoing presidents to welcome their successors to the White House on the morning of Inauguration Day. Former President George W. Bush and wife Laura Bush hosted the Obamas and Bidens for coffee or tea in the Blue Room of the White House ahead of Obama’s first inauguration on Jan. 20, 2009.”

Following the lead of the People promo article for Ellen, over one hundred news articles in the States and around the world reported on Michelle Obama’s story of the uncouth rube Melania Trump on Inauguration Day, according to a news search using the string, “Michelle Obama Melania Trump Gift”. Only one news article was found adding “Laura Bush” to the search string. That article was by the Daily Caller and featured video of Michelle Obama giving a gift to Laura Bush found on an obscure source: The Today Show on NBC.

Unfortunately the Daily Caller report had a bloggy headline that obscured the lede. However the article reports the Today anchors gushing over Michelle Obama.

Michelle Obama Explains That Awkward Inaugural Gift Exchange – Gets Hit With A TRUTH BOMB

…What’s untrue, however, is saying this has never happened before. Many people on social media pointed out a similar gift exchange happened in 2009 during Obama’s inauguration, when Michelle gave former first lady Laura Bush a present and the entire media swooned.

“Oh, she’s brought a gift! Aw, she’s such a gracious lady,” one NBC cohost exclaims. “I bet it’s not Tupperware,” Matt Lauer chimes in…”

It is amazing to watch the video of a gracious Laura Bush holding her gift and then calmly tucking it behind Barack Obama for the formal photos—and then compare that to Michelle Obama causing a scene eight years later.

And then compare the news media’s coverage.

The New York Times:

…It might seem obvious now that it had to be a frame, but on Inauguration Day there were few clues. Mrs. Trump delivered it to Mrs. Obama after she exited a limousine outside the White House and the couples shook hands and hugged. On a day full of pomp and protocol, the couples were then supposed to pose for a photograph, as two Marines saluted by their sides.

But instead of pivoting for the photograph, Mrs. Trump handed Mrs. Obama a rectangular box wrapped in robin-egg blue paper and a white bow. Mrs. Obama grabbed it with two hands and then panicked. It was not part of the script, she confirmed on the show.

“I mean, this is like a state visit, so they tell you that you’re going to do this, they’re going to stand here,” Mrs. Obama said in the interview with Ms. DeGeneres. “Never before do you get this gift, so I’m sort of like, O.K.,” she said.”…

No mention by the Times of Michelle Obama giving a gift to Laura Bush in the same situation in 2009.

Nor was there a mention by the Today Show in their televised report or online article.

100 anti-Trump lies to one truth. That about sums up the media bias against the Trump presidency.

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Kristinn Taylor has contributed to The Gateway Pundit for over ten years. Mr. Taylor previously wrote for Breitbart, worked for Judicial Watch and was co-leader of the D.C. Chapter of FreeRepublic.com. He studied journalism in high school, visited the Newseum and once met David Brinkley.

You can email Kristinn Taylor here, and read more of Kristinn Taylor's articles here.

 

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