The Art of Omission: Trump Erased Human Rights and Ethics Concerns from His Middle East Coverage Trump shared manipulated articles to his Truth Social platform, omitting critiques and geopolitical realities to craft a glowing portrayal of his diplomacy MeidasTouch Network May 19 Written by J.D. Wolf In a Truth Social post today, Trump shared screenshots of news articles from media outlets highlighting coverage of his recent Middle East trip. Each post prominently features the article titles, publishers—Fox News, Washington Examiner, CBS News, and NewsNation—and writers Anders Hagstrom, Haisten Willis, Kaia Hubbard, Kellie Meyer, and Anna Kutz, giving an appearance of transparency and broad media acknowledgment of his diplomacy. However, a closer examination reveals a pattern of selective omission. Trump’s posts systematically cut away significant portions of the articles that contain criticisms and concerns about his trip, effectively sanitizing the narrative presented to his audience. Trump with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia This propaganda technique makes it appear that the pieces from these outlets are only glowing and positive. MeidasTouch uncovered several omissions when comparing the original articles to Trump's screenshots. Trump's screenshots of redacted news articles Trump's screenshots of redacted news articles Key omissions include detailed reporting on human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia, including references to the CIA’s conclusion that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi—an issue that has long clouded U.S.-Saudi relations. Trump also leaves out scrutiny of his family’s business dealings in Saudi Arabia, such as plans for Trump-branded real estate developments in Jeddah and Riyadh. Moreover, ethical controversies are erased from the redacted articles, including bipartisan criticism over Trump accepting a $400 million Boeing 747 aircraft from Qatar as a gift, which many viewed as a potential national security risk. Trump’s cuts further obscure the complex geopolitical context of the trip, such as negotiations involving Iran’s nuclear program and the Israel-Hamas conflict. Trump at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi One example omitted from Trump's Washington Examiner screenshots: Yet despite the investment promises, ethical questions have swirled around Trump during his trip. Trump announced on Monday that he would accept a $400 million 747 aircraft “free of charge” from Qatar to temporarily replace Air Force One. The gift has raised accusations of misconduct from both sides of the political aisle, including from former rival and Trump administration official Nikki Haley. “Accepting gifts from foreign nations is never a good practice,” Haley posted on X. “It threatens intelligence and national security. Especially when that nation supports a terrorist organization and allows those terrorist regimes to live on its soil.” President Donald J. Trump and Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani Another example, this one cut by Trump from his screenshots of the CBS News article: Mr. Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MBS, announced multiple economic and defense agreements, an indication of Mr. Trump's intent to deepen U.S.-Saudi ties, despite long-held concerns from State Department reports and human rights groups about its restriction of civil liberties, political rights, and women's rights. The Saudis hosted a dinner in the city of Dir'iyah in honor of Mr. Trump. Speaking at the Saudi-U.S. Investment Forum, the president said it's a "tremendous honor" to be invited back to Saudi Arabia, where his first foreign trip took place in 2017, and called bin Salman a "friend." U.S. intelligence agencies believed bin Salman ordered the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in October 2018, but the U.S. determined that he has immunity due to his role as Saudi prime minister. By trimming these crucial sections, Trump crafts a version of events focused almost exclusively on economic deals and personal diplomacy, sidelining the critical voices and concerns raised by journalists and officials alike. At no point in Trump's post did he inform his followers that the articles had been edited from the originals. This isn't the first time that Trump has used the unethical practice of publishing altered articles to his Truth Social platform. During his 2024 campaign, MeidasTouch exposed Trump’s behavior multiple times—a practice that now appears to be back. This research is made possible thanks to the support of our paid subscribers. Consider joining today to keep our independent reporting going! Meidas+ is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.