Seeking another bite at the apple to delegitimize outsider and poll leader Donald Trump in advance of the upcoming first Republican debate, the media hydra is reconfiguring after the John McCain not a “war hero” outrage campaign missed the target. In breaking news, the establishment has seized on a few military veterans who have denied supporting the Donald’s group, Veterans for Trump despite being identified as doing so. The way that the echo chamber effect operates is that a story is floated in either a blog or minor/foreign media outlet and then picked up and amplified by the heavy hitters in the mainstream media until it can be shaped and molded to suit the designated meme and accomplish the objective. It’s propaganda 101. The objective being of course to destroy Mr. Trump before he hands the establishment’s designated race horses their asses on stage in Cleveland in two weeks at the debate.

The nascent Veterans for Trump controversy is being reported by The Guardian in the story “Veterans named as Donald Trump supporters say they were not consulted”:

Several people listed as part of the “Veterans for Trump coalition” formed by Donald Trump following his incendiary comments about John McCain’s war record have denied they are part of the group, the Guardian has learned.

Trump’s campaign announced the formation of the New Hampshire-based group in response to criticism of the business mogul’s labelling of McCain, who spent five and a half years in a North Vietnamese jail, where he was tortured, as “not a war hero”.

A number of people were named as members of “Veterans for Trump” on Trump’s election website. “These veterans have pledged their support to Mr Trump in the primary, and they will be advocating for him,” a press release said.

But when the Guardian contacted several claimed Veterans for Trump members on Friday, three said they had never heard of the organisation and had not signed up as members.

“I don’t know anything about it,” said Ernie Fusi, an 88-year-old second world war veteran from Atkinson, New Hampshire. His name was among 51 “Veterans for Trump” whose details were sent out to the media and listed on Trump’s website.

“I haven’t told anyone I want to get in on that,” Fusi said. “I’m not going to do any campaigning.”

On Saturday, the Trump campaign disputed the accounts of those interviewed by the Guardian.

In an email, a spokeswoman said: “The campaign has written confirmation of support from each of the individuals listed as part of the New Hampshire Veterans Coalition, including those quoted in this story. We are extremely proud to have their support.”

With the Guardian story being so reliant on again selling the McCain “not a war hero” meme it does appear that this is the latest iteration of the media drive by shooting that Trump was able to emerge from last week. The establishment lapdog media attacked Trump like Colonel Kurtz’s jungle compound at the end of Apocalypse Now and by the end of the week hadn’t managed to significantly erode his support. I have yet to see the Sunday morning McNews show lineup but it’s even money that this story will at some point hit the domestic media and provide fodder for further attacks on Trump as a draft dodging child of privilege with no regard for actual military veterans.

As for the veterans in the Guardian story and the denials that Trump had their consent it would seem to be a pertinent question to ask exactly what percentage that the individuals referenced make up out of the larger group of Veterans for Trump in its entirety. That is a bit of context that is really needed but unsurprisingly missing in action.