After showing Trump's altered hurricane forecast map, Alysin Camerota asked John Avlon: "Do you think the president was just trying to show off his awesome art project?"
"You know, it's cool to be into crafts. And I think there's no better place for it than the Oval Office when dealing with a deadly hurricane. What's stunning is extent to which the president will go to almost any length to defend his reality distortion field. Somebody doctored this map, folks. And the White House is not denying that's the president. The additional problem? It's technically illegal," John Avlon said.
He said changing an official weather projection is punishable for up to 90 days in prison and a fine.
"I have a sneaking suspicion the law and order administration might not be enforcing this one as they really figure out who the culprit is. Because, as we all know, the president likes doctoring things involving black magic marker," he said.
"But do you think there is some irony that after the Mueller report, Stormy Daniels, the violations of emoluments clause, that the jail time could be tied to Sharpiegate?" Camerota asked.
"This is the emperor is wearing no clothes," Avlon said.
"The Washington Post had a great article with the headline, 'Trump's war on reality hits bizarre new terrain.' And that's why we do these reality checks. The president's war on reality continues every day. This is just a particularly buffoonish example of getting away with something and not apologizing."
"Does he think we can't see the black Magic Marker on there?"
"This is sort of one of those things we're not sure what the president is seeing through his own eyes," he said.
"What's clear is it wasn't part of the real map. The National Weather Service was saying Alabama has never been a target. Alabama's emergency service put out a tweet clarifying the president's comments. Around a week ago, it was one distant possibility. It stuck in the president's mind. Then he doubles and triples down because he can't admit he's wrong. Because if he does that, the whole house of cards comes down."
