Tuesday night’s wild NBA Draft lottery drawing produced a top three that was overflowing with trade intrigue. Boston, who will open play in the East finals on Wednesday, claimed the first pick thanks to the 2013 trade with Brooklyn that keeps on giving. The Lakers, who would have been forced to convey their pick to the Sixers had it fallen outside the top three, instead jumped up to the No. 2 spot. And the Sixers jumped up from No. 5 to No. 3 after cashing in on a 2015 trade that included a pick swap with the Kings.

With so many moving parts and flipped selections to sift through, it’s worth taking a moment to examine the top storylines and biggest implications of the lottery drawing.

Let’s run through the winners and losers from the lottery drawing in advance of the June 22 Draft.

Winner: Boston’s Danny Ainge 

Danny Ainge made a big bet by doing nothing at the trade deadline, one that set him up for significant blame if the Celtics had flamed out in the playoffs or if they had slipped down to No. 4 in Tuesday’s lottery. All around him, aspiring contenders like Cleveland, Toronto, Washington, and Houston loaded up in January and February. In the days before the deadline, the Celtics were linked to win-now trade scenarios involving Jimmy Butler and Paul George. By resisting both blockbuster trades and smaller moves, Ainge was hoping Boston could live up to its eventual No. 1 seed status while also playing for the future.

That bet was looking dicey when Boston trailed Chicago 2-0 in the first round. Now it looks brilliant. The Celtics eliminated the Wizards in Game 7 on Monday and will host the Cavaliers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals on Wednesday. In between, they added the right to draft Washington’s Markelle Fultz and/or trade the selection as part of a package for a star player. Ainge is having his cake and eating it too: Boston faces zero pressure to beat Cleveland given how well LeBron James is playing and now Ainge holds all the cards in a loaded lottery. Butler’s Bulls, George’s Pacers and Blake Griffin’s Clippers all bounced out in the first round, and the Celtics have a laundry list of flexible contracts, young prospects and now the No. 1 pick to drive their pursuits of trades and high-profile free agents.

Loser: Nets

Pencil this one in every year since 2013, when Brooklyn went all in to acquire Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce from Boston in hopes of making a significant playoff push. In the press release announcing the trade, the 2017 pick swap was practically a foot note, included after the names of the nine total players and three other first-round picks included in the deal. Well, that footnote just turned into Fultz or Ball or whomever else Boston desires.

The layers of depression continue from there. Despite losing more games than any other team this season, the Nets will pick No. 27, behind every other Eastern Conference team with a first-round pick this year. Of course, it gets worse. The Nets must also convey their 2018 first-round pick to the Celtics, even if they finish with the league’s worst record again. “Today, the basketball Gods smiled on the Nets,” Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov said back in 2013, when he announced the trade. Well, Tuesday the basketball Gods laughed in Prokhorov’s face.

Winner: Lakers

There’s a very strong case to be made that the Lakers are much bigger winners than the Celtics, even though they will pick second. Just contrast the worst-case scenarios for both franchises. If Boston’s night fell apart, they are still picking fourth and in the East finals on Wednesday. If the Lakers’ night fell apart by slipping to fourth, fifth or sixth—a scenario that had a 53% chance of happening—Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka would have been stuck without a pick this year and have been forced to send their 2019 first-round pick to the Magic as part of a separate trade. That would have been a true hope-killer for a once-proud organization looking to end a four-year run of futility as quickly as possible. Without a bunch of young prospects who have yet to emerge as franchise talents, LA fans were looking down the barrel of another two or three years without much to cheer.

Instead, Johnson can smile widely and Pelinka can breathe a sigh of relief. Landing at No. 2 removes another layer of pressure: the Lakers likely won’t be forced to choose between Fultz and Lonzo Ball, the Southern California product who starred at UCLA. Had the Lakers landed the No. 1 pick, they would have faced a “Best Player Available” versus “Hometown Kid” debate. They are now free to select Ball—an up-tempo, pass-first shooter who looks like a natural fit in coach Luke Walton’s offense—without nearly as much criticism.

Loser: Markelle Fultz

Look, Fultz isn’t a true “loser.” That’s a misplaced tag for a guy who is widely regarded as the likely No. 1 pick. Nevertheless, Tuesday’s results will force him to keep waiting to find out what’s next for his future. If a team desperate for a franchise star like Phoenix or Orlando had landed the top pick, Fultz would have had a clear sense for how the next eight or nine years were about to play out. He would immediately be the man with the ball in his hands.

The fit in Boston is murky. Isaiah Thomas has blossomed into an All-Star and All-NBA candidate, further solidifying his status as a fan favorite and alpha dog by driving the Celtics’ exciting postseason run. How would Celtics coach Brad Stevens work in Fultz next year? Start him off the ball? Use him as a super-sub? Jaylen Brown, Boston’s 2016 lottery pick, enjoyed a strong rookie season but only saw modest minutes in a complementary, reserve role for most of the year. Does that type of soft launch make sense for a talented scoring guard like Fultz?

What’s more, Fultz is bound to hear a solid month’s worth of trade rumors in advance of the Draft. Without any control over his ultimate destination, he’s facing an uncertain future, much like the circumstances that surrounded Andrew Wiggins shortly after he was selected No. 1 overall by Cleveland in 2014. Things eventually worked out for Wiggins, who needed to wait until August to be officially traded to Minnesota for Kevin Love. Hopefully, Fultz isn’t stuck waiting quite that long as Boston explores its trade options.

Winner: LaVar Ball

LaVar Ball, Lonzo’s outspoken father and Big Baller Brand sneaker entrepreneur, had a perfect night. If the Lakers had slipped out of the top three, his dream scenario of Lonzo staying home would have been dead on arrival. If the Lakers had picked third, there’s a decent chance Lonzo is off the board to a lower profile team like the Suns. If the Lakers had picked first, perhaps Lonzo gets passed over for Fultz.

At No. 2, though, LaVar Ball has the best chance of seeing his son in purple and gold. Johnson and Pelinka are free to take him without fear of Fultz-related second-guessing and they will feel real pressure to select him over the other available top prospects who lack Ball’s name recognition and local ties. Given LA’s need for a point guard and Walton’s desire to play fast and entertaining basketball like Golden State, it’s hard to envision the Lakers’ front office resisting the temptations to select Ball.

Loser: D’Angelo Russell

Russell, LA’s 2015 No. 2 pick, remains stuck in purgatory after two seasons: He hasn’t broken through as a star-to-be and he hasn’t busted out. After struggling as a rookie under coach Byron Scott and repeatedly facing questions about his maturity and commitment to defense, Russell briefly found himself benched in March—a minor red flag regarding his assumed status as LA’s point guard of the future. If the Lakers do draft Ball, they will do so knowing they must commit to him as a pace-setting, distribution-minded floor general. That means Russell will either need to be moved off the ball, a workable possibility, or shipped out of town. Given that Russell is still only 21, this qualifies as a “Life comes at your fast” predicament, like the one that his fellow 2015 lottery pick, Emmanuel Mudiay, is experiencing in Denver.

Winner: Adam Silver

Conspiracy theorists should be quick to note that Tuesday’s results were ideal from the league’s perspective. One of the major stories from the 2017 playoffs has been the gap between the Superteams and everybody else. The Celtics securing the top pick maximizes their ability to mount and sustain a challenge to the Cavaliers. Meanwhile, the languishing Lakers have been nearly unwatchable during Kobe Bryant’s twilight and the aftermath of his retirement. Expecting Ball to be an immediate savior is a big ask, but there’s no question he would restore some excitement and promise to an organization that has been mired in loss-heavy tanks and off-court legal squabbles.

Winners and Losers (Mostly Winners): Kings

The phrase “Philadelphia jumps up thanks to its pick swap with Sacramento” surely made the Kings’ fanbase collectively shudder. The only thing worse than a bad trade—like the future-mortgaging 2015 deal Vlade Divac made to unload salary on the Sixers — is a bad trade that comes back to bite you. That’s what happened here: Sacramento earned the right to select third in this year’s draft, only to fall back to fifth because Divac agreed to a pick swap with since-deposed Sixers executive Sam Hinkie.

Falling back two spots is a bummer, but it could easily have been worse. Imagine if the Kings had earned the right to select first, only to fall back four spots and have their dumb trade rubbed in their face. Or, imagine if that had happened and New Orleans had managed to vault into the top three. In that scenario, the Kings would have been embarrassed by their 2015 trade and have been forced to wait on the prime asset from their 2017 trade of DeMarcus Cousins to the Pelicans.

Once the dust settled, Sacramento kept both of its lottery picks and will select at No. 5 and No. 10. That still counts as a win, in aggregate, for a rebuilding franchise with massive holes at virtually every spot of its rotation.

Loser: Phoenix’s Ryan McDonough 

Rough, rough night for the Suns. After tanking harder than anyone else down the stretch, going so far as to rest several key plays for a month, the Suns got leapfrogged by both the Lakers and Sixers. If GM Ryan McDonough had dreams of adding Fultz or Ball next to star shooting guard Devin Booker to form a backcourt of the future, those visions are now on hold. To really twist the knife, McDonough will wake up on Wednesday knowing that Isaiah Thomas, a former Sun, is leading the Celtics against the Cavaliers. Not only did McDonough trade Thomas to Ainge for peanuts, he must now grapple with the knowledge that Boston gets first dibs on this year’s top prospects. Oof.

Winner: Sixers

Philadelphia didn’t land its dream scenario, which would have been the No. 1 pick (its own) and the No. 4 pick (the one belonging to the Lakers). Still, it jumped up multiple spots in the draft order and should be in position to select a quality wing—Josh Jackson or Jayson Tatum—to fill out its starting lineup around 2016 No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons and franchise center (when healthy) Joel Embiid. The Sixers can also count on the Lakers’ first-round pick coming next year. Given LA’s youth and relative lack of talent and youth, that should still be a gem.

Loser: Magic

After firing GM Rob Hennigan and keeping the front office in a holding pattern, the Magic really could have used another dose of lottery luck in the vein of Shaquille O’Neal, Anfernee Hardaway and Dwight Howard. Instead, the Magic dropped back from the fifth spot to the sixth spot. There will still be serious talent available at No. 6 this year, but Orlando’s clunky season—lowlighted by the reverse-course trade of Serge Ibaka – needed a happy ending that didn’t come.   

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Adludio is a sensory advertising platform connecting users and brands with high-impact creative and made-for-mobile experiences. Dashbot is a bot analytics platform that helps brands and developers increase user acquisition, engagement, and monetization. Humblee is a video platform to help companies tell stories at scale. Lytics is a data platform that helps companies personalize engagement with customers. PopWallet uses mobile wallet tech to help brand marketers manage promotions and other branded content. Quickframe creates short-form original video at scale. Relative Insight uses language data to help brands better understand and relate to audiences. And finally, Whalar helps brands connect with Instagram influencers.

R/GA executive vice-president and global chief operating officer Stephen Plumlee says the focus of the program is to explore what the next wave of marketing technology will be, given the prominence of social platforms and mobile engagement alongside the rise of AI, bots, and other analytics and personalization enabling technologies. “We worked to identify startups creating the products, tools, and services that will enable brands and agencies to leverage the full potential, reach, and consumer data that platforms like Snapchat can provide, and enable them to engage consumers with more relevant, strategic, and personalized content,” says Plumlee. “We specifically looked at startups who were making it easier for brands and advertisers to leverage social platforms as a whole.”

In a statement, Snap Inc. chief strategy officer Imran Khan said, “We are excited to work with and support the growing ecosystem of partners that are innovating in the mobile advertising space, from leaders like IPG and R/GA to the startups selected for this program. We believe it will help advertisers of all sizes take advantage of increasingly engaging and creative ad formats for smartphones.”

The program, hosted at R/GA’s New York office, ends on September 27 with an invite-only demo event where each startup will have the opportunity to present their products to industry leaders, investors, and press. Each company in the program will collaborate with and receive feedback and guidance from senior product and strategy leaders within Snap Inc. And, as with all R/GA Ventures programs, R/GA will be helping each company with product development, business strategy, marketing, branding, design, and technology services.

Plumlee says a program like this provides a unique opportunity for corporate partners to collaborate in the identification of market opportunities, and a programmatic approach to identifying startups, and partnering with them to pursue success in those markets.

“One unique aspect of the program was the opportunity for a company like Snap Inc. to directly connect their creative and product development teams with the R/GA and IPG agency teams whose clients are eager to leverage the platforms and products to reach consumers in new and more compelling ways,” says Plumlee.

This is the eighth venture studio program R/GA has run, with its ninth–Verizon Media Tech Venture Studio–set to kick off in July.

Roy Wingate Dental Consultants, an internet marketing company based in Cleburne, TX, that focuses specifically on the dental industry, is proud to announce that they have published a new video on their website. This video describes the steps required for a dental clinic to upgrade their business through online marketing. The video can be applied to marketing any kind of dental procedure.

Roy Wingate himself says: « We help dental clinics to set themselves apart in the online world, attracting new clients looking for orthodontics, Invisalign, dental crowns, dental implants, braces, or any other dental procedure. Our blueprint is all that a dental clinic needs to set itself apart. »

The video, which is also available on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBI6yG5usas, discusses exactly how dental clinics can take themselves to the next level. This starts with a turnkey solution, meaning that they are already positioned for results. Through the work delivered by Roy Wingate, they ensure that the clinics are placed in front of the right prospects at the right time. Roy Wingate adds: « Our system provides them with a slightly unfair advantage, but all is fair in love and war – and business. We only provide this service to one clinic in each geographical area, however. As such, we encourage dental clinics to contact us straight away, because if the opportunity doesn’t go to them, it will go to their competition. »

The cosmetic dental industry is one of the most competitive segments of the dental industry. It also changes regularly, in line with the economy and consumer lifestyles. In order to remain relevant in this industry, cosmetic dentists must use the best possible marketing tools available to them. « We are business marketing experts, and our specialization is in the promotion of cosmetic dentistry, » adds Roy Wingate. « Our key deliverables are dominating the Internet search engines, designing the right website, developing videos that highlight the best projects in their client’s portfolio, establishing a presence in local media, planning a marketing strategy that fits their client’s expectations and budget, and making sure that their clients are well recognized and trusted in their service area. »

Those who need more information about Roy Wingate Dental Consultants can visit their website at https://roywingatedentalconsultants.com/.

###

Contact Roy Wingate Dental Consultants:

Roy Wingate
432-352-6570
roywingate@cableone.net
Roy Wingate Dental Consultants
815 Woodard Suite 611
Cleburne Texas 76033

HIP Video Promo

Sure, the music industry is in a constant state of flux, and it’s bound to change more… However an artist’s music video remains the single most powerful piece of marketing they have!

South River, NJ (PRWEB)
May 17, 2017

Visit HIP Video Promo online for more information

Sure, the music industry is in a constant state of flux, and it’s bound to change more…

However an artist’s music video remains the single most powerful piece of marketing they have!

A music video can inscribe the face of an artist on the memories of millions. A creative low-budget clip can vault an unknown group from basement status to the big leagues. A video can establish a musician’s brand, aesthetic, message, and look faster and more efficiently than anything else he or she can make. And given advances in video technology — and the bewildering array of options for online distribution — entering the game is easier than it ever has been before.

Winning the game, though? That remains as difficult as ever. That’s why artists need an advocate: an experienced guide that knows how to navigate the new media landscape, and one nimble enough to stay ahead of trends.

For more than sixteen years, HIP Video Promo has been that guide for thousands of artists across all musical genres and styles. And because they’re dedicated to providing the best return on investment for our clients, they’ve expanded – aggressively – into social media marketing and YouTube promotion. That means more outlets, more opportunities, more clicks and views, more real plays by real people, and more opportunities for success for the many artists they promote.

After seventeen years in the game, HIP has cultivated and honed strategies that work straight across platforms. The same techniques used to spread the word about the 2600 videos promoted? – those all translate to social networks, too. Instagram, Twitter, Soundcloud and Bandcamp and other content-sharing websites: giving musicians a crucial advantage on all of them. And as always, they’re as committed to the emerging artists as they are to the established stars. Just as they’ve always tailored video promotional campaigns to the budgets of our clients, the same is done for social media marketing efforts.

At HIP Video Promo, it’s been their privilege to spread the word about the creative work of some of the greatest musicians around. They believe their client list – its diversity, and its many satisfied customers at different levels of the music industry – speaks for itself. They’ve helped many young bands gain their initial exposure to a mass audience – and when that audience responds, there’s nothing more thrilling than that. In 2017, there’s no better way to provide a comparative advantage to musicians than by raising their profiles on social media. Everything they’ve learned about promoting music videos, they stand ready to apply all of those lessons to social media marketing.

Get ready for a new HIP: the same dedication, hard work and belief in music, but a bigger reach, bigger capabilities, and bigger dreams.

Visit HIP Video Promo online for more information

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Welcome to Overnight Regulation, your daily rundown of news from the federal agencies, Capitol Hill, the courts and beyond. It’s Monday evening here in Washington where President Trump’s decision to fire FBI Director James Comey has thrown newly minted Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein into the spotlight. The Hill’s Jonathan Easley has that story here. And the White House is refusing to say if Trump has recordings of his conversations with Comey. The Hill’s Jordan Fabian has more on that here.

THE BIG STORY 

The administration headed back to court Monday to defend President Trump’s travel ban.

Three judges on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in Seattle heard the government’s claim that a Hawaii district judge was wrong in blocking the travel order nationwide.

Trump’s order seeks to temporarily ban nationals from six majority-Muslim countries from entering the U.S., as well as refugees. 

Acting Solicitor General Jeffrey Wall argued that both the Constitution and an act of Congress give the president broad authority to prevent aliens abroad from entering the country when he deems it appropriate for the safety of the nation.

The three judges — all appointed by President Bill ClintonBill ClintonOvernight Regulation: White House back in court to defend travel ban Poll: Trump approval drops to 38 percent White House returns to court to fight for travel ban MORE — grappled with whether to consider Trump’s statements during the presidential campaign about banning Muslims.

« The executive order sets out national security justifications, but how is a court to know if in fact it’s a Muslim ban in the guise of national security justifications? » Judge Ronald Gould asked.

Wall said past precedent does not call on the court to make that sort of determination or second-guess the national security determinations of the president.

Judge Michael Day Hawkins repeated a question a 4th Circuit judge asked last week.

« Has the president ever disavowed his campaign statements? Has he ever stood up and said, ‘I said before I wanted to ban all members of the Islamic faith from entering the United States of America, I was wrong. I’ve consulted with lawyers, I’m now addressing it simply for security needs’? »

Wall claimed Trump has.

« Over time, the president clarified that what he was talking about were Islamic terrorist groups and the countries that shelter or sponsor them, » he said. « And over time, he and his advisers clarified that what he was focused on was groups like ISIS and al Qaeda. »

Last week, nine judges on the Richmond, Va.-based 4th Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments in the government’s appeal of a separate order blocking the ban from a district court judge in Maryland.

Neal Katyal, former acting solicitor general under President Barack ObamaBarack ObamaTrump to disclose 2016 financial info after Pence Trump faces tough choices in FBI pick Clinton launches new political action group MORE, represented Hawaii on Monday. He argued the ban constitutes nationality-based discrimination given what Trump said during the campaign.

Though the statements were profound, Judge Richard Paez said, it’s a little concerning that they were made in the midst of a highly contentious campaign.

« Don’t you need to look at it from that perspective as well? » he said.

But Katyal countered that Trump rekindled those statements in actions as president.

« First, when he issued the first executive order, he read the title of the executive order, looked up at the camera and said, ‘We all know what that means,’  » he said. « If it was clear from the title what it meant, he wouldn’t have had to say it. »

When he issued both executive orders, Katyal noted that his statements about banning Muslims were still on his campaign website.

« You don’t, your honor, need to be Sigmund Freud in order to affirm the district court, » he said. « You simply must ask, as the Supreme Court has told you, what would an objective observer think with these sorts of statements. »

In February, the 9th Circuit refused to reinstate Trump’s first travel ban after it was blocked by a federal district court judge in Washington. 

To address the court’s concerns, Trump revised the order and removed Iraq from the list of banned countries, removed an indefinite ban on Syrian refugees and eliminated language that gave preference to religious minorities when the refugee program resumed.

Trump has repeatedly attacked the Ninth Circuit for ruling against his first travel order. Late last month, he said he was looking at ways to break up the court, which has long been a target of conservatives.

In one tweet in April, Trump said the court has a « a terrible record of being overturned (close to 80%). They used to call this ‘judge shopping!’ Messy system. »

Click here for the story.

ON TAP FOR TUESDAY 

The Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee will hold a hearing to consider the nominations of Sigal Mandelker to be Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Crimes, Marshall Billingslea to be Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing, and Heath Tarbert to be an Assistant Secretary — all at the Department of the Treasury. Mira Radielovic Ricardel will also be considered for Under Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration.

The Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure will hold a hearing to look at ways to leverage federal funding for infrastructure projects. 

TOMORROW’S REGS TODAY 

Voter fraud: President Trump will publish his executive order establishing a commission to study registration and voting processes used in federal elections.

Vice President Mike PenceMike (Michael) Richard PenceGOP senators lukewarm to lawmaker leading FBI Overnight Regulation: White House back in court to defend travel ban New regs for Tuesday: Voter fraud probe, internet providers MORE will chair the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, which will be made up of up to 15 members appointed by the president.

Trump signed the order last week to start an investigation into his claim of mass voter fraud during the 2016 election. Trump has so far provided no evidence to back up the claim.

Internet providers: The Federal Communications Commission is proposing a rule to make it easier for broadband internet providers to build, maintain, and upgrade their network.

Under the rule, FCC wants to streamline and accelerate its five-month timeline for processing company requests to connect to utility poles. 

The public has 30 days to comment on the proposed rule.

NEWS RIGHT NOW 

Supreme Court sides with nursing home in arbitration case

Supreme Court refuses to hear appeal in NC vote ID case

Lawmakers push back against Trump offshore drilling review

US, Europe to engage in ‘high-level’ talks over laptop ban

White House will let small businesses circumvent HealthCare.gov

FTC goes after tech support scams

John Oliver urges net neutrality supporters to tone down FCC comments

Former Pentagon chief: Arctic drilling order could threaten security

Senators search for compromises over House’s drastic Medicaid changes – The New York Times 

Trump reassures farmers immigration crackdown not aimed at their workers – Reuters 

BY THE NUMBERS 

6: Number of proposed rules federal agencies will issue Tuesday 

11: Number of final rules federal agencies will issue Tuesday  

(Source: Federal Register)

We’ll work to stay on top of these and other stories throughout the week, so check The Hill’s Regulation page (http://thehill.com/regulation) early and often for the latest. And send any comments, complaints or regulatory news tips our way, tdevaney@thehill.com or lwheeler@thehill.com. And follow us at @timdevaney and @wheelerlydia.

President Donald Trump was accused of leaking highly classified information to Russian officials, and White House officials wanted to fiercely rebut the charges.

But when senior national security officials strode to a podium on the West Wing driveway Monday night, they spoke for an administration that has strained its credibility by issuing a series of false, misleading or tortured statements on far less important matters. And they spoke for a president who less than a week ago said publicly that his aides and surrogates can’t be expected to give accurate statements, because they don’t always know what’s going on.

Story Continued Below

“This story is false,” said Dina Powell, a deputy national security adviser. “The story, as reported, is false,” said H.R. McMaster, the national security adviser, hedging his words.

News outlets — including The New York Times and Reuters — confirmed the story reported by The Washington Post and published anyway, seemingly unconcerned about the denials, which came from two officials who have been respected in Washington for decades. The episode underscored Trump’s challenge after months of misstatements over far less consequential matters.

“Their credibility is completely shattered. They’ve engaged in serial lying to the American people on issues big and small — beginning with the crowd size photos. It’s unprecedented for an administration, from the top on down, to embrace a strategy of deception and lying,” said Steve Schmidt, a Republican consultant and former campaign manager for John McCain.

“Even people who have built up reputations for integrity over a lifetime of public service, they risk squandering it in this administration,” Schmidt said.

White House officials note that the media is historically unpopular, and they love combating mistakes in news stories, often posting them on Twitter. “FAKE NEWS!” Trump has posted repeatedly. Senior officials have excoriated media outlets publicly and privately, with chief strategist Steve Bannon calling the media “the opposition party.” And they note that polls show their supporters trust Trump more than the media.

Spicer didn’t respond to several phone calls seeking comment.

Still, among reporters who cover the White House, on-the-record statements from Trump’s White House carry little weight because Trump has told hundreds of falsehoods, tracked by PolitiFact and other websites. Sometimes, in a single campaign-style rally, the president will say more than a dozen things that are not true — or lack all context. He has made unsubstantiated claims, like saying former President Barack Obama put a “tapp” on his phones at Trump Tower.

Trump publicly, in “The Art of the Deal,” has bragged about his ability to exaggerate.

Spicer, the press secretary, has vehemently defended Trump both publiclyand privately— sometimes screaming at reporters for their reliance on anonymous sources. But he lost credibility early among reporters for his repeated untruths about the crowd size at Trump’s inauguration.

Last week, Spicer told reporters they were incorrect for even suggesting that Trump decided to fire FBI Director James Comey before a memo arrived from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. Trump said within two days that he would have fired Comey no matter what the memo said, directly contradicting his spokesman and Vice President Mike Pence.

« They started burning through their credibility on Inauguration Day, » Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) told POLITICO. « But they devoured it during the Comey story, so now their attempts to push back are basically being ignored, and rightly so. »

Sometimes, White House officials have been given specific talking points by Trump, as when Spicer crowed that Trump had the largest inauguration crowd of all time, which wasn’t true. And sometimes Trump just changes his story.

“As a very active President with lots of things happening, it is not possible for my surrogates to stand at podium with perfect accuracy!” Trump wrote on Twitter last week. He added: “Maybe the best thing to do would be to cancel all future ‘press briefings’ and hand out written responses for the sake of accuracy???”

The factually challenged comments have become something of a joke. On “Saturday Night Live” this weekend, Melissa McCarthy, who plays Sean Spicer on the show, asked whether Trump had ever passed along misleading information for him to share with the media.

“Only since you started working here,” Trump, played by Alec Baldwin, said.

For reporters and spokespeople, the dynamics are different in Trump’s White House, said Stu Loeser, a longtime press secretary to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Loeser said spokespeople often spin aggressively or tell small fibs — “like a spokesman saying, ‘I haven’t seen your story,’ even though it’s been out there for 11 hours.”

But in Trump’s White House, the denials or comments are likely to matter far less — which could hurt reporters and spokespeople alike if both sides are interested in the truth.

“You need to reserve credibility for when it matters — when a call comes in late in the day and you need to be able to say to a reporter, all the jousting back and forth aside, ‘I’ve never lied to you about something and this isn’t true,’ said Loeser.

“If you’ve blown your credibility on crowd size or semantics, people say: What else are they going to lie about?”

Seung Min Kim contributed to this report.