How the Trump-friendly National Enquirer has been promoting his presidency

New Yorker: National Enquirer paid Trump Tower doorman hush money
New Yorker: National Enquirer paid Trump Tower doorman hush money

The National Enquirer is back in the news for its alleged use of "catch and kill" tactics to protect President Trump. The tabloid has been shielding Trump from embarrassing stories for years, as The New Yorker and others have documented.

Burying bad news is one half of the story. But what about the other half -- the Enquirer's promotion of pro-Trump storylines?

We went through the Enquirer's cover archive dating back to the week of Trump's inauguration. It's really remarkable: The Enquirer has been telling a consistent tale for more than a year.

Trump is the hero of these stories. His enemies are numerous: The FBI, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Kim Jong Un, and "traitors."

To hear the Enquirer tell it, Trump has a "shocking IQ" and nerves of steel. A headline about threats from North Korea declared that "our prez refuses to blink!"

But he's also a victim, according to the Enquirer: A victim of "illegal wiretaps," repeated attempts at "sabotage," and secret plots to impeach him.

national enquirer trump headlines

These headlines are fanciful and sometimes far, far from reality. But it's important to see what the publication sold at markets across America, owned by Trump's longtime publishing friend David Pecker, is telling shoppers and readers. Here are all the Trump-related headlines from the paper's front page since January 2017:

March 26, 2018: Breaking news: Trump family escapes death (Subtitle: How the Secret Service saved them)

March 19, 2018: Surrounded by traitors!: Donald & Melania fight back! (Subtitles: Exposing the lies, leaks, & intimidation / How they'll crush their enemies!)

February 19, 2018: Explosive Enquirer investigation proves... Obama & Hillary ordered FBI to spy on Trump! (Subtitles: 7 illegal wiretaps by Barack & Clinton's corrupt FBI cronies / 42 secret papers leaked to sabotage Donald's presidency / Next? Going to jail! / 'It's worse than Watergate!')

January 29, 2018, in the wake of Michael Wolff's "Fire and Fury" book: Proof Obama behind... Book of lies! (Subtitles: The bombshell evidence / Fake news author's shocking claims / Staffers think prez is dumb (false!) / His ego is out of control (false!) / He's hated by his own family (false!)

January 22, 2018: Explosive new evidence exonerates Prez Trump!

January 8, 2018: Proof! FBI plot to impeach Trump! (Subtitle: The rogue agents, Obama & Hillary's role and what Donald Jr. is doing to stop it)

December 25, 2017: Clinton rigged Trump investigation! (Subtitles: Rogue FBI agent caught faking evidence / 4 investigators have cash ties to Clintons)

December 11, 2017: Exposed! Capitol Hill of horrors! (Subtitles: Gropers, cheaters & losers named inside! / Trump's secret probe nails perv politicians, military brass and VIP bureaucrats!)

December 4, 2017: Trump's secret war on Scientology! (Subtitles: Cult's spy caught in White House / Inside the secret FBI investigation)

November 13, 2017: Trump exposes JFK assassination cover-up: Oswald worked for CIA!

August 21, 2017: Obama's plot to destroy Trump! (Subtitle: The lies, leaks, spying - and what he'll do next!)

July 31, 2017: Truth about Russia scandal: Hillary framed Trump family! (Subtitle: How she set up Donald's son with dirt file emails!)

July 24, 2017: Inside Trump's nuclear showdown: Under siege! (Subtitle: With ICBM's aimed at America's West Coast, our prez refuses to blink!)

July 3, 2017: Trump: You're fired! (Subtitle: Furious Prez cleans house!)

May 29, 2017: Only in Enquirer: Real reason behind Comey's FBI firing!

May 22, 2017: Revealed! Secret 9-step strategy: Trump's plan for world peace! (Subtitles: How the Prez & Kushner got America's greatest minds to solve the crisis / What he really told Putin)

May 8, 2017: World War 3 is coming! (Subtitle: Step-by-step: How Trump will crush our 8 enemies!)

May 1, 2017: At last the truth about Russia: What Trump doesn't know! (Subtitle: Revealed: 10 spies murdered in 15 months to bury proof of Putin's election hacking)

April 24, 2017: Inside White House situation room: Trump declares war on dictators!

April 17, 2017: All the president's men reveal truth about... Trump & Russia! (Subtitles: Destroyed FBI evidence / Special intel report)

April 10, 2017: Trump family in danger! (Subtitles: Terrorists steal laptop with blueprints of all their homes! / Secret service agents drunk on duty! / Death threats & kidnapping plots!)

April 3, 2017: World exclusive: Trump catches Russia's White House spy!

March 27, 2017: Proof Obama wiretapped Trump! (Subtitles: Lies, leaks & illegal bugging / Next: Treason charges & the trial of the century!)

March 20, 2017: Prez Trump tell-all: How I'm cleaning up Obama's mess! (Subtitles: What the president is doing for you!: Making medicine cheap again! / 25 million new high paying jobs! / $3 trillion economic jump-start!) // Plus amazing secrets behind triumphant Capitol Hill speech

March 13, 2017: President Trump: The secret psych evaluation! (Subtitles: His shocking IQ / What Russia knows / How he stacks up against world leaders!)

March 6, 2017: Proof! Obama sabotaging Prez Trump

February 27, 2017: Melania & Ivanka Trump's Private Lives! (Subtitles: Secret heartaches / Amazing courage / Restoring grace to the White House)

February 20, 2017: Obama's secret plot to impeach Trump! (Subtitles: Exposed: Plan to sabotage Muslim ban & dramatic executive orders! / Revealed: How Donald will foil treasonous power grab!)

February 6, 2017: Special report: Trump's top 7 advisers: What they're hiding!

January 30, 2017: President Trump's enemies hit list! (Subtitle: Who he hates & his sweet revenge!)

January 23, 2017: Inauguration Bombshell: President Trump's secret summit with Putin! (Subtitles: U.S.-Russia alliance to destroy China / Overthrow North Korea & Iran dictators / Prosecute the real election hackers)

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