The tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk has further exposed media bias, with outlets like MSNBC, CNN, and ABC labeling him “divisive” or “controversial” while downplaying leftist rhetoric that may have fueled violence. <a href="https://newsbusters.org/blogs/cnsnews/craig-bannister/2025/09/12/charlie-kirks-murder-cheered-online-liberal-teachers">Posts by liberal school teachers cheering</a> Kirk’s death and comments from Democrat politicians like Jasmine Crockett and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker inciting unrest reveal a double standard. This tragedy may finally force the elite legacy media to confront the effect their far-left bias has had on America. Even before Kirk’s assassination, President Trump was pushing broadcasters to restore balance to heal the political divide, improve network viewership, and ensure the airwaves serve all Americans, aligning with the law and fostering fair discourse.
When Donald Trump descended the escalator in the summer of 2015, he put on center stage the fight that the Media Research Center (MRC) has been engaged in for nearly 40 years. While MRC may be the incumbent in this battle against media bias, the president deserves enormous credit for helping to identify and root out media malfeasance.
President Trump and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr are addressing the longstanding issue of media bias by enforcing the legal obligations of broadcast networks like ABC, CBS, and NBC, which use public airwaves rent-free. These networks must meet a “public interest test” to serve all Americans, not just select political groups. Recent actions, including Trump’s lawsuits against CBS and ABC for deceptive editing and defamation, highlight a commitment to rooting out bias.
Legacy media are undoubtedly biased and purpose-driven. Take ABC’s David Muir, who was still allowed to host a presidential debate after MRC research found his nightly newscast had <a href="https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/rich-noyes/2024/09/09/100-abc-debate-moderator-david-muir-hosts-most-pro-harris-left-wing">100% positive coverage of Kamala Harris</a> and <a href="https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/rich-noyes/2025/04/28/tv-news-assaults-2nd-trump-admin-92-negative-coverage">92% negative coverage of Donald Trump</a>. From routine <a href="https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/bill-dagostino/2025/09/02/why-cant-cbs-stop-deceptively-editing-interviews-politicians">deceptive</a> editing in their interviews with Trump – and his cabinet officials – to initially refusing to mention the brutal Charlotte stabbing, only to eventually <a href="https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/jorge-bonilla/2025/09/08/nbc-trumpwashes-their-coverage-brutal-charlotte-stabbing">report</a> the tragedy through the lens of it being right-wing hysteria and fuel for Trump’s tough-on-crime approach. The media have earned the colossal decline of their collective reputation.
The public is now keenly aware of the media’s deficiencies, with <a href="https://news.gallup.com/opinion/gallup/657239/five-key-insights-americans-views-news-media.aspx">69% </a>of people saying they have very little to no trust in the media, the worst result for the media since Gallup started assessing public confidence in it.
Some would argue, and most conservatives would agree, that these broadcasters and their cable news counterparts have a right to anchor themselves in whatever political persuasion favors their interests, so long as they are honest with their audience. While it would, at best, lack journalistic integrity for a major cable network like MSNow (formerly MSNBC) or CNN to show blatant favoritism in how they interview a Supreme Court justice, it would still easily pass legal muster. However, when traditional network broadcasters like CBS engage in <a href="https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/jorge-bonilla/2025/09/07/tale-two-interviews-cbss-norah-odonnell-fawned-over-justice#">the same behavior</a>, it’s a completely different story.
That is because the airwaves used by ABC, CBS, and NBC are owned by the American public. It will surprise many to learn that these broadcasters use our airwaves rent-free. This might sound like a terrible deal for taxpayers, but that is why broadcasters are required to meet a “public interest test,” ensuring that the whole public is served. Not just Democrats. Not just liberals. Not just left-wing agitators.
Carr is taking action to hold broadcasters accountable to the law which requires them to act in the interest of all Americans. Perhaps ironically, by requiring broadcasters to serve a much larger audience, Carr is probably saving these networks from their plummeting ratings and their declining revenues. Moreover, by reducing other regulatory burdens placed on them by the Biden administration, like the onerous DEI and ESG requirements, Carr is helping their bottom lines in more ways than one.
It’s no secret that traditional <a href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2025-05-11/network-evening-newscasts-still-matter-but-face-stiff-winds-of-change#:~:text=View%20All-,The%20network%20evening%20news%20is%20in%20flux:%20Why%20an%20American,With%20David%20Muir%E2%80%9D%20on%20ABC.&amp;text=Network%20evening%20newscasts%20are%20down,younger%2C%20digital%2Dsavvy%20viewers.">broadcast media is</a> in financial trouble. Without question, this is due to the fact that their current business model focuses on the fastest shrinking segment of America: liberals.
That might or might not work for a niche channel, like MSNow, but it is a guaranteed losing proposition for broadcast news.
By getting these networks to live up to their legal obligations, President Trump and Chairman Carr are helping all Americans become better informed while simultaneously helping the networks increase their <a href="https://allaboutcookies.org/cord-cutters-streaming-survey#:~:text=Rising%20cable%20costs%20and%20the,to%20move%20away%20from%20cable." target="_blank" rel="noopener">sagging viewership and revenue.</a> 
Their recent actions represent the first serious attempt in modern history to restore lawfulness, fairness, and order to the political discourse in America’s media. It is something we need more of.
* * *
Dan Schneider is the Vice President of the Media Research Center.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

CNN headquarters building.

Left-Wing Media Bias Under Scrutiny Following Coverage Of Kirk Assassination

ABC News

CBS News

Donald Trump

Federal Trade Commission

Legacy Media

Media Research Center

MSNBC

NBC News

The assassination of conservative commentator and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk prompted at least one major network television host to do what they all should have been doing from the start: follow Kirk&#8217;s example and listen to the people with whom you disagree.
For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
Just four days after Kirk&#8217;s murder — which took place while he was speaking at a Utah Valley University campus event in Orem, Utah — much of the conversation was about him and how everyone would move on in the wake of such a horrific act of political violence. And after four days of comments — on social media and on the air — that essentially blamed Kirk for supporting policies that facilitated his assassination, an unexpected and unlikely respite came from ABC News host Martha Raddatz.
After speaking with Governors Spencer Cox (R-UT) and Jared Polis (D-CO) about the shooting, Raddatz brought in a panel of three young conservatives who had been a part of Kirk&#8217;s campus organization, TPUSA.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“Charlie Kirk was one of these towering figures of my youth.” <a href="https://twitter.com/MarthaRaddatz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MarthaRaddatz</a> sat down with a group of college students to discuss Kirk’s legacy, the shock of his assassination, and the future of conservative youth activism. <a href="https://t.co/2kfzutVElM">https://t.co/2kfzutVElM</a> <a href="https://t.co/fcwrk8W8wA">pic.twitter.com/fcwrk8W8wA</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1967252617328820390?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Charlie Kirk&#8217;s influence with young conservatives was far-reaching, galvanizing supporters in person and online like few others,&#8221; Raddatz began. &#8220;But he had plenty of critics who viewed him as using hateful and inflammatory language. In the wake of Kirk&#8217;s death, I sat down with three politically active, conservative college students to understand more about Kirk&#8217;s impact and his complicated legacy.&#8221;
Philip Vayntrub, a student at the College of William &amp; Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, recounted the moment he saw the horrific video of Kirk being shot, calling it absolutely &#8220;sickening.&#8221;
&#8220;Just to hear that something terrible had happened to him was just like, honestly, tragic,&#8221; added Katie Caldwell, a student at James Madison University in Virginia.
Kieran Laffey, a George Washington University student, said that he&#8217;d first learned of Kirk&#8217;s assassination while he was in a history class — and that for the first time in his college career, he&#8217;d had to step out of the classroom to process what he&#8217;d just learned.
&#8220;Charlie Kirk was one of these towering figures of my youth,&#8221; Vayntrub said, recalling videos of Kirk that he&#8217;d watched long before he ever went to college. &#8220;I&#8217;d watch these videos as a kid of him standing up, and being so articulate, but him being also so kind to everyone around him and I said I wanted to emulate that.&#8221;
Caldwell said that she&#8217;d grown up in a conservative home, and saw in Kirk a representation of the family ideals she&#8217;d known as a child. &#8220;I think that&#8217;s kind of why it hurt more,&#8221; she said.
&#8220;As a conservative on campus who&#8217;s outspoken, who like Charlie Kirk likes to speak his mind and stand up for what I think is right, I have to tell you, Martha, I&#8217;m frightened,&#8221; Laffey added, his voice breaking a bit as he added, &#8220;Because people think he deserved to die because he just voiced his opinion.&#8221;
Raddatz referenced remarks from Governor Cox, who said that the younger generation had an &#8220;opportunity&#8221; to come together instead of driving each other further apart, and asked the students to weigh in on that.
Laffey voiced concern, given the current climate: &#8220;I think unity is very imperative, and, look, I want to see people come together. I want to see the First Amendment thrive. I want to see conversations, I think most Americans do. And look, the reality is, I think it&#8217;s going to be hard to come together. Martha, I just don&#8217;t understand how a large population in this country could celebrate something like this.&#8221;
Vayntrub noted the corrosive nature of political violence, declaring, &#8220;The reason I&#8217;m here today is to reject that.&#8221;
He noted that there had been students on his campus cheering and celebrating, and vowed to take a different approach. &#8220;That should be totally condemned. But if we become as bad as them, if we act with just as much hate, then Charlie Kirk died for nothing,&#8221; he said.
When asked who might pick up the mantle and carry on Kirk&#8217;s mission, Laffey said it was incumbent on everyone to &#8220;continue the conversation and stand up for what&#8217;s right.&#8221;
&#8220;What&#8217;s &#8216;right&#8217;?&#8221; Raddatz asked, and Laffey said that continuing to champion free speech — and encourage honest and rational debate &#8220;without violence, without being shut down, without being censored&#8221; — was of the utmost importance.
&#8220;If we as Americans can&#8217;t come together and assemble and have debates on what we believe is right or wrong, we&#8217;re never going to get anywhere, we&#8217;re never going to be able to see the other side, and we&#8217;re going to live in this polarized country and that needs to stop,&#8221; Caldwell said.
Those on the political left routinely call for Americans to have a &#8220;national conversation&#8221; about some topic or another, whether it be gun violence or education reform, and what&#8217;s abundantly clear is that Charlie Kirk was having that conversation – and doing it to great effect. What Raddatz&#8217;s guests made equally clear is that they intend to keep having that conversation.

PHILL MAGAKOE/AFP via Getty Images

Spin Cycle: Charlie Kirk Breaks The Cycle

assassination

Charlie Kirk

Media

Politics

The knives are out, and they&#8217;re all aimed at Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as a series of shake-ups have upended the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and a top vaccine recommendation committee.
For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
On ABC News&#8217; &#8220;This Week,&#8221; Kennedy was the focus of a roundtable discussion involving former Governor Chris Christie (R-NJ), former Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Donna Brazile, former White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, and USA Today Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page.
Christie unloaded on Secretary Kennedy, calling him a &#8220;foolish man&#8221; and claimed that President Donald Trump had only selected him to prove that he could do whatever he wanted and get away with it.
&#8220;Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a foolish man, full of foolish and vapid ideas. And that was on display again this week in front of Congress,&#8221; Christie complained, referring to a Senate Finance Committee hearing that took place late in the week. &#8220;This wholly unqualified man [is] in charge of 25% of all government spending &#8230; the president&#8217;s smart enough to know, RFK Jr. doesn&#8217;t belong in that job. But after he won, he wanted to show everybody, &#8216;I can do whatever I want to do because this Senate will be compliant no matter what I do. And I&#8217;ll put the greatest vaccine and public health denier of the last 20 years in charge of public health in America.&#8217; It&#8217;s a human middle finger to everybody who opposed him.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 JUST IN: Chris Christie goes BERSERK on Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and warns RFK is a grave danger to American health.
&#8220;Robert F Kennedy Jr. is a foolish man, full of foolish and vapid ideas. And that was on display again this week in front of Congress.&#8221;
&#8220;This wholly unqualified… <a href="https://t.co/eDi5xxHuAE">pic.twitter.com/eDi5xxHuAE</a>
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1964703297618731224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On CBS News&#8217; &#8220;Face the Nation,&#8221; host Margaret Brennan brought in physician and Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS) to discuss Kennedy, the recent committee hearing, and the fact that several prominent Republicans had been equally hard on the secretary.
Marshall defended Kennedy, however, explaining that he had brought in for a very specific purpose: to bring about change.
&#8220;Look, President Trump picked Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be a disrupter to the CDC, and that’s exactly what he’s doing. He’s focused on making the CDC more transparent, to make it more trustworthy right now. Right now, Americans don’t trust the CDC. So, he is literally turning that place upside down,&#8221; Marshall said.
&#8220;I respect what my colleagues are saying. But this whole issue … in that meeting was about vaccines. In my humble opinion not every person needs every vaccine. And I don’t think there are many children out there who need 76 jabs by the time they’re old enough to vote,&#8221; Marshall continued, arguing that vaccines were wonderful things that had saved millions of lives but that they should be a choice rather than something that was forced on every child and every parent.
&#8220;But before you label me a non-vaxxer person, look, I’ve raised money for polio vaccinations. The MMR is a great vaccine, it’s saved thousands of lives. Vaccines, overall, have saved hundreds of millions of lives but not every person needs every vaccine and we just want to empower parents and the doctors to make great decisions,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“President Trump chose Robert F. Kennedy Jr. To be a disruptor to the CDC and that’s exactly what he’s doing,” Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) says after Kennedy faced heated questions during testimony to Congress over CDC turmoil and his leadership of HHS.
“Right now, Americans… <a href="https://t.co/oxPPK2RMHA">pic.twitter.com/oxPPK2RMHA</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1964726146450313724?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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A newly-engaged Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) took things a step further when he joined host Kristen Welker on NBC&#8217;s &#8220;Meet the Press.&#8221; Kennedy, he said, should immediately resign his post for failing to &#8220;protect Americans&#8217; health.&#8221; But that was not enough for the New Jersey Democrat, who then claimed that Trump&#8217;s entire cabinet should follow suit.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
In an exclusive interview with Meet the Press, Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) says he believes HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as well as President Trump’s entire Cabinet, should step down for not “protecting Americans’ health.” <a href="https://t.co/qCLXC7iKxP">https://t.co/qCLXC7iKxP</a> <a href="https://t.co/UYlYulx0h5">pic.twitter.com/UYlYulx0h5</a>
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) <a href="https://twitter.com/MeetThePress/status/1964690162597675314?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Kennedy himself gave some context in the aftermath of the contentious hearing, saying on Fox News&#8217; &#8220;Big Weekend Show&#8221; that it was, in fact, his job to shake things up because that was the only way to restore trust in institutions like the CDC.
&#8220;My job is to FIRE the people who were responsible for masking our children with no science, for social distancing orders with no science,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
RFK Jr: “My job is to FIRE the people who were responsible for masking our children with no science, for social distancing orders with no science.” <a href="https://t.co/K3KAefMrSG">pic.twitter.com/K3KAefMrSG</a>
— Holden Culotta (@Holden_Culotta) <a href="https://twitter.com/Holden_Culotta/status/1964693266944995534?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On &#8220;Fox &amp; Friends: Weekend,&#8221; Kennedy explained why he&#8217;d had no choice but to fire the former CDC vaccine chief.
&#8220;We tried to get the vaccine safety data language — the data that supposedly the CDC tries to use to make good decisions on whether vaccines are hurting people and whether there are side effects. For seven months, he stonewalled us so that we could not get that data!&#8221; Kennedy said. &#8220;He&#8217;s also the individual that runs the VAERS system, which is the surveillance system for injuries that captures, according to CDC&#8217;s own study, fewer than 1% of vaccine injuries. This is malpractice.&#8221;
&#8220;These people are the people who ordered our children to walk around in masks. They&#8217;re the people who closed our schools. They&#8217;re the people who imposed social distancing with no science, shut down our businesses, and they need to go,&#8221; he added. &#8220;We need new blood, and we need new people who are committed to public health and integrity and gold standard science.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 BREAKING: Secretary RFK Jr. reveals that he fired the CDC vaccine chief because for 7 MONTHS Kennedy was BLOCKED from getting vaccine safety data.
This person also STONEWALLED money going to Texas to help with measles&#8230;he was a full-on TRAITOR, holy crap!
&#8220;I gave the order,… <a href="https://t.co/dCWdKE2TZ7">pic.twitter.com/dCWdKE2TZ7</a>
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1964688908857250278?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr Testifies At Senate Finance Hearing

Spin Cycle: The Knives Are Out For RFK Jr.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

President Donald Trump trashed ABC News in a Sunday post on his Truth Social platform, criticizing the network specifically for giving air time to former Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Donna Brazile.
Trump referenced the recent lawsuit against ABC News and Democrat strategist-turned-anchor George Stephanopoulos — which he won, to the tune of $16,000,000 — and suggested that Brazile&#8217;s coverage might leave the network vulnerable to another similar lawsuit.
&#8220;Why does Fake News ABC’S This Week With George Slopadopolus have Low IQ &#8216;commentator&#8217; Donna Brazile on the show?&#8221; Trump asked in his post. &#8220;Wasn’t she totally discredited when she gave Crooked Hillary Clinton the questions to a Debate??? Wasn’t she FIRED by Fake News CNN for so doing??? Why would ABC &#8216;News&#8217; hire such a dumb retread?&#8221;
&#8220;Check out her disastrous interview with Megyn Kelly from years ago — A total Classic!!! Donna is dumb as a rock, and a liar besides,&#8221; the president continued. &#8220;She, and Sloppy Chris Christie, should be fired from a highly discredited ABC Fake News. They just paid me $16,000,000 for &#8216;inaccurate&#8217; reporting, now they should pay me more!!! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DJT.&#8221;
Trump&#8217;s post came within hours of Brazile&#8217;s appearance on Sunday morning&#8217;s broadcast of &#8220;This Week,&#8221; where she had criticized Trump&#8217;s tariff plan and claimed that it had &#8220;created a level of uncertainty that the American people can’t afford.&#8221;
She also lashed out at the president for rescinding Secret Service protection for former Vice President Kamala Harris — a privilege that former President Joe Biden had extended her in his final days as president — and claimed that Trump was only stripping her security detail because he was &#8220;petty&#8221; and &#8220;vindictive.&#8221;
Brazile, as Trump noted in his post, left her previous position as a commentator at CNN after it was revealed that she had <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/donna-brazile-resigns-cnn-after-another-wikileak-frank-camp">passed details about debate questions</a> to twice-failed presidential candidate and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton ahead of the 2016 presidential debate held in St. Louis, Missouri.

2019 ESSENCE Festival Presented By Coca-Cola – Ernest N. Morial Convention Center – Day 1

Trump Name-Drops ‘Slopadopolus’ Lawsuit In Jab At ABC, Former DNC Chair

Donna Brazile

George Stephanopoulos

Lawsuit

ABC News anchor Jonathan Karl conceded that he did not know what evidence the FBI might have had prior to executing a raid on the home and office of John Bolton, who had previously served as President Donald Trump&#8217;s National Security Adviser — but then proceeded to paint the law enforcement action as an act of &#8220;retribution&#8221; on Trump&#8217;s part.
&#8220;We don’t know what evidence the DOJ has against John Bolton. But we do know that he is the latest Trump critic to be targeted by his administration,&#8221; Karl said of Friday&#8217;s events.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;We don’t know what evidence the DOJ has against John Bolton. But we do know that he is the latest Trump critic to be targeted by his administration.” <a href="https://twitter.com/jonkarl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JonKarl</a> reports on President Trump&#8217;s promised &#8220;retribution&#8221; against political enemies. <a href="https://t.co/x5qomsiCQa">https://t.co/x5qomsiCQa</a> <a href="https://t.co/JWICYLBK0i">pic.twitter.com/JWICYLBK0i</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1959627849846947864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;In a minute, we&#8217;ll get to the stunning developments coming into the weekend with FBI agents swarming around the home and office of former Trump National Security Adviser John Bolton, but first the context,&#8221; Karl said. &#8220;This didn&#8217;t happen in a vacuum.&#8221;
&#8220;John Bolton is on a long list of Trump critics who are not facing the wrath of President Trump and his Justice Department,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Trump himself has suggested that dozens of his enemies, real and perceived, belong in prison.&#8221;
Karl went on to list a number of people Trump has said should go to prison — many of whom were named in recent documents pertaining to the Russian collusion hoax — such as former President Barack Obama and former FBI Director James Comey.
He also mentioned Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Attorney General Letitia James (D-NY), both of whom are already being investigated by DOJ attorney Ed Martin, and claimed that those investigations were also retaliatory efforts on behalf of President Trump.
Karl then complained that an outsized percentage of the high-ranking military officers who had been fired under the Trump administration had been women — a move that he said left the military without even one female active duty four-star general — but made no effort to explain why that was necessarily a bad thing.
&#8220;President Trump promised retribution against his political enemies,&#8221; Karl declared. &#8220;And there is no doubt that he is serious about keeping that promise.&#8221;
Karl then pivoted to the raid on Bolton&#8217;s home — which, according to the Justice Department, was part of an investigation into Bolton&#8217;s handling of classified information — and repeatedly suggested that it was simply more evidence that Trump was attacking and punishing his political enemies.

Former White House Nat’l Security Adviser John Bolton Speaks At Duke University Forum

ABC Frames Bolton Raid As Trump’s Latest Act Of ‘Retribution’

ABC Frames Bolton Raid As Trump's Latest Act Of 'Retribution'

classified documents

John Bolton

Jonathan Karl

President Donald Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday — in the hopes of bringing about an eventual peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine after three years of war — and the media talking heads, apparently, are having none of it.
For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
Of course, just 48 hours after the much-touted meeting between Trump and Putin, the conversations across the Sunday political talk shows were focused on Russia — but rather than allow Trump an ounce of grace for bringing Putin to the table, they poked and prodded at the whole scenario, looking for fault wherever they could find it.
On ABC&#8217;s &#8220;This Week,&#8221; host Martha Raddatz attempted to put Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the defensive, asking him to respond to critics who claim he&#8217;d put Putin on the &#8220;world stage&#8221; by meeting him on the &#8220;red carpet&#8221; in Alaska.
Rubio pointed out the obvious — that Trump&#8217;s critics were always going to find something to complain about — and then argued that Putin, after waging war against Ukraine for three years, was already on the world stage.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
When asked about Pres. Trump facing criticism for his warm welcome of Russian Pres. Putin, Sec. Rubio said, &#8220;Critics of President Trump are always going to find something to criticize &#8230; I will tell you this, Putin is already on the world stage.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/lDUBzfFcsj">https://t.co/lDUBzfFcsj</a> <a href="https://t.co/y2C2vrxoSG">pic.twitter.com/y2C2vrxoSG</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1957085205744800238?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Raddatz then asked Rubio what concessions Trump was able to get from Putin during their face-to-face meeting, prompting the Secretary of State to tell her abruptly that he would not be revealing any such concessions on her show.
&#8220;As much as everyone would love it to be a live, pay-per-view event, these discussions only work best when they are conducted privately in serious negotiations,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
When asked by <a href="https://twitter.com/MarthaRaddatz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MarthaRaddatz</a> what concessions were asked of Russia’s Putin, Sec. Rubio said, “As much as everyone would love it to be a live, pay-per-view event, these discussions only work best when they are conducted privately in serious negotiations.” <a href="https://t.co/wTfrXhFP2T">https://t.co/wTfrXhFP2T</a> <a href="https://t.co/S9yNsJYnad">pic.twitter.com/S9yNsJYnad</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1957079828735074327?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Jake Sullivan, who served as National Security Adviser under former President Joe Biden, claimed that Russia was using the negotiations in order to get land concessions that they could not obtain on the battlefield, and suggested that Trump was blind to Putin&#8217;s efforts to use him.
Putin, he told Raddatz, &#8220;is just trying to take us all for a ride, to keep this war going, keep attacking Ukraine without facing additional pressure.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Biden national security adviser Jake Sullivan said that he hopes Pres. Trump will see in hindsight that Russian Pres. Putin “is just trying to take us all for a ride, to keep this war going, keep attacking Ukraine without facing additional pressure.” <a href="https://t.co/BS3Y0qa5Ab">https://t.co/BS3Y0qa5Ab</a> <a href="https://t.co/wOok5WMc38">pic.twitter.com/wOok5WMc38</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1957098239208853809?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
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NPR&#8217;s Mary Louise Kelly claimed that Trump&#8217;s refusal to take questions could be taken as proof that the meeting was a failure, saying, &#8220;Donald Trump loves to take questions &#8230; When we saw Trump&#8217;s choosing to take no questions whatsoever, not even trying to claim a win, I think what was left unsaid was much more striking than what was said.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“Donald Trump loves to take questions&#8230;When we saw Trump&#8217;s choosing to take no questions whatsoever, not even trying to claim a win, I think what was left unsaid was much more striking than what was said,” NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly said of the Putin summit. <a href="https://t.co/c4WucVqaCH">https://t.co/c4WucVqaCH</a> <a href="https://t.co/QIxfdBQt9x">pic.twitter.com/QIxfdBQt9x</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1957109079022662003?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) also spoke with Raddatz about the summit, and also claimed that Trump&#8217;s gamble had failed: &#8220;There’s no sugar coating this — Donald Trump, once again, got played by Vladimir Putin. Vladimir Putin got the red carpet treatment on American soil. But we got no ceasefire, no imminent meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“There’s no sugar coating this — Donald Trump, once again, got played by Vladimir Putin. Vladimir Putin got the red carpet treatment on American soil. But we got no ceasefire, no imminent meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen said. <a href="https://t.co/UzUy5XK2Gr">https://t.co/UzUy5XK2Gr</a> <a href="https://t.co/yxdz9tZQ8w">pic.twitter.com/yxdz9tZQ8w</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1957120656333570505?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On CBS News&#8217; &#8220;Face the Nation,&#8221; the tone was very much the same. Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO) sat down with host Margaret Brennan, and he referred to the meeting as a &#8220;historic embarrassment.&#8221;
&#8220;Vladimir Putin does not care about the amount of time that we’re allocating, does not care about a B-2 bomber flyover, does not care about a lineup of F-22 fighters rolled out, he doesn&#8217;t care about any of that,&#8221; Crow claimed, arguing that Putin would only respond to more sanctions and military defeat.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The summit between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska was a “historic embarrassment” for the U.S., Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO) says.
“Vladimir Putin does not care about the amount of time that we’re allocating, does not care about a B-2 bomber flyover,… <a href="https://t.co/aIatCNbWQi">pic.twitter.com/aIatCNbWQi</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1957109149877096946?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Brennan also spoke with Fiona Hill, a Russia expert who notably testified against Trump in his first impeachment, who claimed that Trump had brought out the B2 stealth bombers not as a show of force but a show of deference to Putin.
The flyover, she said, &#8220;looked much more like a show of appreciation for Vladimir Putin&#8221; than a show meant to intimidate him.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The B-2 bomber flyover and lineup of fighter jets during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s arrival to Alaska “looked much more like a show of appreciation for Vladimir Putin” than a show of force by the U.S., Russian expert Fiona Hill says.
The optics of Friday’s summit were… <a href="https://t.co/yvBBKIRAOo">pic.twitter.com/yvBBKIRAOo</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1957112182665097516?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On NBC&#8217;s &#8220;Meet the Press,&#8221; host Kristen Welker brought in Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT), who took much the same position as Crow and called the summit a &#8220;disaster&#8221; and an &#8220;embarrassment for the United States.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) tells Meet the Press that President Trump’s meeting with Russian President Putin in Alaska was a “disaster” and an “embarrassment for the United States.” <a href="https://t.co/QC9TKvZ5hW">https://t.co/QC9TKvZ5hW</a> <a href="https://t.co/1qBng7t48y">pic.twitter.com/1qBng7t48y</a>
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) <a href="https://twitter.com/MeetThePress/status/1957080110206460077?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Trump spent the day on Sunday alternately touting the success of the summit and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-slams-media-as-sunday-show-hosts-pan-putin-summit-these-people-are-sick">lashing out at media</a> for attempting to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-thrashes-media-over-russia-summit-critiques-its-incredible">cast doubt</a> on his efforts.
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U.S. President Trump And Russian  President Putin Meet On War In Ukraine At U.S. Air Base In Alaska

Spin Cycle: Trump Met With Putin, So That Can’t Be Good. No, Seriously, We Can’t Let That Be Good

Spin Cycle: Trump Met With Putin, So That Can't Be Good. No, Seriously, We Can't Let That Be Good

Russia

Ukraine-Russia War

Vladimir Putin

Volodymyr Zelensky

Secretary of State Marco Rubio unloaded on ABC News host Martha Raddatz over her claim that when President Donald Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at Friday&#8217;s summit in Alaska, he had effectively &#8220;elevated&#8221; the Russian leader on the world stage.
Raddatz brought up the summit, which Trump has touted as a success, and claimed that &#8220;people were saying&#8221; he had actually given Putin the upper hand by allowing him to walk the &#8220;red carpet&#8221; and be seen on the &#8220;world stage&#8221; meeting with the American President.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecRubio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecRubio</a> nukes ABC for asking about the &#8220;red carpet&#8221; for Putin: &#8220;You&#8217;re not going to end a war between Russia and Ukraine without dealing with Putin&#8230; [<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>] is the only leader in the world that could get Putin to a meeting to talk about serious things.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/daqIzXA9H6">pic.twitter.com/daqIzXA9H6</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1957082014156296663?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Critics of President Trump will say the pomp and circumstance — pomp and circumstance, the red carpet, the warm handshake — that President Trump simply lost that, that Putin gained there just by being on the world stage and walking down a red carpet with the president,&#8221; Raddatz said. &#8220;Your reaction to that?&#8221;
Rubio chuckled before responding, &#8220;Well, critics of President Trump are always going to find something to criticize, we don&#8217;t even pay attention to it anymore, but I will tell you this: Putin is already on the world stage.&#8221;
The Secretary of State went on to point out that Putin, after waging a major war against Ukraine for over three years, could hardly be considered a non-entity when it came to global politics — especially since he also sits in control of the second largest strategic nuclear arsenal in the world.
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&#8220;When I hear people say that, &#8216;Oh, it elevates him,&#8217; all we do is talk about Putin all the time. All the media&#8217;s done is talk about Putin all the time for the last four or five years,&#8221; Rubio said. &#8220;That doesn&#8217;t mean he&#8217;s right about the war, that doesn&#8217;t mean he&#8217;s justified about the war. If you put all of that aside, it means you&#8217;re not going to have a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine, you&#8217;re not going to end a war between Russia and Ukraine without dealing with Putin.&#8221;
&#8220;That&#8217;s just common sense, I shouldn&#8217;t even have to say it,&#8221; Rubio continued, reminding Raddatz that it wasn&#8217;t the United States at war with Russia and arguing that Trump did not have to intervene at all – but also noting that he was the only leader with the ability to do so.
Raddatz further pressed Rubio to reveal details from the negotiations, asking what &#8220;concessions&#8221; Putin may have agreed to, but Rubio refused: &#8220;I wouldn&#8217;t name them on your program.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecRubio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecRubio</a>: &#8220;What utility would there be of me going on a program and telling you we wagged our finger at Putin and told him you must do this? &#8230; As much as everyone would love it to be a live PPV event, these discussions ONLY work best when they are conducted privately.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/8LFJj06Fgq">pic.twitter.com/8LFJj06Fgq</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1957076077693509860?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;What utility would there be of me going on a program and telling you we wagged our finger at Putin and told him you must do this?&#8221; Rubio asked. &#8220;As much as everyone would love it to be a live pay-per-view event, these discussions ONLY work best when they are conducted privately.&#8221;

Secretary of State Marco Rubio testifies on the 2026 Budget In House Hearing

‘I Shouldn’t Even Have To Say It’: Rubio Slaps Back ABC’s Raddatz For Saying Trump ‘Elevated’ Putin

'I Shouldn't Even Have To Say It': Rubio Slaps Back ABC's Raddatz For Saying Trump 'Elevated' Putin

Global Politics

Marco Rubio

Martha Raddatz

As members of Congress begin to leave the U.S. Capitol for their annual August recess, media outlets appear to be at a loss – and not just because their regular guests have gone on vacation. No one clear narrative emerged on Sunday as the legacy outlets in particular struggle to find their footing six months into President Donald Trump&#8217;s second term.
For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
After a number of weeks laser-focused on the late convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein — and the way President Trump&#8217;s administration handled the release of information related to his case and his alleged client list — poll numbers may have finally begun to drive the message home: the American people aren&#8217;t turning away from Trump over this particular issue.
ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos raised the issue on &#8220;This Week&#8221; during a panel discussion that included former Democratic National Committee Chair Donna Brazile and former Governor Chris Christie (R-NJ), and they briefly addressed reports on the Justice Department&#8217;s dealings with convicted Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell.
Christie claimed that the issue would continue to dog President Trump because a lot of the people pushing hardest for answers and transparency were Republicans — and also &#8220;because this has now leaked into popular culture.&#8221; Brazile commented on the recent decision to move Maxwell to a lower security facility amid her cooperation with federal law enforcement, and argued that Alligator Alcatraz was &#8220;where she belongs&#8221; based on the crimes for which she was convicted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/donnabrazile?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@donnabrazile</a> &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/GovChristie?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GovChristie</a> join <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThisWeek?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ThisWeek</a> to discuss the Trump administration’s handling of the Epstein case as Ghislaine Maxwell offers to testify before Congress for a pardon. Plus, their reaction to the firing of the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. <a href="https://t.co/EnDb1LQB6k">pic.twitter.com/EnDb1LQB6k</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1952012590441275606?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 3, 2025</a></blockquote>
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But Stephanopoulos spent the rest of the show going in multiple directions, apparently in search of a narrative that might stick. He brought in Doctors Without Borders CEO Avril Benoit to discuss the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and of course they talked about the starving civilians and the difficulties in getting aid to them. Benoit noted that the conditions on the ground were &#8220;insecure&#8221; and it was hard to ensure that once aid made it to the area, it went to the people who truly needed it.
Benoit also mentioned &#8220;injuries and deaths&#8221; that occurred during every major delivery — whether people are trampled by others also trying to get food from the aid facilities or shot as they leave — and claimed that the solution was &#8220;a ceasefire.&#8221;
Stephanopoulos brought up the recent photos and videos of hostages still being held by Hamas terrorists, asking whether those images constituted &#8220;war crimes.&#8221;
&#8220;Well, look, I think that the situation for the hostages is absolutely horrific as well. If no food aid is coming in, everyone is at risk,&#8221; she replied, seeming to suggest that the hostages were being starved because their captors were not getting food aid either.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;We are completely overwhelmed and starvation is making things all that much more catastrophic.&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/MSF_USA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MSF_USA</a> CEO Avril Benoît discusses what her organization is seeing in Gaza. READ MORE: <a href="https://t.co/gEwEzNpPd3">https://t.co/gEwEzNpPd3</a> <a href="https://t.co/A9ntdlCEHv">pic.twitter.com/A9ntdlCEHv</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1952004888914763933?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 3, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
And with a pivot to the economy and the recently-revised jobs numbers — which President Trump complained had been manipulated to make him and his administration look bad — the Clinton-aide-turned-ABC-anchor brought in Larry Summers to counter Trump&#8217;s claims.
&#8220;There&#8217;s no conceivable way that the head of the BLS could have manipulated this number &#8230; This is the stuff of democracies giving way to authoritarianism,&#8221; Summers said, responding to the news that Trump had directed his administration to fire the Biden-appointee who was in charge.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“There&#8217;s no conceivable way that the head of the BLS could have manipulated this number&#8230; This is the stuff of democracies giving way to authoritarianism.” 
— <a href="https://twitter.com/LHSummers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LHSummers</a> on Pres. Trump’s surprise firing of the BLS commissioner after a weak jobs report: <a href="https://t.co/Qz9svwhnKP">https://t.co/Qz9svwhnKP</a> <a href="https://t.co/lZhl2Xv4hg">pic.twitter.com/lZhl2Xv4hg</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1951997937367531534?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 3, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On CBS News&#8217; &#8220;Face the Nation,&#8221; the focus was similarly splintered. A series of comments on the recent trade deals and spending bill gave way to a conversation between host Margaret Brennan and Governor Michell Lujan Grisham (D-NM) about her decision to deploy the National Guard within her state.
When asked how it was different from Trump&#8217;s decision to deploy the National Guard to protect federal property and personnel during the riots and raucous protests in California, the New Mexico Governor replied, &#8220;They&#8217;re doing the back-end work so that … local police officers, they&#8217;re on the streets &#8230; And it is working. We’re beginning to see more productive fentanyl, drug dealing, high-end arrests than we did without the Guard.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Asked how her decision to deploy the National Guard to support the Albuquerque Police Department in New Mexico differs from President Trump’s actions in California, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM) says the National Guard in her state is “not policing.”
“They&#8217;re doing the… <a href="https://t.co/lp6wku04W8">pic.twitter.com/lp6wku04W8</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1952041856633622846?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 3, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union,&#8221; the question turned to 2028 and whether former Vice President Kamala Harris should take another crack at the nation&#8217;s highest office. Governor Jared Polis (D-CO) evaded the direct question, saying instead, I think it&#8217;s great that many people will hopefully run.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/GovofCO?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GovofCO</a> on whether Kamala Harris should run in 2028: &#8220;I think it&#8217;s great that many people will hopefully run&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/mInQJHdVTC">pic.twitter.com/mInQJHdVTC</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1952008673506541724?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 3, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
And on NBC&#8217;s &#8220;Meet the Press,&#8221; anchor Kristen Welker and Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) discussed how to address concerns of gerrymandering in Texas.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
In an exclusive interview with Meet the Press, Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) says California should look at &#8220;options&#8221; to counter an effort by Texas Republicans that would add up to five GOP seats in the state. <a href="https://t.co/Jm7ZBDTup1">https://t.co/Jm7ZBDTup1</a> <a href="https://t.co/SRsvS4noj0">pic.twitter.com/SRsvS4noj0</a>
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) <a href="https://twitter.com/MeetThePress/status/1952006645631902012?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 3, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Trump

Spin Cycle: Media Hard-Pressed To Find Narrative That Will Stick To ‘Teflon Don’

Spin Cycle: Media Hard-Pressed To Find Narrative That Will Stick To 'Teflon Don'

On Sunday, ABC News “This Week” host George Stephanopoulos hosted the USA CEO of the virulently anti-Israel group Doctors Without Borders, who responded to the harrowing video of an emaciated Israel hostage starved by Hamas by insisting that it was somehow Israel’s fault, implying that Hamas would feed the hostage if there were only food available.
The new propaganda video released by the terrorist group Hamas shows an emaciated Israeli hostage seized on October 7, 2023, being forced to dig his own grave.
The roughly five-minute clip shows Israeli hostage Evyatar David in a tunnel barely high enough for him to stand, “crossing off dates on a calendar and digging a grave,” the New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/08/02/world-news/hamas-releases-chilling-video-of-living-skeleton-hostage-evyatar-david/">reported</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
How psychopathic is Hamas?
It forced starving hostage Evyatar David to DIG HIS OWN GRAVE for the cameras. <a href="https://t.co/iMa404St4s">pic.twitter.com/iMa404St4s</a>
&mdash; Eylon Levy (@EylonALevy) <a href="https://twitter.com/EylonALevy/status/1951668818167681329?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Dr. Avril Benoit started by ignoring that Hamas has targeted the zone in which Israel and the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation operated.
“On June 11, 10 members of the GHF’s local workforce, on their way to a distribution site, were <a style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;" href="https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel-at-war/artc-ghf-says-hamas-brutally-attacked-aid-workers-at-least-5-massacred">murdered</a> by Hamas, according to the GHF,” <a href="https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2025/06/hamas-places-bounty-on-aid-workers-ghf.php">Long War Journal</a> noted, adding, “Days before the murders, Hamas and the Arrow Unit published statements deriding the new aid mechanism. They warned Palestinians that they would become a target of the ‘resistance’ if they associated themselves with entities linked to Israel and the United States.”
“We affirm that the resistance security forces and units now have full authorization and mandate to strike forcefully and decisively against any entity or individual that collaborates or coordinates with the enemy’s schemes or any treasonous entity outside the law and the traditions of our people. All collaborators, thieves, and criminal armed gangs are legitimate targets for the resistance units and security,” the Hamas statement <a style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;" href="https://x.com/JoeTruzman/status/1931830960750014642">said</a>.
But Benoit deliberately avoided the fact that Hamas has gone as far as murder to thwart the GHF’s efforts, saying, “The problem with the GHF is, of course, it’s unsafe. It’s an inefficient way to deliver aid. People have to cross very unsafe zones to reach those areas that are controlled by the IDF and military contractors from the U.S.”
Stephanopoulous then asked a question that, curiously, was left out of ABC News’ initial transcript of the interview: “We also saw those harrowing videos of a hostage held by Hamas. Airing videos like that is something of a war crime, isn’t it?”
“Airing the videos?” Benoit responded by desperately trying to make it look as though Hamas would feed the hostages if only there were more food available —which is patently false as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/shocking-video-shows-hamas-terrorists-gorging-themselves-while-gaza-starves?author=Hank+Berrien&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=26&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Shocking+Video+Shows+Hamas+Terrorists+Gorging+Themselves+While+Gaza+Starves">videos have surfaced showing Hamas members gorging themselves on food</a> — “Well, look, I think the situation for the hostages is absolutely horrific as well; if no food aid is coming in, everyone is at risk. Even aid workers are at risk. So when you talk about, you know, my own colleagues who are eating every second day and scrounging around for food, you can imagine that everyone is. So this is &#8212; this is part of the problem is that the aid coming in is controlled by Israel. And that is why in this genocide, we look to Israel to have an approach that is humanitarian.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
&quot;We are completely overwhelmed and starvation is making things all that much more catastrophic.&quot; <a href="https://twitter.com/MSF_USA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MSF_USA</a> CEO Avril Benoît discusses what her organization is seeing in Gaza. READ MORE: <a href="https://t.co/gEwEzNpPd3">https://t.co/gEwEzNpPd3</a> <a href="https://t.co/A9ntdlCEHv">pic.twitter.com/A9ntdlCEHv</a>
&mdash; This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1952004888914763933?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 3, 2025</a></blockquote>
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As NGO Monitor has <a href="https://ngo-monitor.org/ngos/medecins_sans_frontieres_doctors_without_borders_/">comprehensively delineated</a>, Doctors Without Borders is virulently anti-Israel. Here is just a sample of what NGO Monitor found:
<blockquote>
In December 2023, former MSF Secretary General Alain Destexhe published a report titled “<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RnHNK5fKVegDO6m0jqpXX6VpFJ_Pz1nV/view">Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières), an Accomplice of Hamas?</a>” According to Destexhe, “The communication of the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and its employees on the ground since 7 October shows a systematic bias in favour of Hamas and hostility to Israel. Doctors Without Borders has failed in its humanitarian purpose and violated its own charter, which proclaims the impartiality, neutrality and independence of the organization with regard to any political or religious power … Despite being subject to the MSF Charter, a significant proportion of its staff seem to share the Hamas point of view and support the terrorist attacks of 7 October. &#8230;
MSF rhetoric includes accusing Israel of “<a style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;" href="http://www.msf.org/en/article/west-bank-mind-eaten-away-violence-account-msf-psychologist-nablus">collective punishment</a>,” “<a style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;" href="http://www.msf.org/en/article/msf-team-entered-gaza-thursday-scale-msf-emergency-response-israeli-ground-offensive">indiscriminate bombings</a>,” and “<a style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;" href="http://www.msf.org/article/video-month-focus-july-2015">wholesale massacres</a>.” MSF has <a style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;" href="http://www.hilal.ps/Content/PDF/ab828696-d9e5-47c6-a6a6-972da4a603f4.pdf">provided funding</a> to the <a style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;" href="https://ngo-monitor.org/reports/abdel-shafi-community-health-associations-ties-to-the-pflp-terror-group/">Abdel Shafi Community Health Association</a> (ACHA), formerly known as the Red Crescent Society for the Gaza Strip (RCS4GS). ACHA was founded and is directed by senior members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). Other employees have demonstrated support for Palestinian terror groups and their actions.
</blockquote>

Hostage-Families-Demand-Ceasefire-and-Deal

ABC Hosts Leader Of Anti-Israel Doctor Group Who Blames Israel For Hamas Starving Hostages

Doctors without Borders

Hamas

Hostages

Israel

Starvation

This Week

World

Over the first six months of President Donald Trump&#8217;s second term, nearly everyone in media — from individual journalists and pundits to entire outlets — has scrambled to gain solid footing.
Some have fared better than others as they attempt to navigate what seems to be a constantly shifting landscape. The majority have opted for one or more of a few clear strategies: rewriting history, gaslighting the audience, or attempting to restructure, well, everything. Some have even chosen different strategies for specific issues, jumping back and forth between them whenever necessary.
Let&#8217;s take stock of where journalism is today.
<h3>Rewriting History.</h3>
The key offenders here are the pundits and journalists charging ahead with damning reports on former President Joe Biden&#8217;s obvious cognitive decline — and even publishing books about it — as though they played no role in hiding Biden&#8217;s condition while he was in the White House.
One such book, &#8220;Original Sin,&#8221; came from CNN anchor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jake-tapper-who-ignored-signs-of-bidens-decline-releasing-book-on-the-cover-up">Jake Tapper</a> and Axios reporter Alex Thompson. Both authors defended Biden from conservative attacks while it was clear to anyone capable of basic observation that the former president was a long way off his game.
As The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jake-tapper-who-ignored-signs-of-bidens-decline-releasing-book-on-the-cover-up">reported</a>,with regard to Tapper:
<blockquote>During the 2020 campaign, Tapper came to Biden’s <a href="https://x.com/jaketapper/status/1318570778468777984" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defense</a> multiple times when Republicans criticized him for struggling during his campaign speeches. In January 2020, Tapper <a href="https://x.com/jaketapper/status/1218211112195362818" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reposted</a> a clip of Lara Trump saying she felt “kind of sad for Biden” for struggling to “get the words out.” Tapper commented on Trump’s remarks on social media, writing, “Whatever you think of @JoeBiden and his politics, worth reading this remarkable piece about his stutter,” and linking to an Atlantic article that argued that voters should “be more understanding” of Biden’s gaffes because “he’s still fighting a stutter.”</blockquote>
And on Thompson:
<blockquote>&#8220;Biden’s quirky aphorisms are sometimes weaponized by Republicans to insinuate the 80-year-old president is in mental decline,” Thompson wrote. “But Biden has been using unique phrases for years — but even some of his aides aren’t exactly sure what he means by them.” Thompson added, “There are legitimate questions about Biden’s age and stamina as he runs for a second term — but his off-beat proverbs are just Biden being Biden.</blockquote>
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/an-albatross-on-him-new-book-details-the-strain-hunter-biden-put-on-2024-campaign">next of these books</a> came from Wall Street Journal reporter Josh Dawsey. He addressed the outsized role that the president&#8217;s embattled son, Hunter Biden, had played on the campaign — and how he may have influenced President Biden&#8217;s 11th-hour pardons.
As The Daily Wire reported at the time:
<blockquote>“Right, so one of the scenes in the book is that the President has a big month ahead in June of 2024, he has European travel, he has the first debate with Donald Trump, as you saw, it didn’t go so well,” Dawsey began. “But the thing he’s telling his friends he’s plays concerned about is that his son is not convicted in his court case.”
“He even offers to testify for his son,” Dawsey continued. “And he’s talking to folks nonstop around him … about his son, right? And he’s just constantly worried about him, he said the prosecutors are trying to break him, and as you see ultimately he decides to pardon his son.”</blockquote>
Dawsey&#8217;s book also revealed the lengths to which Biden&#8217;s aides went to keep him from taking a cognitive test in 2024 and to insulate him from the press, the public, and even members of his own cabinet.
And while the Wall Street Journal was ahead of most other outlets in publishing a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-struggling-to-function-during-closed-door-meetings-with-officials-report">damning report</a> on Biden&#8217;s condition before his only debate with Trump, even the concerns raised by that report were obvious to anyone who&#8217;d been paying attention to the first three years of his presidency.
<h3>Gaslighting The Audience.</h3>
Following the release of new information about the Russian collusion hoax from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and a declassified congressional report, a number of outlets and personalities have adopted this strategy.
George Washington University Law Professor Jonathan Turley addressed this during a recent Fox News appearance.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Jonathan Turley on the Russia Hoax: &#8220;The problem with Democrats and the media is that they&#8217;re trying to run the same grift on the same marks&#8230;They&#8217;re trying to tell the public, &#8216;Don&#8217;t look at this stuff, there&#8217;s nothing to see here.&#8217; The public largely rejected that whole pitch… <a href="https://t.co/pkXNPK9phU">pic.twitter.com/pkXNPK9phU</a>
— Julia 🇺🇸 (@Jules31415) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jules31415/status/1950017567596134452?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;The problem with Democrats and the media is that they&#8217;re trying to run the same grift on the same marks &#8230; They&#8217;re trying to tell the public, &#8216;Don&#8217;t look at this stuff, there&#8217;s nothing to see here.&#8217; The public largely rejected that whole pitch when they reelected Donald Trump; it&#8217;s not going to really work,&#8221; Turley explained.
&#8220;This is really damning stuff. What was just released, in my view, undermines the testimony of people like John Brennan, but what Ratcliffe is talking about is exposing it all to show the public exactly what happened. This is the real Russian conspiracy. There wasn&#8217;t a Russian collusion conspiracy, but there was a Russian conspiracy: it&#8217;s when John Brennan went to Obama in 2016.&#8221;
Turley also suggested that of those involved in pushing the hoax on the American people, former CIA Director John Brennan was probably the most vulnerable to prosecution.
MSNBC has perhaps presented the most egregious example of this strategy. Instead of addressing the new information, the outlet has opted to repeatedly platform Brennan to refute it.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
John Brennan was platformed again this morning by his favorite &#8216;news&#8217; network to attack Tulsi Gabbard:
&#8220;I think she&#8217;s projecting. Obviously, she&#8217;s engaged in the politicization of intelligence.&#8221;
&#8220;She’s not interested in the truth.&#8221;
The hosts enthusiastically agree. <a href="https://t.co/tGGy4w2CRL">https://t.co/tGGy4w2CRL</a> <a href="https://t.co/vPsGqauw8g">pic.twitter.com/vPsGqauw8g</a>
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) <a href="https://twitter.com/WesternLensman/status/1949131297718481113?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
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MSNBC has fully leaned in to gaslighting on other topics as well, platforming the poster child for politicization of the Justice Department — former Attorney General Eric Holder — to complain that the Trump administration is &#8230; politicizing the Justice Department.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Obama’s Wingman says he’s concerned about the politicization of Trump&#8217;s DOJ:
“This administration has used the power of the Justice Department to target political opponents.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/7ZyOoBIYxX">pic.twitter.com/7ZyOoBIYxX</a>
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) <a href="https://twitter.com/WesternLensman/status/1949557074465259900?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<h3>Restructuring Everything.</h3>
Among those outlets that appear to be restructuring to meet changing needs in the Trump era, the most obvious is The Washington Post. Things began falling apart at the Post before the presidential election, when Executive Editor <a href="https://www.poynter.org/commentary/2024/why-sally-buzbees-resign-what-next-washington-post/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sally Buzbee</a> <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/absolute-exodus-washington-post-bleeds-talent-as-experienced-staffers-take-buyout">abruptly exited</a> the paper in June 2024. She left, according to several sources, because she was not on board with the new organizational structure CEO Will Lewis planned to introduce.
The outlet&#8217;s decision not to endorse former Vice President Kamala Harris — and to take a neutral stance in future elections — prompted a few resignations. More followed over several months as changes were made to the editorial and opinion sections to &#8220;champion timeless American values.&#8221;
Then, in late May, The Washington Post announced it was offering buyouts to staffers, primarily those who had been with the outlet for a decade or longer. The &#8220;absolute exodus&#8221; continued.
In early July, Lewis sent an email encouraging employees who did not feel that they were  &#8220;aligned&#8221; with the outlet&#8217;s new direction to seriously consider the buyouts — and a number of them have.
Several big names have announced their plans to depart The Washington Post — including political reporter Dan Balz, obituary section chief <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/07/24/washington-post-jeff-bezos-obituary-buyout-00473350" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adam Bernstein</a>, reporter Philip Bump, as well as columnists David von Drehle, <a href="https://x.com/crampell/status/1948096670253605297" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Catherine Rampell</a>, and <a href="https://www.the-independent.com/travel/americas/washington-post-exodus-jonathan-capehart-buyout-bezos-b2793184.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jonathan Capehart</a>. The Post’s original TikTok pioneer, Dave Jorgenson, legal reporter Ann Marimow, and sports writer Dan Steinberg also took the buyout.
Reporter Joe Davidson says he left after being told that one of his opinion columns was “too opinionated,” and fact-check editor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wapo-fact-checker-takes-buyout-internet-reminds-him-he-stopped-dealing-in-facts-long-ago">Glen Kessler</a> announced his departure on Monday.
It remains to be seen whether any of these strategies will work — and some outlets may not even get the chance to try.
As President Donald Trump and his allies repeatedly demonstrate a willingness to fight back against media outlets that run with stories they believe to be defamatory — and a knack for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-wins-millions-in-defamation-suit-against-abc-news-george-stephanopoulos">winning</a> the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/big-and-important-win-trump-crows-over-settlement-in-cbs-paramount-lawsuit">ensuing lawsuits</a> — some organizations may buckle under the strain. Just ask the left-wing <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/elon-musks-lawsuits-and-a-federal-probe-threaten-to-bring-down-media-matters">Media Matters</a>, which appears poised to collapse under the weight of government investigation coupled with lawsuits from billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk.

Media Scramble To Find Footing — And Stay Relevant — In The Trump Era

Media Outlets Scramble To Find Footing — And Stay Relevant — In Their Trump Era

Media Bias

The Atlantic

The New York Times

Washington Post

After months — and even years — of showing no curiosity whatsoever regarding the contents of the files relating to deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, congressional Democrats and their media counterparts are suddenly disinterested in talking about anything else.
For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
The working theory, based on the comments and questions swirling from the left, appears to be that the Epstein story plays well for Democrats. Of course, that&#8217;s only true if everyone ignores the fact that Democrats could have worked to get the files released years ago — or they could at least have refrained from blocking Republican efforts to subpoena the disgraced financier&#8217;s flight logs.
Still, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) parroted exactly that point during an interview on NBC News&#8217; &#8220;Meet the Press.&#8221;
Khanna, who has joined with Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) to force a vote in the House on the Epstein files. spoke with host Kristen Welker about the Democratic Party&#8217;s sudden pivot to Epstein.
Welker pressed the California Democrat on the shift to all Epstein, all the time, and asked whether anyone was concerned that other issues might get left by the wayside if the Epstein drama was taking up all the oxygen in the room. She especially pressed him on the fact that &#8220;everyday pocketbook issues&#8221; might be a better selling point for Democrats going into the 2026 midterms, but he disagreed.
&#8220;You can&#8217;t do anything constructive with government if you don&#8217;t have trust in government,&#8221; Khanna replied, saying that getting the files released would be a step toward more transparency. He did not explain why Democrats had opposed Republican efforts to get some of the documents in question years earlier.
&#8220;This is about trust in government,&#8221; he claimed. &#8220;When John F. Kennedy was president, trust in government was 60%, today it&#8217;s in the teens.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Rep. Ro Khanna says Epstein is a winning issue for Democrats: &#8216;This is about trust in government&#8217; <a href="https://t.co/PXS5oaYaeT">https://t.co/PXS5oaYaeT</a>
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) <a href="https://twitter.com/MeetThePress/status/1949464313254543795?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The other working theory appears to be that continued pressure with regard to the Epstein case will drive a wedge between Republicans in general and between President Trump and his supporters specifically. And that is only true if everyone ignores all the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/x-isnt-real-life-cnn-data-guru-throws-wet-blanket-on-dem-plans-to-leverage-epstein-drama">polling</a> that indicates the exact opposite is true.
Welker also spoke with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) about the Epstein files on Sunday morning&#8217;s broadcast, and she pressed him on President Trump&#8217;s recent comments about Epstein madam Ghislaine Maxwell — namely the fact that he has &#8220;not considered&#8221; clemency for the convicted accomplice.
Of course, that&#8217;s only true if everyone ignores the fact that Democrats could have worked to get the files released years ago — or they could at least have refrained from blocking Republican efforts to subpoena the disgraced financier&#8217;s flight logs. It&#8217;s also only true if everyone ignores all the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/x-isnt-real-life-cnn-data-guru-throws-wet-blanket-on-dem-plans-to-leverage-epstein-drama">polling</a> that indicates the exact opposite is true.
Still, Welker pressed Johnson on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-hes-allowed-to-pardon-ghislaine-maxwell-keeps-option-open-after-doj-meeting">Trump&#8217;s statement</a> — which at face value was a fairly benign and fairly typical refusal to take any negotiating leverage off the table — and asked Johnson to respond to the possibility that Trump could ultimately pardon Maxwell.
&#8220;If you&#8217;re asking my opinion, I think 20 years was a pittance,&#8221; Johnson replied. &#8220;I think she should have a life sentence at least. I mean, think of all these unspeakable crimes, and as you noted earlier, probably 1,000 victims. I mean, you know, this, this is, it&#8217;s, it&#8217;s hard to put into words how evil this was, and that she orchestrated it and was a big part of it, at least under the criminal sanction, I think is an unforgivable thing. So again, not my decision, but I have great pause about that, as any reasonable person would.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON on Ghislaine Maxwell&#8217;s sentence on Meet the Press:
&#8220;If you&#8217;re asking my opinion, I think 20 years was a pittance. I think she should have a life sentence at least. I mean, think of all these unspeakable crimes, and as you noted earlier, probably 1,000…
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) <a href="https://twitter.com/JakeSherman/status/1949478073415381373?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Johnson has said on several occasions that he would like to see as much information as possible released with regard to the Epstein case — but with one very important caveat: the victims must be protected. He has also opposed what he&#8217;s referred to as a &#8220;reckless&#8221; bipartisan bill — the one being touted by Reps. Khanna and Massie — largely because he does not believe it would do enough to protect the victims.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
In an exclusive interview with Meet the Press, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) calls the bipartisan push to force a House vote on releasing the Epstein files “reckless,&#8221; adding that it does not do enough to protect victims. <a href="https://t.co/9xW2VH9UvJ">https://t.co/9xW2VH9UvJ</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZcWXw58vnq">pic.twitter.com/ZcWXw58vnq</a>
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) <a href="https://twitter.com/MeetThePress/status/1949477439085617503?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On ABC&#8217;s &#8220;This Week,&#8221; Jonathan Karl went a different direction with former Governor Chris Christie (R-NJ) and asked about the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-dismisses-epstein-case-hoax-as-his-justice-department-interviews-ghislaine-maxwell">recent conversations</a> — which played out over two days — between Maxwell and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.
&#8220;I have never seen this done — ever. The deputy attorney general runs the Department of Justice. They don’t interview witnesses … This is highly unusual,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“I have never seen this done — ever. The deputy attorney general runs the Department of Justice. They don’t interview witnesses … This is highly unusual,” <a href="https://twitter.com/GovChristie?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GovChristie</a> says of Deputy AG Todd Blanche meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell. <a href="https://t.co/VCZ3K9bSxn">https://t.co/VCZ3K9bSxn</a> <a href="https://t.co/P4C9hialQF">pic.twitter.com/P4C9hialQF</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1949473538038993289?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Maxwell, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ghislaine-maxwell-gave-doj-info-on-100-people-linked-to-epstein-her-lawyer-says">according to reports</a>, spoke with Blanche about 100 of her late employer&#8217;s associates.

Ghislaine Maxwell

Spin Cycle: Democrats Can’t Quit The Epstein Files

Spin Cycle: Democrats Can't Quit The Epstein Files

Jeffrey Epstein

Democrats appear intent on forging ahead with their efforts to leverage controversy over the late convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein to stir up division among Republicans — even in the face of polls that indicate their previous efforts have been fruitless.
For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
Polling thus far suggests that if the ongoing drama surrounding Epstein is causing — or furthering — any division within the Republican Party, it is having very little impact on President Donald Trump&#8217;s popularity. Still, that data has done little to dissuade Democrats from running with their chosen narrative — and Sunday morning&#8217;s political shows made that abundantly clear.
On ABC&#8217;s &#8220;This Week,&#8221; host Martha Raddatz raised the topic with chief justice correspondent Pierre Thomas, who noted that the Trump Justice Department&#8217;s move to unseal grand jury records amounted to an effort to &#8220;relitigate&#8221; the case against Epstein posthumously.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The Justice Department formally requested Friday the unsealing of grand jury records tied to federal investigations into Jeffrey Epstein.
“In some ways, the Epstein case is now being relitigated, years after his death,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/PierreTABC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PierreTABC</a> reports. <a href="https://t.co/a3Zr3kXUHs">https://t.co/a3Zr3kXUHs</a> <a href="https://t.co/j092d1v2Pr">pic.twitter.com/j092d1v2Pr</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1946929224645849178?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Raddatz then spoke with senior political correspondent Rachel Scott, who said despite a preponderance of evidence to the contrary, that the fallout over the handling of the Epstein case had caused a &#8220;splintering&#8221; of President Trump&#8217;s base.
Scott claimed that the Epstein drama had created &#8220;relentless backlash from Trump’s base, splintering his MAGA supporters unlike any other moment during his time in politics.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
President Trump and his administration&#8217;s handling of the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein is sparking &#8220;relentless backlash from Trump’s base, splintering his MAGA supporters unlike any other moment during his time in politics,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/rachelvscott?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RachelVScott</a> reports. <a href="https://t.co/LJTv6oMK0p">https://t.co/LJTv6oMK0p</a> <a href="https://t.co/ad1LYlndH6">pic.twitter.com/ad1LYlndH6</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1946931180340691139?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Raddatz then turned to Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN), who has called for the release of the Epstein documents, for assistance in her efforts to help Democrats drive the wedge deeper. Burchett said he believed Attorney General Pam Bondi had fumbled in the initial messaging with regard to Epstein, but he was not quite ready to call for her ouster.
&#8220;I think they blundered in the beginning, but I think they’re going to finish strong,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
GOP Rep. Tim Burchett said Attorney General Pam Bondi initially “blundered” the messaging about the Epstein case and was “taking advice from the wrong people.&#8221;
“I think they blundered in the beginning, but I think they’re going to finish strong.” <a href="https://t.co/2tPeyE4QLD">https://t.co/2tPeyE4QLD</a> <a href="https://t.co/DewjNgt2vz">pic.twitter.com/DewjNgt2vz</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1946933998841708587?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Raddatz made one last attempt to stir tensions between Republicans and the Trump White House, asking whether Burchett had been upset by Trump&#8217;s dismissal of those like him who had called for the release of the documents.
Burchett waved her off, saying, &#8220;Was I a little ticked off he said that stuff? Sure, I was, but I&#8217;m a big boy.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“Was I a little ticked off he said that stuff? Sure, I was, but I&#8217;m a big boy.&#8221;
GOP Rep. Tim Burchett reacted to Pres. Trump calling some Republicans “foolish&#8221; for demanding the release of the Epstein documents. <a href="https://t.co/8a1dmWyoHw">https://t.co/8a1dmWyoHw</a> <a href="https://t.co/WQnVoIYdUK">pic.twitter.com/WQnVoIYdUK</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1946934592847372619?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Burchett clarified his position further during an appearance on CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union,&#8221; where he made it clear that while he was frustrated with President Trump&#8217;s administration, he was also angry at Democrats — who stonewalled efforts to get access to the Epstein flight logs while former President Joe Biden was in office and suddenly are demanding the files.
&#8220;I&#8217;m ticked off at everybody,&#8221; he declared during his interview with anchor Jake Tapper.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Rep. <a href="https://twitter.com/timburchett?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@timburchett</a> on the fight to release the Epstein files: &#8220;I&#8217;m ticked off at everybody&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/4elP1X6WMm">pic.twitter.com/4elP1X6WMm</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1946926865874071911?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2025</a></blockquote>
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When Tapper asked Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) about that very issue — why she and her fellow Democrats had shown no interest whatsoever in the Epstein files until Trump was president — she deflected.
&#8220;The president blaming Democrats for this disaster, Jake, is like that CEO that got caught on camera blaming Coldplay, okay? Like, this is his making,&#8221; Klobuchar claimed, not answering the question.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Sen. <a href="https://twitter.com/amyklobuchar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@amyklobuchar</a> on Trump’s Epstein fallout: “The president blaming Democrats for this disaster, Jake, is like that CEO that got caught on camera blaming Coldplay, okay? Like, this is his making.” <a href="https://t.co/SnjAjI8BQq">pic.twitter.com/SnjAjI8BQq</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1946925517015285836?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2025</a></blockquote>
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CBS News actually addressed the reality of the situation, however, citing recent polling that indicated the Epstein case — whether people were angry about it or not — was not moving the needle away from Donald Trump when it came to his levels of support from within the party.
CNN data guru <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/x-isnt-real-life-cnn-data-guru-throws-wet-blanket-on-dem-plans-to-leverage-epstein-drama">Harry Enten</a> raised that point earlier in the week, noting that in contrast, it was the Democrats in Congress who were rapidly losing the support of their own base.
&#8220;X isn’t real life. Post-Epstein saga, Trump’s approval with the GOP (~90%) may actually be slightly up,” Enten captioned a video of a recent broadcast. “He’s at/or near his apex w/ the GOP. How? Just 1 respondent said Epstein was the top problem facing the U.S. Cong Dems, OTOH, are at their worst standing with Dems ever.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
X isn&#8217;t real life. Post-Epstein saga, Trump&#8217;s approval with the GOP (~90%) may actually be slightly up. He&#8217;s at/or near his apex w/ the GOP.
How? Just 1 respondent said Epstein was the top problem facing the U.S.
Cong Dems, OTOH, are at their worst standing with Dems ever. <a href="https://t.co/pSMH4BQ8Ou">pic.twitter.com/pSMH4BQ8Ou</a>
— (((Harry Enten))) (@ForecasterEnten) <a href="https://twitter.com/ForecasterEnten/status/1945856695395049620?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
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