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;
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🚨 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.
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“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.
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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.
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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.

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CBS News announced on Friday that it is changing its policy on interviews with top government officials on “Face the Nation” after Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cbs-news-shamefully-edited-interview-to-whitewash-kilmar-abrego-garcias-background-noem-says">blasted</a> the network for “shamefully” editing comments she made on last Sunday’s show.
CBS News initially defended its edits to the Noem interview, arguing that it “met all CBS News standards” and adding that the full interview and transcript were available online. On Friday, however, CBS News backtracked, saying that based on “audience feedback over the past week,” the network will “implement a new policy for greater transparency in our interviews,” The Hill <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/media/5488422-cbs-face-the-nation-changes-kristi-noem-dhs/">reported</a>.
“FACE THE NATION will now only broadcast live or live-to-tape interviews (subject to national security or legal restrictions),” CBS News said. “This extra measure means the television audience will see the full, unedited interview on CBS and we will continue our practice of posting full transcripts and the unedited video online.”
The network got into hot water after its edits to the Noem interview cut the Homeland Security secretary’s response short by 30 seconds when she was discussing the allegations against Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an illegal alien at the center of a high-profile U.S. immigration case, The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cbs-news-shamefully-edited-interview-to-whitewash-kilmar-abrego-garcias-background-noem-says">reported</a>. The part of Noem’s comments that CBS News cut out of the version that it aired on “Face The Nation” included Noem saying that Abrego Garcia “was a known human smuggler, an MS-13 gang member, an individual who was a wife beater, and someone who was so perverted that he solicited nude photos from minors.”
Abrego Garcia has denied all of those charges as he fights against the Trump administration’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kilmar-abrego-garcias-journey-from-maryland-man-to-uganda-man-a-current-timeline?author=Nathan+Gay&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Kilmar+Abrego+Garcia%E2%80%99s+Journey+From+Maryland+Man+To+Uganda+Man%3A+The+Definitive+Timeline">plans</a> to deport him to Uganda.
“This morning, I joined CBS to report the facts about Kilmar Abrego Garcia. Instead, CBS shamefully edited the interview to whitewash the truth about this MS-13 gang member and the threat he poses to American public safety,” Noem posted to X on Sunday after the interview was aired. “Watch for the part of my interview that @CBS tried to cover up.”
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This morning, I joined CBS to report the facts about Kilmar Abrego Garcia. Instead, CBS shamefully edited the interview to whitewash the truth about this MS-13 gang member and the threat he poses to American public safety.
Watch for the part of my interview that <a href="https://twitter.com/CBS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CBS</a> tried to… <a href="https://t.co/28fsGZug48">pic.twitter.com/28fsGZug48</a>
— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sec_Noem/status/1962256536475926676?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 31, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The move by CBS News to change its interview format comes shortly after President Donald Trump secured a major victory over the network, as CBS agreed to settle a lawsuit with the president for $18 million over another editing scandal. Trump sued CBS after the network edited a “60 Minutes” interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris to make one of her answers sound more favorable than it was.

CBS News Alters ‘Face The Nation’ Editing Policy After Kristi Noem Calls Out Network

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HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faces a hostile Senate hearing, defending his vaccine policies against attacks from Democrats. The Department of Justice is reportedly considering new gun restrictions targeting individuals with gender dysphoria following the Minneapolis school shooting. CBS News is under fire for another deceptively edited interview as reports suggest a major shakeup is coming with the potential hiring of Bari Weiss.
It’s Friday, September 5, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
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<h2>RFK Jr. Defends Vaccine Policies in Fiery Senate Hearing</h2>
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Topline: Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. endured a hostile Senate hearing on Thursday, where he fiercely defended his vaccine policies and shakeup of the CDC against a barrage of attacks from Democrats.
During the fiery hearing, Democrats called Kennedy a &#8220;charlatan,&#8221; said he was perpetrating &#8220;hoaxes,&#8221; and demanded his resignation. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) accused him of sacrificing children&#8217;s lives, to which Kennedy retorted, &#8220;You&#8217;ve sat in that chair for &#8230; 25 years – while the chronic disease in our children went up to 76%. And you said nothing.&#8221; When Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) attacked him over recent changes to COVID vaccine access, Kennedy shot back, &#8220;I know you&#8217;ve taken $855,000 from pharmaceutical companies, senator.&#8221;
Kennedy defended his decision to fire CDC Director Susan Monarez, saying she had twice admitted to him that she was not &#8220;trustworthy.&#8221; He also stood by his overhaul of the CDC&#8217;s vaccine advisory panel (ACIP), stating the old panel was &#8220;plagued with conflicts of interest.&#8221;
When Democrats praised Operation Warp Speed in an apparent attempt to drive a wedge between him and the president, Kennedy said Trump deserved a Nobel Prize for it, but that the risk-benefit &#8220;calculus is different&#8221; now that the virus has mutated and adverse event reports have piled up. He also announced that the FDA is reviewing the safety data of the abortion pill mifepristone, alleging the previous administration &#8220;twisted the data&#8221; to &#8220;bury one of the safety signals.&#8221;
<h2>DOJ Weighs Gun Ban for Gender Dysphoria</h2>
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Topline: The Department of Justice is internally deliberating ways to bar individuals suffering from gender dysphoria from obtaining firearms, following a string of violent attacks by trans-identifying individuals, including last week&#8217;s deadly school shooting in Minneapolis.
The Daily Wire first reported that the DOJ is looking at the issue as one of mental health, not gun control. The move comes after a series of high-profile violent crimes committed by people who identify as transgender, including the 2023 Covenant school shooting in Nashville and the attempted assassination of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
The administration&#8217;s focus on mental health stands in stark contrast to the Democratic response to the Minneapolis shooting. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has called for a special legislative session to address gun laws, citing the strict gun control measures in Scotland and Australia as models for the U.S.
On Wednesday, Vice President JD Vance and his wife visited the Annunciation school in Minneapolis, where they laid flowers and met with the parents of the murdered children. &#8220;There is nothing that you can say that can take away the grief that these parents are dealing with,&#8221; Vance said. &#8220;If you do have kids &#8230; make sure that they know that you love them &#8230; because there are families in Minneapolis who won&#8217;t be able to do that ever again.&#8221;
<h2>CBS Under Fire for Deceptive Edits as Shakeup Looms</h2>
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Topline: The White House is blasting CBS News for deceptively editing an interview with DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, the latest in a string of similar incidents, as reports indicate a major leadership shakeup is imminent at the network.
CBS News is under fire for editing out the serious criminal allegations against illegal immigrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia from an interview with Secretary Noem, making it appear the Trump administration was targeting an ordinary person for deportation. According to Curtis Houck of NewsBusters, this is at least the fifth time in four years that CBS has been caught making questionable edits that go &#8220;in one direction&#8221; against conservatives. Previous targets include Governor Ron DeSantis, Speaker Mike Johnson, President Trump, and former Vice President Kamala Harris.
The repeated instances of apparent bias come as a major shakeup is reportedly coming to the network. Puck News reported Wednesday that CBS&#8217; new parent company is in the final stages of a deal to acquire The Free Press and install its founder, Bari Weiss, in a senior role at CBS News. The move is seen as a potential attempt to &#8220;de-politicize&#8221; the news division and return to the network&#8217;s more trusted roots, though it could face internal resistance from current staff.

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Morning Brief: RFK Jr.’s Blockbuster Senate Hearing, DOJ Weighs Trans Gun Ban, CBS’ Stunning Shakeup

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CBS News edited an interview with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to “whitewash” the criminal background of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, according to Noem.
Noem appeared on CBS’s “Face The Nation” on Sunday and defended the Trump administration’s efforts to deport Abrego Garcia, who is currently challenging his planned removal to Uganda.
The Homeland Security Secretary said that Abrego Garcia, who is in the United States illegally, committed crimes against children and his wife, but when her interview aired on CBS News, the network had cut out the part in which Noem had talked specifically about the accusations that Abrego Garcia is facing.
“And the one thing that we will continue to do is to make sure that he doesn&#8217;t walk free in the United States of America,” Noem said in a clip that aired on Face The Nation.
The edit cut short Noem’s response, which continued on for nearly 30 more seconds.
“This individual was a known human smuggler, a MS-13 gang member, an individual who was a wife beater, and someone who was so perverted that he solicited nude photos from minors,” Noem had continued in a clip that never made it to air, but that Noem later posted on social media.
“Even his fellow human traffickers told him to knock it off he was so sick in what he was doing and how he was treating small children,” said Noem. “He needs to never be in the United States of America, and our administration is making sure we’re doing all that we can to bring him to justice.”
Noem said that the network “shamefully edited” her interview to “whitewash” Abrego Garcia.
“This morning, I joined CBS to report the facts about Kilmar Abrego Garcia. Instead, CBS shamefully edited the interview to whitewash the truth about this MS-13 gang member and the threat he poses to American public safety,” she wrote in a post on X.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
This morning, I joined CBS to report the facts about Kilmar Abrego Garcia. Instead, CBS shamefully edited the interview to whitewash the truth about this MS-13 gang member and the threat he poses to American public safety.
Watch for the part of my interview that <a href="https://twitter.com/CBS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CBS</a> tried to… <a href="https://t.co/28fsGZug48">pic.twitter.com/28fsGZug48</a>
— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sec_Noem/status/1962256536475926676?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 31, 2025</a></blockquote>
The Department of Homeland Security moved earlier this month to deport Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national, to Uganda after a court order prevented his deportation back to his home country.
Last week, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis, an Obama appointee, put the deportation on hold until Xinis can hold an evidentiary hearing on a lawsuit Abrego Garcia filed challenging his deportation to Uganda. Xinis had previously ordered the Trump administration to “take all available steps to facilitate the return” of Abrego Garcia to the United States after he was sent to El Salvador.

CBS News ‘Shamefully Edited’ Interview To ‘Whitewash’ Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s Background, Noem Says

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.
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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.
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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;
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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

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee denounced CBS News for selectively editing an <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/video/huckabee-says-if-israel-is-attempting-genocide-they-are-really-really-bad-at-it/">interview</a> with him on its way to savagely attacking Israel.
Huckabee was interviewed by CBS News&#8217; Debora Patta, who has been critical Israel for years, whether <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6be9tHsEpO/">interviewing members</a> of “Breaking the Silence,” an organization that has accused Israel of occupation and apartheid and routinely attacks the Israel Defense Forces, or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CBSEveningNews/videos/israeli-soldier-accuses-army-of-using-human-shields/1297754977966525/">interviewing an anonymous Israeli soldier</a> attacking the IDF for supposed crimes it had committed in the war against Hamas.
He released the full transcript of the interview to illustrate how it was chopped up by the network to &#8220;give you a different story&#8221; than what actually took place.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Ever wonder how the media edits an interview to give you a different story than the one they had? Here’s <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CBSNews</a> interview with me yesterday and the unedited full transcript below. Take time and read. You’ll see it ⬇️. <a href="https://t.co/6bubcQogyi">https://t.co/6bubcQogyi</a>
— Ambassador Mike Huckabee (@USAmbIsrael) <a href="https://twitter.com/USAmbIsrael/status/1953777227914453499?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Huckabee links to both the aired segment and a <a href="https://il.usembassy.gov/ambassador-huckabees-interview-with-cbs-news/">full transcript of the interview</a> posted on the ambassador&#8217;s website.
The actual interview with Huckabee started with him speaking of the futility of negotiations with Hamas, saying, “I’m not sure there is a way to revive negotiations with people who were so savage that they would rape women in front of their families, burn elderly people in their wheelchairs, in front of family, and do the hideous things that they not only did on October 7, but they continue to do in torturing hostages that have been in these tunnels now for almost 22 months. So, if I believe that there was a way to sit down and reason with people like that. I would love to see it happen, but you have to look at who they are and what they have done, what they’ve done to their own people. How many of their own people they’ve murdered in Gaza and ask yourself, are these people that really want a conclusion? Do they want some level of stability? I see no sign of it.”
Patta asked, “So, the alternative is?”
“I think the alternative is to recognize that they understand one thing: they lose, they have to be defeated. And President Trump has repeatedly said, Hamas has no future in Gaza, and they can’t lead it. I think that’s exactly right. It would be the equivalent of saying, well, the Nazis can stay in Germany after World War II and continue to be a party and maybe have a role in government.”
None of that was aired.
After discussing the possibility of Israel taking control of Gaza, with Huckabee saying, “The United States has respect for the nation that was attacked on October the seventh. We understand that they’re the ones who have to make some of these tough decisions. So it’s not our job to tell them what they should or should not do,” Patta segued to undermining the Israeli war effort, claiming, “I have spoken to many families of the hostages interviewed in countless times, and there is real frustration, though, with Netanyahu and his government, the feeling that they could perhaps be beholden to right wing factions in the Cabinet who don’t want the war to end, who have said that they don’t want the war to end until Hamas is completely defeated.”
Huckabee responded:
<blockquote>
Now some people would want it to end regardless of the outcome, even if Hamas gets to stay, but that’s an outcome that ultimately, Israel has to ask itself, can we live with that? Can the world live with that? Does that not just invite another October 7, which is what Hamas has pledged, promised, guaranteed, they would do again. How many more hostage families will there be in the future? If Hamas gets to stay, they get to chalk this up as a victory.
</blockquote>
Patta then claimed, without providing any documentation or evidence, “You’ve seen the protests, over half of Israelis want the war to end.”
“I think 100% of the Israelis want the war to end. I would venture to say I couldn’t find somebody in this country that wants it to continue. But I don’t think that there is a consensus as to whether or not the war should end with Hamas getting a victory,&#8221; Huckabee fired back. “Do you allow these savages who did what they did and continue to do it? &#8230; October the seventh wasn’t the only time they ever did something that was absolutely a massacre, the number of deaths that they inflicted would have been the equivalent of 40,000 people in America killed on a single day by a terror organization. I can’t even begin to tell you what would be the reaction in the United States. So, from the perspective as an American who’s here watching in the middle of this, I can tell you that Americans, if 40,000 of us, would have been slaughtered, massacred, mutilated in front of our families, I don’t think Americans would say: ‘you know, we just want this to be over. We’re just tired of this.’ If the people who did it were going to claim a victory and put a flag up and say: ‘And we’re going to do it again.”
None of this was aired.
Patta then turned to what appeared to be her real agenda, asking Huckabee if he was “moved” by alleged starvation in Gaza.
“I’m moved when the photos are verified,” Huckabee stated. Then he continued in a section that was not aired: “I mean, we’re all moved when you see someone, especially a child who’s starving. But the New York Times published a picture on the front page of what was purported to be a starving child. Turns out the child had a birth defect and had not been starving. There were other pictures, for example, that were published of starving children in Gaza. Turned out one of them was from Yemen.”
“I think that there are certainly people suffering in Gaza,” Huckabee continued. Then he explained why in another section that was not aired: “Part of the reason is, is because you’ve had pallets and trucks full of food that the UN won’t take in because they say they don’t want military escort from IDF, but they say it’s not safe, and 87% of their own food every time they do take it in gets hijacked and looted. That’s their numbers. Those aren’t mine. I didn’t make that up. That’s what they report. So there’s not been a lack of food or even a lack of attempt. It’s been an inefficient way of getting it in. It’s been a problem because you have a terror organization who is stealing it, looting it, and then turning around and selling it to the people who are hungry. And one thing that’s true certain is that Hamas is not feeding hostages. Where’s the Red Cross? Where’s the Red Crescent? How come they haven’t demanded that the hostages get fed?”
“We spoke to the World Food Program, and they have not been shown any evidence of this at all,” Patta insisted.
“Are you telling me they say that their food has not been looted?” Huckabee asked incredulously.
“No, I’m saying there’s no evidence that it’s been diverted to Hamas. They’re not saying it’s not being looted. What they’re saying…” Patta persisted.
“I am shocked they would say that,” Huckabee responded.
Another section CBS News chose not to air: Huckabee stated, “Hamas made half a billion dollars last year, 500 million U.S. dollars stealing food, selling it on the black market in order to finance their activities. That’s stunning. That’s a real business they have. They put it in warehouses. Yes, there have been some of the just regular population who are looting the trucks. One of the things we heard at GHF (Gaza Humanitarian Foundation) feeding sites was people, when they first started coming, they said, well, this is the first time you didn’t have to pay for the food. They were used to having to buy a food from Hamas at prices that Hamas was inflating because they stole something. And then they turned around and sell it.”
“Every single day there are people dying near GHF sites,” Patta said.
Then, this non-aired exchange:
<blockquote>
Patta claiming, ‘They’re being shot, allegedly, according to either countless, and we have interviewed just the other day a private security contractor, not a security contractor, a private civilian contractor who drove the truck and has provided us with new video of constant shooting at these GHF sites, he says, by both Americans and IDF soldiers, live ammunition being used as a form…
“Could you show that video to me, because I have not seen it,” Huckabee answered. “ “No one in the U.S. government has seen it. And frankly, we have no reports. And we get reports every single day from all four feeding sites. When someone says something like that, I say, I don’t believe it, until you show it to me.”
</blockquote>
“We’ve had reports that there have been incidences,” Huckabee says in the video, but then this is elided: “But we’ve also had reports one day that there were 27 people killed at a GHF site. We had the video to show that no one was even injured. Much less killed. But it went all over the world, the New York Times, The Washington Post, BBC, CNN all reported it turned out as a total hoax. It’s never happened. Did those media companies come back, some of them with a tiny little correction in the fine print, but the story went out there that 27 people had been murdered at the GHF side. It never happened.”
Patta quoted the virulently anti-Israel <a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/08/1165552">Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights</a>, of which the notoriously vicious Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese is a member, saying, According to the UN, 1400 people have been killed. Mostly, they say, by IDF gunfire, nearly 900 by GHF sites.”
Another section elided: Huckabee responded, “My gosh &#8230; who would be for people being killed getting aid but here’s what Gazans told me when I was there last week. The people who live in Gaza, the people, the ones who are going to get the food, said that they did not hate the IDF, and they loved the Americans. But they hated Hamas because every single one of them with Hamas had had some family members in their clan who had been murdered by Hamas when they were trying to get food so who’s doing the killing? That’s a good question. You honestly think it’s some U.S. contractors, or it’s the IDF just gunning people down. Or is it Hamas, who have tried to keep people from getting to the feeding sites for a simple reason, because it’s business to them. If they can keep people from getting the free food, then they can sell the food that was supposed to be given to them for free. That’s what no one seems to be wanting to talk about. Why not?”
CBS News aired Patta saying, “Increasingly strong language is being used about Israel’s prosecution of this war, including from Israeli organizations, they’ve been accused of genocide.”
They aired Huckabee responding, “If Israel is attempting genocide, they’re really, really bad at it. They could have had genocide on October the eighth.”
They did not air what followed; Huckabee saying: “They could have dropped a few bombs and have annihilated all Gazans, it’s not that big an area. They certainly had the capacity to do it, and saw that in the 12-day war with Iran. It is the most ridiculous thing in the world to say that Israel is committing genocide. That’s absurd. On its face. It’s absurd.”

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Holds Nomination Hearing For Mike Huckabee To Be Ambassador To Israel

Huckabee Rips CBS News For Selectively Editing His Remarks About Israel To Mislead Audience

Ambassador Huckabee Says CBS News Selectively Edited His Remarks About Israel

Hamas

Israel

Media Bias

Mike Huckabee

Poltiics

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'

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>
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<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

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

A protest aimed at defending comedian Stephen Colbert — who is set to lose his gig hosting &#8220;The Late Show&#8221; on CBS in May of 2026 — drew a crowd of tens on Sunday afternoon.
According to a <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/07/27/us-news/nycs-were-with-colbert-rally-for-late-night-host-is-bust/?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_campaign=nypost&amp;utm_medium=social">report</a> published by The New York Post, just about 20 people showed up to voice their support for the soon-to-be ousted host — and even those who did show up didn&#8217;t stay long. The New York City cops — who were on the scene just in case the protest got out of hand — took off as well when it became apparent that nothing was happening.
The event organizer told The New York Post that his name was Matt and his nickname was &#8220;Slim&#8221; (but he would not give the outlet any other identification). He explained that he&#8217;d attempted to bring a group together outside the CBS Broadcast Center — on the West Side of Manhattan — to say &#8220;We&#8217;re with Colbert.&#8221;
&#8220;Our country is not perfect, never has been,&#8221; he said. &#8220;But we’ve always had the First Amendment, and now Mango Mussolini is trying to take that from us.&#8221;
Another protester, who refused to give her name, told the outlet, &#8220;This is a First Amendment attack. We can’t stand for that.&#8221;
CBS has stated the Colbert&#8217;s exit — in May of 2026 — was &#8220;purely a financial decision&#8221; and recent reports have indicated that Colbert&#8217;s show may have taken a loss of $40 million in the last year.
Others have suggested that politics — specifically the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cbs-host-breaks-ranks-offers-surprisingly-sane-reason-for-colberts-ouster">one-sided tone</a> of Colbert&#8217;s show — had caused him to lose popularity.
Longtime &#8220;Tonight Show&#8221; host Jay Leno addressed the changing tone in late night comedy during a recent <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/07/27/media/jay-leno-slams-late-night-hosts-for-alienating-half-audience-with-partisan-politics-against-trump/?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_campaign=nypost&amp;utm_medium=social">interview</a> with Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation CEO David Trulio.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Late-night TV used to be about laughs — not lectures.<a href="https://twitter.com/jayleno?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jayleno</a> tells us why he never shared his political opinions on The Tonight Show, and why he thinks today’s hosts are losing half of America by doing so. <a href="https://t.co/dEvhjICdyC">pic.twitter.com/dEvhjICdyC</a>
— Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation &amp; Institute (@RonaldReagan) <a href="https://twitter.com/RonaldReagan/status/1947778371997602166?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;I don’t understand why you would alienate one particular group, you know, or just don’t do it at all. I’m not saying you have to throw your support or whatever, but just do what’s funny,&#8221; Leno said, later adding, &#8220;It was fun to me when I got hate letters, ‘Dear Mr. Leno, you and your Republican friends’ and​, ‘Well, Mr. Leno, I hope you and your Democratic buddies are happy’ — over the same joke.&#8221;

Stephen Colbert

NYC ‘We’re With Colbert’ Rally Draws Tens Of People, Even Cops Go Home

NYC 'We're With Colbert' Rally Draws Tens Of People

&#8220;CBS Mornings&#8221; host Tony Dokoupil offered a different take than most of his colleagues — and even some at other legacy media networks — when he conceded on Tuesday that the decision to oust Stephen Colbert and cancel &#8220;The Late Show&#8221; might have been about politics, but not in the way they all thought.
Amid a virtual firestorm of complaints that Colbert&#8217;s cancellation was political — specifically, he&#8217;d been too <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-view-melts-down-over-colbert-king-trump-is-coming-for-the-court-jesters">vocally opposed to President Donald Trump</a> on a network that was staring down the barrel of a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/big-and-important-win-trump-crows-over-settlement-in-cbs-paramount-lawsuit">multi-million dollar lawsuit</a> — Dokoupil argued that the &#8220;one-sided&#8221; nature of Colbert&#8217;s commentary may have put off more people than just Trump.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
WATCH: ‘CBS Mornings’ co-host Tony Dokoupil brings a much-needed reality check to the table of liberal journalists fawning over ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’. His co-hosts dismissed all this, proving his point:
“I don’t have an MBA, but I don’t — [Jon Stewart] is not… <a href="https://t.co/qR5R74g2vY">pic.twitter.com/qR5R74g2vY</a>
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) <a href="https://twitter.com/CurtisHouck/status/1947754373833977899?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Co-host Vladimir Duthiers complained that, regardless of the expense to produce shows like Colbert&#8217;s, they were &#8220;part of the cultural zeitgeist and they have been part of television since the beginning of television. So that’s why people are reacting the way that they are.&#8221;
Over several objections from his co-hosts, Dokoupil laid out his point — and also argued that comedian Jon Stewart was wrong when he suggested that Paramount had felt threatened by Colbert&#8217;s show as the merger progressed: &#8220;No, I understand the emotional views. I don’t have an MBA, but [Stewart is] not right that the merger, the $8 billion, is based on reruns of a comedy show, no. People are buying the movies and the sitcoms, and the sports. They’re not based on reruns of us either, so I think it’s wrong.”
&#8220;And what no one seems to acknowledge is that the politics also changed,&#8221; Dokoupil continued. &#8220;The business changed, and so did the politics. And it got way more one-sided than anything Johnny Carson was ever doing. I think we should reflect on those changes as well. It’s been a big shift culturally in that regard, also for sure.&#8221;
&#8220;People will miss those shows when they&#8217;re gone, that&#8217;s the bottom line,&#8221; Duthiers insisted.

CBS Host Breaks Ranks, Offers Surprisingly Sane Reason For Colbert’s Ouster

CBS Host Breaks Ranks, Offers Surprisingly Sane Reason For Colbert's Ouster

Comedy

The View

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.
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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;
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“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.
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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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