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>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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

CBS News

Hamas

Israel

Media

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>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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'

ABC News

Donald Trump

NBC News

Politics

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>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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;
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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;
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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.
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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.
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“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>
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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:
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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:
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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.
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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;
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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.
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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;
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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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Jeffrey Epstein Appears In Manhattan Federal Court On Sex Trafficking Charges

Spin Cycle: Dems Double Down Even After Epstein Gamble Flops

As President Donald Trump nears the end of the first six months of his second term in the White House, Democrats and media appear to be scrambling for a foothold — a narrative that will stick and give them all something to rally around — but nothing seems to be working.
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 walls are not closing in. The Big Beautiful Bill has passed. The border is more secure than it has been in decades. The dire predictions have not materialized. The Trump administration, as James Carville predicted in February, did not implode in the next 30 days. The United States is not at the center of World War III and has not been plunged into an endless recession. And with no clear winning issue to grab onto, Democrats and media spent Sunday morning — one year to the day after a would-be assassin failed to end President Trump&#8217;s life — grasping at straws.
On ABC&#8217;s &#8220;This Week,&#8221; capitalizing on reported tensions between Trump Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel and FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, anchor Jonathan Karl questioned whether the Justice Department&#8217;s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case would drive a wedge between Trump and some of his most prominent supporters.
Many seemed unimpressed with the administration&#8217;s final assessment — that Epstein had taken his own life, had not been involved in blackmail schemes, and had no &#8220;client list&#8221; — and pushed back, calling for Bondi&#8217;s resignation or firing. Reports quickly began circulating that Bongino had said he could not stay on if Bondi did, creating what Karl described as an &#8220;uproar that has pitted the leaders of the DOJ and the FBI and possibly the president himself against some of the most prominent voices in the MAGA movement.&#8221;
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The Trump administration’s handling of the Epstein investigation has created an “uproar that has pitted the leaders of the DOJ and the FBI and possibly the president himself against some of the most prominent voices in the MAGA movement,” <a href="https://twitter.com/jonkarl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JonKarl</a> reports. <a href="https://t.co/Nz5ssrfvW3">https://t.co/Nz5ssrfvW3</a> <a href="https://t.co/t81XpZKrwB">pic.twitter.com/t81XpZKrwB</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1944390902241284521?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
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CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union&#8221; also latched on to the tensions within the DOJ and the FBI over the Epstein case. Bernie Sanders adviser Faiz Shakir blamed Trump — who had long promised to get to the bottom of the Epstein case and release whatever information he found — for the tension.
&#8220;I would say to Donald Trump, you wound this up. You caused this. And I think I&#8217;m on the side of these right-wing influencers who say, hey, if you want to be a paragon of virtue and say you want to take on the powerful, and Epstein… release them unredacted,&#8221; he said.
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/fshakir?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@fshakir</a>: “I would say to Donald Trump, you wound this up. You caused this. And I think I&#8217;m on the side of these right-wing influencers who say, hey, if you want to be a paragon of virtue and say you want to take on the powerful, and Epstein… release them unredacted.”… <a href="https://t.co/EbkdhUmof2">pic.twitter.com/EbkdhUmof2</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1944414714613621006?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
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More and more Democrats have called for any and all <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sen-blackburn-says-democrat-led-senate-committee-chair-blocked-epstein-flight-logs-subpoena">Epstein documents</a> to be released, despite the fact that Democrats were the ones who blocked Republican attempts to get some of the documents – in particular, flight logs — released during former President Joe Biden&#8217;s term in office.
In case the Epstein-related drama failed to pan out, they tried a few other topics as well.
Karl asked about tariffs — set to take effect in short order for nations that have not yet come to the table and worked out mutually beneficial arrangements.
&#8220;These tariffs are real, if the president doesn’t get a deal that he thinks is good enough,” White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said. “Conversations are ongoing and we’ll see where the dust settles.&#8221;
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White House&#8217;s Kevin Hassett on Pres. Trump announcing new tariffs during trade negotiations: “These tariffs are real, if the president doesn’t get a deal that he thinks is good enough.”
“Conversations are ongoing and we’ll see where the dust settles.” <a href="https://t.co/TSyrYidwZw">https://t.co/TSyrYidwZw</a> <a href="https://t.co/cbwk6p5mIr">pic.twitter.com/cbwk6p5mIr</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1944407493985099944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
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And finally, Karl turned to the Russia-Ukraine War amid reports that Trump had soured on Russian President Vladimir Putin as it became clear that he was not serious about negotiating peace.
&#8220;At a minimum, Trump has been personally embarrassed, you could argue, by how Putin has strung him along,&#8221; The New Yorker&#8217;s Susan Glasser suggested.
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“At a minimum, Trump has been personally embarrassed, you could argue, by how Putin has strung him along.”
The New Yorker’s Susan Glasser joins <a href="https://twitter.com/jonkarl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JonKarl</a> to discuss Pres. Trump’s “striking shift in tone” about the Russian leader. <a href="https://t.co/S94HKc2RkX">https://t.co/S94HKc2RkX</a> <a href="https://t.co/maDnsVEEoq">pic.twitter.com/maDnsVEEoq</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1944428857798385989?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Meanwhile, Trump ally Senator <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/stay-tuned-lindsey-graham-says-trump-is-about-to-wallop-russia-over-frozen-peace-talks">Lindsey Graham</a> (R-SC) argued on CBS News&#8217; &#8220;Face the Nation&#8221; that Trump was getting ready to move on Russia — and although he would not give away the game, he said, &#8220;I don’t want to get ahead of the president, but stay tuned about seized assets. The Europeans want to limit the interest on the assets to go to Ukraine. Secretary Bessent wants to go further. Stay tuned about a plan to go after the seized assets more aggressively. Stay tuned for a plan where America will begin to sell to our European allies a tremendous amount of weapons that can benefit Ukraine.&#8221;
Back on CNN, anchor Dana Bash brought in Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) to discuss recent immigration raids — where he claimed that he would likely be profiled and targeted in a raid because of the way he looked.
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/SenAlexPadilla?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenAlexPadilla</a> responds to <a href="https://twitter.com/RealTomHoman?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RealTomHoman</a> on ICE detention tactics: “They&#8217;re going based on appearance. His words, not mine… What if I was outside of Home Depot, because I like to do some work around the house not dressed in a suit? Would I be a target of ICE enforcement under… <a href="https://t.co/Ug98q2qjcs">pic.twitter.com/Ug98q2qjcs</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1944392092937060845?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
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NBC News&#8217; &#8220;Meet the Press&#8221; went an entirely different direction, and host Kristen Welker opted to interview Governor — and potential 2028 presidential candidate — Andy Beshear (D-KY).
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Gov. Andy Beshear (D-Ky.) tells Meet the Press he wants to show that America “can actually move not right, or left, but forward as a country,” as he faces speculation about a potential presidential bid in 2028. <a href="https://t.co/HnJsCQj2tT">https://t.co/HnJsCQj2tT</a> <a href="https://t.co/0noebD7bA7">pic.twitter.com/0noebD7bA7</a>
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) <a href="https://twitter.com/MeetThePress/status/1944403982266351825?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Spin Cycle: They’re Throwing Spaghetti At The Wall

Spin Cycle: They're Throwing Spaghetti At The Wall

President Donald Trump scored another victory on Tuesday as Paramount Global, the parent company of CBS News, agreed to a $16 million settlement in a lawsuit Trump had brought accusing the media outlet of election interference.
The lawsuit stemmed from an interview CBS News&#8217;s “60 Minutes” conducted with Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris one month before the 2024 election. CBS News released a promotional clip of the interview showing Harris giving a convoluted answer to a question from host Bill Whitaker, but when the show was aired, a different, more coherent answer was shown.
Whitaker was discussing the United States&#8217; financial support for Israel in its war against genocidal Islamic terrorists in the region. “But it seems that Prime Minister Netanyahu is not listening,” Whitaker suggested.
In the promotional clip, Harris responded with this word salad: “The work that we have done has resulted in a number of movements in that region by Israel that were very much prompted by or a result of many things, including our advocacy for what needs to happen in the region.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Monday, on a 60 Minutes election special, Bill Whitaker asks Vice President Kamala Harris if the U.S. lacks influence over American ally Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. <a href="https://t.co/TG3WOCA23A">https://t.co/TG3WOCA23A</a> <a href="https://t.co/IH6MXMjuCP">pic.twitter.com/IH6MXMjuCP</a>
&mdash; 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) <a href="https://twitter.com/60Minutes/status/1842935494398591073?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2024</a></blockquote>
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However, those words were not included in the television broadcast, the interview when it was posted on YouTube, the interview&#8217;s transcript, or the show&#8217;s “Overtime” segment.
Instead, Whitaker&#8217;s identical statement, “it seems that Prime Minister Netanyahu is not listening,” was followed by Harris saying: “We are not gonna stop pursuing what is necessary for the United States to be clear about where we stand on the need for this war to end.”
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://get.dailywire.com/freedom/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=freedom&amp;utm_content=freedomeditorial&amp;_gl=1*r8odly*_gcl_au*MTQ5MDUzNjQ0NC4xNzQ1ODQ0MzMyLjEwNDAyMzM0NDQuMTc0NzY1MzIxNy4xNzQ3NjUzMjE3*_ga*MTM1OTk4Njg2NS4xNzA2NzE2NTAy*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*czE3NTEyOTIzMDQkbzMyJGcxJHQxNzUxMjkyOTI5JGo1NyRsMCRoMA.." target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/freedom/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=freedom&amp;utm_content=freedomeditorial" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-75638">JULY 4 SALE: Get Six Months Of DW+ Free</a>
“Why did 60 Minutes choose not to air Kamala&#8217;s full word salad, and what else did they choose not to air?” Karoline Leavitt, Trump’s national campaign press secretary, asked at the time. “The American people deserve the full, unedited transcript from Kamala&#8217;s sit-down interview. We call upon 60 Minutes and CBS to release it. What do they, and Kamala, have to hide?”
“I’ve never seen this before, but the producers of 60 Minutes sliced and diced (‘cut and pasted’) Lyin’ Kamala’s answers to questions, which were virtually incoherent, over and over again,” Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/113277179676731743">posted</a> on Truth Social. &#8220;This is a stain on the reputation of 60 Minutes that is not recoverable &#8211; It will always remain with this once storied brand,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I have never heard of such a thing being done in &#8216;News.&#8217; It is the very definition of FAKE NEWS! The public is owed a MAJOR AND IMMEDIATE APOLOGY! This is an open and shut case, and must be investigated, starting today!&#8221;
Former CBS News reporter Catherine Herridge <a href="https://x.com/C__Herridge/status/1844076585567027280">posted</a> on X, “As Trump campaign calls on @60Minutes to release &#8216;full, unedited transcript&#8217; of Kamala Harris interview &#8230; There is precedent. When I interviewed then President Trump in July 2020 @CBSNews we posted the interview transcript.” Herridge noted that the left-wing network did the same thing for its 2019 interview with then-U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr. &#8220;Full transcript = journalistic transparency,&#8221; she <a href="https://x.com/C__Herridge/status/1844203179287904262">added</a>.
Sen. John Thune (R-SD) told The Daily Wire: “If the Harris campaign stands by all of the vice president’s comments, then I’m not sure why they wouldn’t support releasing the full interview. In fact, their refusal to join these calls only raises more questions.”
Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Barrasso (R-WY) also called on “60 Minutes” to release the full interview. “CBS has proven its bias,” Barrasso told The Daily Wire.  &#8220;A news organization should never selectively edit a candidate’s words. The American people deserve full transparency and the full transcript.”
“Trump will receive $16 million upfront,” <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/paramount-global-settles-trumps-lawsuit-against-cbs-news-over-60-minutes-interview">Fox News</a> reported. “This will cover legal fees, costs of the case, and contributions to his future presidential library or charitable causes, to be determined at Trump’s discretion. There is an anticipation that there will be another allocation in the mid-eight figures set aside for advertisements, public service announcements, or other similar transmissions, in support of conservative causes by the network in the future. &#8230; Going forward, the network will promptly release full, unedited transcripts of future presidential candidates’ interviews.”
“With this record settlement, President Donald J. Trump delivers another win for the American people as he, once again, holds the Fake News media accountable for their wrongdoing and deceit,&#8221; a spokesperson for Trump&#8217;s legal team told Fox News. &#8220;CBS and Paramount Global realized the strength of this historic case and had no choice but to settle. President Trump will always ensure that no one gets away with lying to the American People as he continues on his singular mission to Make America Great Again.&#8221;
CBS did not acknowledge any journalistic malpractice. “The settlement will include a release of all claims regarding any CBS reporting through the date of the settlement, including the Texas action and the threatened defamation action,” Paramount stated.

Vice President and assumptive presidential candidate Kamala Harris in North Karolina

Trump Scores $16M Payout From Paramount After Exposing Deceptively Edited Kamala Interview

2024 Election

deceptive editing

Kamala Harris

Lawsuit

word salad

When self-described Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani won the New York City mayoral Democratic primary, critics on both sides of the aisle began to wake up to just how problematic his meteoric rise could be.
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 topic of conversation on many of the Sunday morning political shows — in addition to some conversation about Iran and the ongoing battle surrounding President Donald Trump&#8217;s &#8220;One Big Beautiful Bill&#8221; — revolved around Mamdani, his history and proposed policies, and how mainstream Democrats who wanted to keep their House and Senate seats could go about responding to his win.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), for example, appeared to be uncomfortable when pressed on whether or not he intended to endorse Mamdani in the upcoming general election. It&#8217;s certainly possible that Jeffries hesitated because there may be three Democrats running — current Mayor Eric Adams, who won as a Democrat, has announced an independent bid for reelection; and disgraced former Governor Andrew Cuomo (D-NY), who lost to Mamdani in the primary, left the door wide open for a third party run. It&#8217;s also possible that Jeffries, who represents a district that is 11% Jewish, has concerns about Mamdani&#8217;s support for BDS — &#8220;Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions&#8221; — against Israel or his claim that, as mayor, he would have Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrested if he came to New York City.
On ABC News&#8217; &#8220;This Week,&#8221; host Jonathan Karl asked Jeffries to weigh in on Mamdani.
&#8220;I congratulated him on the campaign that he ran, a campaign that clearly was relentlessly focused on the high cost of living in New York City and the economy. He outworked, he out-communicated, and he out-organized the opposition, and that&#8217;s clearly why he was successful,&#8221; Jeffries said — but added that he didn&#8217;t know the Democratic Socialist well enough to make an endorsement.
&#8220;Well, our districts don&#8217;t overlap. I have never had a substantive conversation with him. And so that&#8217;s the next step in terms of this process to discuss his vision for moving the city forward and addressing the issues that are important to the communities that I represent,&#8221; he said, and called on Mamdani directly to &#8220;clarify&#8221; his position on Israel.
&#8220;Globalizing the Intifada, by way of example, is not an acceptable phrasing,&#8221; Jeffries concluded. &#8220;He&#8217;s going to have to clarify his position on that as he moves forward. With respect to the Jewish communities that I represent, I think our nominee is going to have to convince folks that he is prepared to aggressively address the rise in antisemitism in the city of New York, which has been an unacceptable development.&#8221;
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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries hesitated when pressed by <a href="https://twitter.com/jonkarl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JonKarl</a> about endorsing Democratic New York City mayor contender Zohran Mamdani.
&#8220;I have never had a substantive conversation with him. That’s the next step in terms of this process.” <a href="https://t.co/XdRBpVxN5K">https://t.co/XdRBpVxN5K</a> <a href="https://t.co/hM0H4CywiC">pic.twitter.com/hM0H4CywiC</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1939335443935281620?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-PA) was far more conciliatory toward Mamdani, arguing that Democrats should learn from the way he made his case on economic inequality — primarily by offering his voters things like rent freezes and &#8220;free&#8221; public transportation.
&#8220;If you&#8217;re a candidate who is laser-focused on bringing down costs, you&#8217;re hitting the right notes,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
. <a href="https://twitter.com/RepDeluzio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepDeluzio</a> on lessons Democrats should learn from Mamdani’s stunning win in New York: “If you&#8217;re a candidate who is laser-focused on bringing down costs, you&#8217;re hitting the right notes.”<a href="https://twitter.com/RepRileyMoore?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepRileyMoore</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ashleyrallison?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ashleyrallison</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/Alyssafarah?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Alyssafarah</a> join <a href="https://twitter.com/jaketapper?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jaketapper</a> to discuss. <a href="https://t.co/20C2AJH1Ag">pic.twitter.com/20C2AJH1Ag</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1939329587076378705?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Mamdani himself joined host Kristen Welker on NBC News&#8217; &#8220;Meet the Press,&#8221; where he doubled down on policy proposals that would shift the tax burden to &#8220;whiter&#8221; neighborhoods. When Welker pressed him on that, Mamdani claimed that he was simply &#8220;describing&#8221; the demographics as they were, not suggesting that white people should be taxed more.
&#8220;It&#8217;s not driven by race,&#8221; he claimed. &#8220;I&#8217;m just naming things as they are.&#8221;
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Mamdani is unapologetic about language in his plan that would tax “whiter” neighborhoods at higher rates:
&#8220;It&#8217;s not driven by race….I&#8217;m just naming things as they are.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/Dnrtij9BxH">pic.twitter.com/Dnrtij9BxH</a>
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) <a href="https://twitter.com/WesternLensman/status/1939320642492661924?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Given the fact that his tax plan also calls for higher taxes on top earners, Welker asked Mamdani whether he believed billionaires had a &#8220;right to exist.&#8221; Mamdani, laughing, said that he did not believe billionaires should exist &#8220;because, frankly, it is so much money in a moment of such inequality.&#8221;
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ZOHRAN MAMDANI: “I don&#8217;t think that we should have billionaires.” <a href="https://t.co/optpzkp28w">pic.twitter.com/optpzkp28w</a>
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) <a href="https://twitter.com/Osint613/status/1939351985079394555?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Welker also pressed Mamdani on his apparent stance with regard to Israel, asking several times whether he&#8217;d condemn the phrase &#8220;globalize the intifada,&#8221; which she correctly identified as a call to violence against Jews — and while Mamdani insisted that those were not his chosen words, he did not outright condemn the phrase.
&#8220;Do you condemn that phrase, &#8216;Globalize the Intifada?'&#8221; Welker asked, and asked again a short time later when it was clear he was not answering: &#8220;But do you actually condemn it &#8230; which a lot of people hear as a call to violence against Jews?&#8221;
&#8220;For the people who &#8230; feel really concerned by that phrase, why not just condemn it?&#8221;
Mamdani said a lot of words in his response to Welker&#8217;s query, but none of them were, &#8220;Yes, of course, I condemn it.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/kwelkernbc?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kwelkernbc</a> to Mamdani:
Do you condemn that phrase, Globalize the Intifada?
But do you actually condemn it..which a lot of people hear as a call to violence against Jews?
For the people who .. feel really concerned by that phrase, why not just condemn it?
Mamdani’s reply ⬇️ <a href="https://t.co/eZuhMSEO0c">pic.twitter.com/eZuhMSEO0c</a>
— Jacob N. Kornbluh (@jacobkornbluh) <a href="https://twitter.com/jacobkornbluh/status/1939345375594443025?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
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So what&#8217;s to be done? Democratic strategist James Carville warned that Mamdani&#8217;s primary win signaled trouble for New York City, but still seemed hopeful that the &#8220;Communist lunatic&#8221; — that&#8217;s according to President Trump&#8221; — could still be stopped on his way to Gracie Mansion.
&#8220;There’s a lot of baseball left here. We’ve got a lot of baseball left to play,&#8221; he said.

NYC Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani Campaigns In Harlem

Spin Cycle: How Do You Solve A Problem Like Mamdani?

Iran

Military

New York City

Zohran Mamdani

President Donald Trump went on offense on Saturday when he authorized precision strikes on three nuclear facilities in Iran, sending B-2 bombers to deliver the payload and quickly return to U.S. soil, but now Democrats and legacy media are trying to put him back on his heels and force him to play defense, demanding that he and his surrogates justify the move.
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.
Across the major network shows on Sunday morning, the hosts brought in Trump administration officials to defend the strike on Iran — and Democrats to claim that the Trump administration did not have the authority to take military action against Iran without the express approval of Congress.
On ABC News&#8217; &#8220;This Week,&#8221; the first concern was the potential threat to American civilians following the U.S. military&#8217;s precision strike on the nuclear sites in Iran.
&#8220;One of the most immediate concerns is the threat of cyberattacks by Iran or hackers tied to Iran&#8217;s proxies,&#8221; Chief Justice correspondent Pierre Thomas explained.
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“One of the most immediate concerns is the threat of cyberattacks by Iran or hackers tied to Iran’s proxies.”<a href="https://twitter.com/PierreTABC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PierreTABC</a> analyzes the threat to domestic security after U.S. strike on Iran nuclear sites. <a href="https://t.co/cjymi6c47e">https://t.co/cjymi6c47e</a> <a href="https://t.co/1Y1Q4pdad0">pic.twitter.com/1Y1Q4pdad0</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1936783647878644029?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Host Jonathan Karl then brought in Vice President JD Vance to talk the American people off the ledge after he asked &#8220;the big question&#8221;: &#8220;Is the United States now at war with Iran?&#8221;
Vance made it clear that a broader war with the Islamist nation was neither the intent of the administration&#8217;s action nor the desired result of any retaliatory strike: &#8220;No, we’re not at war with Iran. We’re at war with Iran&#8217;s nuclear program. And I think the president took decisive action to destroy that program last night.&#8221;
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/jonkarl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JonKarl</a>: “The big question, is the United States now at war with Iran?”
Vice Pres. JD Vance: “No, we’re not at war with Iran. We’re at war with Iran&#8217;s nuclear program. And I think the president took decisive action to destroy that program last night.” <a href="https://t.co/522rI06gRm">https://t.co/522rI06gRm</a> <a href="https://t.co/0OWc1eYsJX">pic.twitter.com/0OWc1eYsJX</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1936784966135828610?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Vance did clarify, however, that any retaliatory strikes from Iran that targeted American troops would result in decisive action from the United States: &#8220;If they decide they&#8217;re going to attack our troops, if they decide they&#8217;re going to continue to try to build a nuclear weapon, then we are going to respond to that with overwhelming force.&#8221;
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“If they decide they&#8217;re going to attack our troops, if they decide they&#8217;re going to continue to try to build a nuclear weapon, then we are going to respond to that with overwhelming force,” Vice Pres. JD Vance said after U.S. strikes on Iran nuclear sites. <a href="https://t.co/eyQd9uftab">https://t.co/eyQd9uftab</a> <a href="https://t.co/WJe8ATp08H">pic.twitter.com/WJe8ATp08H</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1936787921706570069?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Karl also brought in Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) to defend the strike — and he warned Iran, &#8220;Our message to the supreme leader is: look at the lessons of history. Do not — do not tempt fate. Do not target Americans. Heed Donald Trump&#8217;s warning.&#8221;
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“Our message to the supreme leader is: look at the lessons of history. Do not — do not tempt fate. Do not target Americans. Heed Donald Trump&#8217;s warning,” Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Tom Cotton told <a href="https://twitter.com/jonkarl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JonKarl</a> after U.S. strikes on nuclear sites. <a href="https://t.co/F7DJPeZFSD">https://t.co/F7DJPeZFSD</a> <a href="https://t.co/jkTlaaIXPb">pic.twitter.com/jkTlaaIXPb</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1936802794364625162?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT) also spoke with Karl, warning, &#8220;The president has taken a massive, massive gamble here.&#8221;
He went on to say that if past was prologue, the likely outcome of provoking Iran would not be optimal. &#8220;If you look at the history of our military involvements in the region, they almost never end with the best-case scenario. In fact, they usually end in something approximating the worst-case scenario.&#8221;
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“If you look at the history of our military involvements in the region, they almost never end with the best-case scenario. In fact, they usually end in something approximating the worst-case scenario,” Democratic Rep. Jim Himes said. <a href="https://t.co/Tu9QJdMF61">https://t.co/Tu9QJdMF61</a> <a href="https://t.co/oO3jZqbpbX">pic.twitter.com/oO3jZqbpbX</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1936813045650481431?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Former Governor Chris Christie (R-NJ), who typically opposes the Trump administration, took the president&#8217;s side and praised him for making the call to strike Iran. &#8220;The president saw an opportunity that he might never have again,&#8221; he explained.
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Former NJ <a href="https://twitter.com/GovChristie?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GovChristie</a> told <a href="https://twitter.com/jonkarl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JonKarl</a> that Pres. Trump “deserves an enormous amount of credit” for making the decision to strike Iranian nuclear sites.
“The president saw an opportunity that he might never have again.” <a href="https://t.co/Tn3pnj8BJg">https://t.co/Tn3pnj8BJg</a> <a href="https://t.co/3IBCNcvTPX">pic.twitter.com/3IBCNcvTPX</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1936817834597699912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On CBS News&#8217; &#8220;Face the Nation,&#8221; Senator and failed vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine disputed Vance&#8217;s assertion that the United States was not &#8220;at war with Iran,&#8221; telling host Margaret Brennan, &#8220;When you&#8217;re bombing another nation, ask them if they think it&#8217;s war. They do. Would we think it was war if Iran bombed a U.S. nuclear facility? Of course we would.&#8221;
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Vice President JD Vance’s argument that the U.S. is &#8220;not at war with Iran&#8221; after carrying out strikes on Iranian nuclear sites is &#8220;BS,&#8221; says Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), telling <a href="https://twitter.com/margbrennan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@margbrennan</a>: &#8220;When you&#8217;re bombing another nation, ask them if they think it&#8217;s war. They do. Would we think… <a href="https://t.co/ubslPxGOec">pic.twitter.com/ubslPxGOec</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1936842402326565329?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio also spoke with Brennan on Sunday and defended the strikes — and confirmed that the Trump administration would prefer to see Iran move forward on a path to peace.
&#8220;We&#8217;ll see what Iran decides to do. I think they should choose the route of peace. What happens next will now depend on what Iran chooses to do next. If they choose the path of diplomacy, we&#8217;re ready. If they choose another route, then there will be consequences for that,&#8221; he explained.
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&#8220;We&#8217;ll see what Iran decides to do. I think they should choose the route of peace,&#8221; Secretary of State Marco Rubio says, when asked about what intelligence the U.S. has on Iran&#8217;s capabilities to retaliate for the U.S. strikes on its nuclear sites.
&#8220;What happens next will now… <a href="https://t.co/gav60W1k2z">pic.twitter.com/gav60W1k2z</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1936824813680460181?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
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And on CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union,&#8221; a panel discussion got heated when former Democratic National Committee (DNC) spokeswoman Xochitl Hinojosa claimed that the Trump administration had not shown any proof that Iran presented a clear and present danger. Republican commentator <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/scott-jennings-torches-ex-dnc-flack-over-iran-strikes-fiery-but-mostly-peaceful-iranian-butchers">Scott Jennings</a> — who was visiting Israel when the missiles began to fly between Israel and Iran — pushed back: &#8220;Fiery but mostly peaceful Iranian butchers?&#8221;
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Are Democrats really going to go with “Fiery but mostly peaceful Iranian butchers?&#8221;
This was a RIGHTEOUS strike and the world is safer thanks to President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a>&#8216;s bold leadership. <a href="https://t.co/wTgBM1i2L9">pic.twitter.com/wTgBM1i2L9</a>
— Scott Jennings (@ScottJenningsKY) <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottJenningsKY/status/1936852984203497975?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;You’re arguing that after 46 years of the Iranian regime killing Americans, threatening Americans, saying over and over and over again, ‘Death to America,’ that maybe they just didn’t mean it?” Jennings replied. “That they’re fiery but mostly peaceful Iranian butchers? I mean, I don’t understand! This is a righteous strike!&#8221;

Spin Cycle: Trump Admin Is On Offense With Iran, On Defense With Media

Tragedy struck Minnesota at the end of last week when a gunman, apparently disguised as a police officer, opened fire on two different state lawmakers and their spouses. Two of the four were killed, and the other two were hospitalized with multiple gunshot wounds.
As the horrific news broke, however, Democrats and media talking heads were quick to point the finger at increasingly &#8220;heated rhetoric&#8221; — almost always using President Donald Trump as the prime example of that — and the availability and accessibility of firearms.
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 CBS News&#8217; &#8220;Face the Nation,&#8221; Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dem-senator-removed-by-security-after-disrupting-noem-presser-in-los-angeles">Alex Padilla</a> (D-CA) — fresh off his dramatic ouster from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem&#8217;s press conference — immediately blamed President Donald Trump for ratcheting up the temperature in political discourse.
Padilla praised the Senate Sergeant at Arms and the Capitol Police for their attention to the increased threats against lawmakers and for how hard they were working to keep everyone safe.
&#8220;I think it&#8217;s more than appropriate to step back and say, why are tensions so high?&#8230; and I can&#8217;t help but point to the beginning of not just the first Trump term, but the beginning of the campaign, the tone with which the president had launched his first campaign for president, served throughout his first term, and continues in this term,&#8221; Padilla said.
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The U.S. Capitol Police and the Senate Sergeant at Arms are &#8220;doing what they need to do to ensure the safety of members of Congress,&#8221; Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) says in the wake of Saturday&#8217;s attack on two Minnesota state lawmakers.
He adds, &#8220;I think it&#8217;s more than appropriate to… <a href="https://t.co/mm9w8RxBa3">pic.twitter.com/mm9w8RxBa3</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1934291837763690511?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Senator Adam Schiff took a similar tone on NBC News&#8217; &#8220;Meet the Press,&#8221; telling anchor Kristen Welker that Trump&#8217;s rhetoric was an &#8220;encouragement&#8221; to use violence. Schiff conceded that there was an increase in violent rhetoric on both sides of the political aisle, but only mentioned Trump by name.
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In an exclusive interview with Meet the Press, Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) says that increasingly violent rhetoric from politicians, including President Trump, are an “encouragement” of political violence after the shooting of two Minnesota lawmakers. <a href="https://t.co/ZmKU2W0k8m">https://t.co/ZmKU2W0k8m</a> <a href="https://t.co/99zh7Oaeoy">pic.twitter.com/99zh7Oaeoy</a>
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) <a href="https://twitter.com/MeetThePress/status/1934253330496176291?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) also called for politicians and pundits alike to tone down the political rhetoric, as she joined CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union&#8221; to discuss the tragic shooting.
&#8220;This has gotten totally out of hand&#8230; We actually put out a joint statement that said we speak with one voice in condemning political violence. I think we need to see more of this across our country. People need to call people out. Some people need to look in the mirror and say, hey, I have got to stop this or stop my colleagues from doing this, because it makes it much worse. We need to bring the tone down, and we also need to stand up when people do bad things,&#8221; she said.
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/SenAmyKlobuchar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenAmyKlobuchar</a> on rising political violence in the US:
“This has gotten totally out of hand&#8230; We actually put out a joint statement that said we speak with one voice in condemning political violence. I think we need to see more of this across our country. People need to call… <a href="https://t.co/KM1pBb6dZx">pic.twitter.com/KM1pBb6dZx</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1934260058273075647?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
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During a panel discussion later on in the broadcast, former Rep. Andy Levin (D-MI) and Democratic strategist Karen Finney attempted to blame the situation on the fact that firearms were easily accessible in the United States.
&#8220;My God, we&#8217;ve got to stop thinking we can solve our problems or we can get attention for ourselves or our point of view or whatever that person thought they were doing with firearms,&#8221; Levin said. &#8220;It&#8217;s an epidemic in this country. We used to worry so much about school shootings, all the time, all the time, now people — the president himself was, you know, the target of two assassination attempts. This is something we&#8217;ve got to take on as a policy matter in this country.&#8221;
&#8220;Look, I&#8217;m a gun guy. I wouldn&#8217;t necessarily place the blame on guns,&#8221; Shermichael Singleton added, saying that he did agree that too many people believed violence was the best way to get a point across. Singleton noted that far too many people were &#8220;unstable&#8221; and apparently unwilling to engage in debate or simply vote out the people with whom they disagreed.
Levin pushed back then, claiming that mental health in the United States was not dramatically worse than in other nations, once again arguing that access to firearms was the problem. &#8220;We have a problem of firearms being accessible – sub-machine guns, all kinds of guns, and it&#8217;s — we&#8217;re not going to solve the problem until we step up to the plate and take on this epidemic —&#8221;
Singleton interrupted, saying, &#8220;By the way, you can&#8217;t buy a sub-machine gun anymore, Congressman, that was outlawed decades ago.&#8221;
&#8220;In the 30s,&#8221; another person on the panel chimed in from off camera.
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TODD: “We have a ‘No Kings Day’ every year. It’s July the 4th. We celebrate our independence from the king of Great Britain.&#8221;
LEVIN: “Well, you know what? In America, you can come out on any dang day of the year and express your opinion. And that&#8217;s the most American thing of… <a href="https://t.co/Dmofsa5RU1">pic.twitter.com/Dmofsa5RU1</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1934258508330856497?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Rep. Adam Schiff

Spin Cycle: Tragedy Strikes In Minnesota, Dems Blame … Trump And The Guns

Democrats and media were quick to point the finger at increasingly "heated rhetoric" —

Guns

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