Get access to Brad Slager's "Riffed From the Headlines," a daily VIP feature where he looks to bring accountability to the mainstream media. Use promo code MAGA24 to get 60% off your VIP membership.
Presentation Paradox – POLITICO
With the news that Joe Biden is stepping down from the election, it is understandable that there would be reactions from the Republican side, and Politico’s Irie Sentner seems off-balance at this reality. Covering that those on the GOP side would dare comment on the announcement that Kamala Harris is the likely replacement, Sentner attempts to paint Republicans as cooking up a controversy – despite it being rooted in news reports:
Some Republicans have a new talking point to discredit Vice President Kamala Harris and other top Democrats. They're claiming President Joe Biden's allies knew about his apparent decline — and tried to cover it up.
This “new” talking point is based on a few things, the first being common sense. That Sentner could even say that there is an “apparent” decline with Biden is asinine, given that is the very reason he has been forced off the ticket. The other component making this approach ridiculous is that the press – attempting to excuse their complicity – have been saying they were deceived by the White House about Biden’s condition.
So, if we are to blame the White House, then Kamala – as a White House figure – is implicated. There's no other way to approach this reality.
Some Republicans are claiming Harris tried to cover up Biden's apparent decline https://t.co/uSJXDLVPQ4
— POLITICO (@politico) July 22, 2024
Low-Octane Gaslighting – CBS NEWS
If, as a correspondent, his condition surprises you, then you need a reassignment.
As CBS News was covering the announcement of Biden removing himself from the election, the coverage was switched to correspondent Nancy Cordes, who showed herself to be among those desperate to clear herself of accountability for not reporting on Biden’s condition. Cordes tries to claim reporters only learned of Biden’s diminished state over the past couple of months. This is so laughably inept of an excuse that she needs reassignment because if she could not glean his condition, most anything else would escape her notice.
CBS WH correspondent Nancy Cordes insists we've only seen Biden "slow down a step" physically and mentally "in perhaps the last two months" when it was he *started* showing "difficulty...remembering names, remembering facts" pic.twitter.com/uYcMCBbh2w
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) July 22, 2024
Gilded Reframe – WASHINGTON POST
Philip Bump believes he has the GOP nailed on having to interact with “serious” journalism. Commenting on the Republican convention, Bump noted the contentious interactions that took place with the press on site. He points to the interview we noted between Donald Trump Jr. and MSNBC’s Jacob Soboroff regarding divisiveness and then the immigration policy from Donald Trump's first administration:
We see how Trump loyalists view the media: Their job is to promote Donald Trump, the way that right-wing outlets and cable news channels do. The reason many Americans view Trump negatively, in their estimation, is solely that reporters present non-positive information about Trump.
This is Bump doing his non-positive work. He purposefully omitted the portion of the interview with Don Jr. where he pointed out – accurately – that the caging of immigrants was a practice begun in the Obama administration, and Soboroff tried denying what is correct. Bump avoided this exchange because it conflicted with his contention the press is unassailable and the GOP always delivers mistruths.
The RNC is a rare occasion when Republicans have to interact with non-obsequious press. Some of them could clearly use more practice. https://t.co/ckq02jMvUI
— Philip Bump (@pbump) July 17, 2024
Body Checking the Fact-Checkers – CNN
Bringing cold facts to dismantle a fact-checker.
During the convention, Daniel Dale of CNN was fact-checking speeches and one of those from Rep. Mike Waltz, regarding his statements about the military. Waltz commented about delays involved with the implementation of electric tanks on the battlefield, and Dale saw fit to “correct” Waltz on specifics he was not fully appraised about, describing what Waltz said as “pure fiction.” Waltz later went on the air with CNN’s Boris Sanchez and brought the facts.
The Florida representative detailed what Dale had been incorrect about and criticized him for misleading listeners, instructing him to first contact congressional members or military experts before delivering inaccuracies. Sanchez attempted to protect his cohort, saying that fact-checks are performed through a process, but Waltz was having none of it:
Literally minutes after my speech he’s telling the world I’m misleading – there’s no way he could review the Army’s budget, the research and development, the testimony I personally received under oath – Or, how about just Google it.
CNN “fact checker” @ddale8 should actually CHECK HIS FACTs before going on live national television after my RNC speech and questioning my credibility about Biden‘s electric tanks! pic.twitter.com/mPx9Sm4RiZ
— Rep. Mike Waltz (@michaelgwaltz) July 19, 2024
Stealth Story Evolution – WASHINGTON POST
The Washington Post delivered the latest anti-Israel evidence in coverage of the Israel-Hamas War. When parents of a hostage recently spoke, WaPo’s Joanna Slater condemned the family for not being more critical of Israel for the ferocity of its response to the Hamas attacks.
When faced with a deluge of outrage for this, the paper took down the Xitter post on the article, but this disgraceful content remained in the piece itself.
Congratulations to @jslaternyc and the @washingtonpost for what just might be the most disgusting thing it ever published pic.twitter.com/u2Ur5mITJd
— Eitan Fischberger (@EFischberger) July 19, 2024
Wapo deleted the post but the article still has it pic.twitter.com/ZK3nCMN0rr
— Eitan Fischberger (@EFischberger) July 19, 2024
