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MS NOW Ad Claims They ‘Deliver Journalism’ That ‘Strengthens Our Democracy’

MS NOW Ad Claims They ‘Deliver Journalism’ That ‘Strengthens Our Democracy’ On Monday, MS NOW celebrated their 30th anniversary with a new ad that played at the end of Morning Joe. The 15-second advertisement celebrated the network’s so-called “journalism” that supposedly “strengthens our democracy.” Notably, amid changes to the network programming, the promotion heavily featured the nighttime duo of Lawrence O’Donnell and Rachel Maddow, two hosts who have showcased some unhinged moments in the age of Trump and whose programming was anything but impartial. Broken up with short soundbites from O’Donnell and Maddow, the advertisement’s narrator read: Celebrating 30 years Delivering journalism that informs, empowers, and strengthens our democracy. MS NOW has a new ad celebrating its 30th anniversary: “Celebrating 30 years ... Delivering journalism that informs, empowers, and strengthens our democracy. pic.twitter.com/V3m8ptDFor — Nick (@nspin310) July 13, 2026 The 30th anniversary also came after their high-profile divorce from NBC and rebranding to MS NOW under new Versant management. But, without its old name of MSNBC, the cable channel still had not proven itself a top source of journalism that “strengthens our democracy” more than it was a place to hype many of the top liberal fears. Some of the hard-hitting journalism MS NOW would celebrate during this anniversary might come from The Last Word host Lawrence O’Donnell, who earlier this year said that the U.S. military under Trump was like Hitler’s army in World War II. O’Donnell also had an obsession with Barron Trump at the start of the Iran War, as he implored Barron to enlist in the military or to traverse the Strait of Hormuz. More recently, O’Donnell said on air that he wanted a guest to “get personal” about Trump. The other main featured soundbite came from Maddow, who now only hosts a show on Monday nights, but still has enough time for “journalism” to constantly attack Trump and implore her viewers to attend protests, as she did just last month as she compared anti-Trump protestors to D-Day troops. Maddow has also feared, along with O’Donnell and many other MS NOW programs, a newfound, dubious stolen midterm election conspiracy. In the middle of June, during a Maddow-O’Donnell show handoff, the pair fearmongered “about Vance using ICE to rig the elections.” Other MS NOW hosts featured with brief images in the anniversary commercial have also not showcased the journalism they claimed to harbor. This was especially true with the featured hosts of Morning Joe, who spent last week with multiple defenses of Graham Platner, as Mika Brzezinski seemed unimpressed with a Politico report on rape allegations against Platner. If the network were dominated by the likes of partisans like O’Donnell, Maddow, and the Morning Joe crew as the ad suggested, their “journalism” might not strengthen democracy amid their partisan fearmongering. And that was just for the last year, not the 29 years of MSNBC prior. Nicholas Spinnato Mon, 07/13/2026 - 19:24 Marketing Timing Regular Search Engine Title MS NOW Ad Claims They ‘Deliver Journalism’ That ‘Strengthens Our Democracy’ CNS Commentary Off

3 hours ago

Maine Dems to Hold Convention 2 Days Before Deadline to Replace Platner

Maine Dems to Hold Convention 2 Days Before Deadline to Replace Platner With two days to go before the deadline to replace Graham Platner, Maine Democrats will meet to try to select another Senate candidate to fill in on the ballot for Platner, who withdrew from the race Friday amid a growing number of scandals. The Maine Democratic Party (MDP) has until July 27 to file paperwork replacing Platner on the ballot. The nominating convention to pick Platner’s replacement will be held on July 25 at the Bangor Cross Insurance Center, the MDP announced on Saturday. There, 601 delegates will vote to select the party’s new nominee. “Candidates will go through rounds of voting until one reaches a majority. The five candidates receiving the most votes in the first round will advance to the second round, and so on, until one candidate is chosen,” NBC affiliate 10 Boston reports. But first, each of Maine’s 16 counties will hold its own nominating meeting, on either July 18 or 19, to vote to select the county’s delegates to attend the July 27 convention. The date, time and location of those meetings, which can be virtual, must be announced by July 15 – which also serves as the deadline for registering to run for a delegate position. In a social media video post announcing the process, Maine Democratic Party Chair Charlie Dingman framed the battle for the Senate seat as an effort to combat “the tide of a billionaire-driven, corrupt and cruel national government.” Parroting a party talking point, Dingman twice called the bid to regain control of the Senate a fight against an “existential” danger. After declaring his party’s support for abortion, Dingman claimed that Democrats are engaged in in an “existential struggle for democracy, economic justice and a secure future.” He then evoked the specter of climate change by calling for a “strong and visionary response to the existential threat to our natural environment.” Update on the Maine Senate Nomination Process from MDP Chair Charlie Dingman! Stay in the loop on everything here: https://t.co/jrcTg6UVqK pic.twitter.com/TDLNuTgacX — Maine Democrats (@MaineDems) July 12, 2026 Craig Bannister Mon, 07/13/2026 - 17:19 Marketing Timing Breaking Search Engine Title Maine Democrats Set Convention to Replace Graham Platner on Senate Ballot CNS Commentary Off

5 hours ago

The View's Sunny Hostin: Lindsey Graham 'Betrayed His Country for Power'

The View's Sunny Hostin: Lindsey Graham 'Betrayed His Country for Power' Hysterical Sunny Hostin couldn’t bottle her crazy even for one day after Republican Senator Lindsey Graham (SC) passed away after succumbing to a sudden illness. After reading a screed from a rabid Graham hater, Hostin agreed that Graham had “betrayed his country for power and his decency for attention.” Luckily, other members of the cast were able to temper their rabid animus for Graham and even shared fond memories. Hostin opened her nasty comments by suggesting Graham had died isolated from his friends after he chose to throw his lot in with President Trump. She even cited former The View cast member Meghan McCain: I didn't know him well. He had been on this show several times. I remember speaking to Meghan McCain about him quite a bit, because she was very close to him and was very disappointed in the change she saw after John McCain died. But I think that he was certainly this political chameleon. And his legacy is complicated and people are speaking out about the very hypocrisy that you saw when he was John McCain's friend and when he became friends with Donald Trump. Of course, Hostin mischaracterized Meghan McCain’s feelings about Graham. In a Washington Post column in which McCain reflected on her longtime friendship with Graham, she wrote: The news of his death was shocking and deeply saddening for me and my family. Like many relationships in life, mine with Lindsey was complex in later years. I choose to remember the endless laughter and joy he brought to my family. These memories are some of the most precious of my life. I hope that he is at peace and I hope he is in heaven, drinking a White Russian and fishing with my dad and Joe [Lieberman]. Of course, Sunny Hostin has to be nasty and attack a dead man and claims he betrayed his country for power. She does it by hiding behind the comments of Steve Schmidt, a sad and mentally broken man: Steve Schmidt, who's a political strategist and worked on the John McCain pic.twitter.com/2zwQS4axIQ — Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) July 13, 2026 Hostin continued to rail against Graham by citing the unhinged comments of former-Republican strategist Steve Schmidt and saying she agreed with his assessment that Graham was a traitor to the country he served: Steve Schmidt, who's a political strategist and worked on the John McCain campaign in 2008, wrote just today: 'Lindsey knew better.' And he said, 'he was a lonely and unprincipled man who betrayed his country for power and his decency for attention.' That is someone that knew him. He also called him. 'a pilot fish, a smaller fish that hovers about a larger predator, like a shark, living off of its deleterious and that's Lindsey.' () When you're talking about a complicated legacy and someone who may have betrayed his country for power. That seems to be, in my view, what his legacy became. Before Hostin smeared a dead man, former Republican strategist Ana Navarro spoke out against people like her: First thing I want to say is, I saw a lot of posts online this week kind of celebrating his death and rejoicing. And listen, I know that Trump does that, he did it with Bob Mueller, he did it with John McCain () But it's inhumane and it's really lacking empathy. () The fact that Donald Trump is indecent doesn't mean the rest of us have to do it.” “And so I think that for the benefit, for humanity, for having, you know, a normal decency towards the family of the dead, that just has to stop,” she said. Ana Navarro scolds those who are celebrating the death of Senator Lindsey Graham: ANA NAVARRO: First thing I want to say is, I saw a lot of posts online this week kind of celebrating his death and rejoicing. And listen, I know that Trump does that, he did it with Bob Mueller, he pic.twitter.com/vXMwuztlIH — Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) July 13, 2026 Navarro repeatedly mentioned how “freaking funny” Graham was and how he “was a good time” to be around. She recalled repeatedly telling him he was the most fun sober person she knew: NAVARRO: Like, when I first met Lindsey, he didn't drink at all. He would like take sips of Baileys. Then he started drinking Riesling. But he was - FARAH GRIFFIN: Those are such random drink choices. HAINES: You always come in through the sweat drinks. NAVARRO: I would say to him all the time, you are the most fun person I know sober than anybody I know drunk. Because he just -- he was hilarious. Ana Navarro recalls telling Graham that he was the most fun sober person she knew: NAVARRO: Lindsey was a good time. Like, when I first met Lindsey, he didn't drink at all. He would like take sips of Baileys. Then he started drinking Riesling. But he was - ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN: pic.twitter.com/20ZgYe89ig — Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) July 13, 2026 Co-host Sara Haines, often a foil to Hostin, acted so again. Immediately following Hostin’s comments, Haines proclaimed: “So I'm going to echo Ana's sentiments that today the people that have passed aren't going to read the comments or hear it and the families that survive them and the friends and the people that worked for them remain here to hear what we say. So, I'm more of the thought that he is no longer at play.” She was also disturbed by the dehumanizing rhetoric she was seeing online. “I did not know him at all. I didn't know really much about him. But it did disturb me that people were online saying things like, don't humanize him,” she recounted. “You don't have to humanize a human. He was a human.” Sara Haines responds to Hostin's nastiness and calls out those who say Graham should be treated like a human being: So I'm going to echo Ana's sentiments that today the people that have passed aren't going to read the comments or hear it and the families that survive them and pic.twitter.com/GkLcBwQZD2 — Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) July 13, 2026 Of course, they couldn’t end the segment on a positive note. Instead, Goldberg needed to invoke God and suggested Graham may face some form of divine retribution for his politics and allowing Project 2025: He was a complicated cat. And there's no getting around that. And some things, you know, I wish he really had paid more attention. Like, I love that he was all about the Ukraine -- but I wish he had stopped this one [President Trump] from trying to put together Project 2025. () And so, we make good choices, we make weird choices, and they're not all the choices people want us to make the way they want us to make 'em. And he lived with himself. And him and God will figure out whatever went on, okay? Whoopi Goldberg says Lindsey Graham will have to answer to God for his politics and Project 2025. pic.twitter.com/zxRgdsy7vl — Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) July 13, 2026 Goldberg and Hostin should be more concerned with what they’ll have to answer for when they make it to the other side. The transcript is below. Click expand to read: ABC’s The View July 13, 2026 11:03:03 a.m. Eastern () ANA NAVARRO: Well, I knew him very well. He was a friend of mine for many years. Frankly, through John McCain, who was his best friend and his mentor for many years. First thing I want to say is, I saw a lot of posts online this week kind of celebrating his death and rejoicing. And listen, I know that Trump does that, he did it with Bob Mueller, he did it with John McCain -- SARA HAINES: He did it with Rob Reiner. NAVARRO: He did it with Rob Reiner. But it's inhumane and it's really lacking empathy. And the dead person is dead and can't hear you and can't read your posts, but his family, his sister who he adopted when he was 13 because both of their parents died is alive and is hearing it. And so I think that for the benefit, for humanity, for having, you know, a normal decency towards the family of the dead, that just has to stop. The fact that Donald Trump is indecent doesn't mean the rest of us have to do it. But as to Lindsey. Look, for me, there was a Lindsey before Trump and a Lindsey after Trump. There were two completely different Lindseys. This brought out all sorts of feelings in me because, honestly, I feel like I had buried Lindsey when John McCain died, because he became a completely different person. And I get it. I get that it people are brokenhearted. I'm brokenhearted. I get it that people are disappointed in him. I'm disappointed in him. I think Lindsey - For Lindsey, the Senate, his position was his life. He really felt that making a difference was everything for him, and he was going to do anything that it took for him to continue getting elected and having influence. And that took sucking up to Trump. And it meant that he did keep getting re-elected and he did have influence on issues that he cared enormously about, like foreign policy. He was a staunch, unwavering supporter of Ukraine, of Israel, on freedom in the western hemisphere, in places like Cuba, like Venezuela, like Nicaragua. He was also so freaking funny! He was - I know it's a low bar, but he is the funniest politician I have ever, ever met. He was a son of the south, proud of being that, proud of his service in the military. I think his legacy is complicated. I think Lindsey was marked by having lost both of his parents very early in his life. He then adopted his sister, who was 13, so that she could get his military benefits. And, I think that's why he needed this kind of like big brother, mentor, kind of like father figure. McCain at first and then Trump. () 11:07:18 a.m. Eastern SUNNY HOSTIN: I didn't know him well. He had been on this show several times. I remember speaking to Meghan McCain about him quite a bit, because she was very close to him and was very disappointed in the change she saw after John McCain died. But I think that he was certainly this political chameleon. And his legacy is complicated and people are speaking out about the very hypocrisy that you saw when he was John McCain's friend and when he became friends with Donald Trump. Steve Schmidt, who's a political strategist and worked on the John McCain campaign in 2008, wrote just today: 'Lindsey knew better.' And he said, 'he was a lonely and unprincipled man who betrayed his country for power and his decency for attention.' That is someone that knew him. He also called him. 'a pilot fish, a smaller fish that hovers about a larger predator, like a shark, living off of its deleterious and that's Lindsey.' And so - And if you look at Lindsey's own words, in 2015, he calls Trump a ‘race-baiting xenophobic religious bigot.’ In 2016, he said, ‘if we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed and we will deserve it.’ But then, January 6th, 2026, he calls him, ‘the greatest president of all time.’ And May 27, 2026, he says, ‘they should change the Nobel Prize to the Trump Prize.’ And then on June 9, 2026, he says, ‘Mr. President, you're not far behind God.’ NAVARRO: He'll have to explain it to God now. HOSTIN: [Laughter] Yeah. When you're talking about a complicated legacy and someone who may have betrayed his country for power. That seems to be, in my view, what his legacy became. HAINES: So I'm going to echo Ana's sentiments that today the people that have passed aren't going to read the comments or hear it and the families that survive them and the friends and the people that worked for them remain here to hear what we say. So, I'm more of the thought that he is no longer at play. I did not know him at all. I didn't know really much about him. But it did disturb me that people were online saying things like, don't humanize him. You don't have to humanize a human. He was a human. So there were people that loved him, there were people that cared for him. And whether I disagreed with him completely or not, he's gone. And so, my heart goes out to the people around him that are suffering. Some people posted some really cool posts, things I didn't know. Cory Booker posted about how he was his 'most unexpected friend' in Congress and they had worked on a bill together. And I think that’s the way -- ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN: The First Step Act. HAINES: Yeah. The First Step Act. I think that's how you honor someone. They're gone, they're no longer here. And they were saying, 'I just wanted to share this story.' I think that's the way a lot of people seek closure on the loss of someone. This was a colleague to many. And so, my heart goes to the family, the people that are going to have to suffer now. And so, I’ll just - NAVARRO: I think he had a lot of bipartisan friendships. HAINES: Yes. NAVARRO: Because number one, he was an effective senator. He knew how to deal in the Senate. Also, Lindsey was a good time. Like, when I first met Lindsey, he didn't drink at all. He would like take sips of Baileys. Then he started drinking Riesling. But he was - FARAH GRIFFIN: Those are such random drink choices. HAINES: You always come in through the sweat drinks. NAVARRO: I would say to him all the time, you are the most fun person I know sober than anybody I know drunk. Because he just -- he was hilarious. () 11:12:48 a.m. Eastern WHOOPI GOLDBERG: Well, you know, look, all of these that I think so have been said are true. He was a complicated cat. And there's no getting around that. And some things, you know, I wish he really had paid more attention. Like, I love that he was all about the Ukraine -- but I wish he had stopped this one [President Trump] from trying to put together Project 2025. I wish -- you know what I mean? So, you can have -- none of us is perfect. None of us. And so we make good choices, we make weird choices, and they're not all the choices people want us to make the way they want us to make 'em. And he lived with himself. And him and God will figure out whatever went on, okay? But at this point in time, he's gone. God rest your soul. God rest your soul. I don't wish any bad on anybody. Even the ones you know I really should. But I don't. And we'll be right back. Nicholas Fondacaro Mon, 07/13/2026 - 16:47 Marketing Timing Regular Search Engine Title Sunny Hostin Criticizes Lindsey Graham on The View After His Death CNS Commentary Off

5 hours ago

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'Young Washington' Outperforms as Liberal Critics Seethe with Anti-Patriotic Rage

'Young Washington' Outperforms as Liberal Critics Seethe with Anti-Patriotic Rage Hollywood and the MSM assume Americans share their narrow liberal worldview, then act stunned when conservatives like Trump win elections. The box office tells the same story. Critics boost woke flops like Supergirl and sneer at hits like Young Washington, while audiences show up for the latter and the former loses billions. Produced by Angel Studios, Young Washington focuses on the early life of America's first president: Liberal critics are in full anti-patriotism meltdown over the movie, but it keeps doing what the founding father did best- persevering against its foes. In The Wrap, William Bibbiani sneered that the film is jingoistic and downplays Washington's slaves: George Washington is motivated, we learn, by the inequities of his birth. It’s a cruel injustice that he isn’t allowed to go to school or join the British military, just because he wasn’t born with privilege. So he fights to right these wrongs, which would be inspiring were it not for the fact that, by the film’s own admission, he owns ten slaves. And it sure is telling that not only are Washington’s slaves never depicted on-screen, but when they are briefly acknowledged in dialogue — once — they’re described as recipients of his family’s charity. Washington inherited slaves as a teenager in a world where slavery had existed for millennia across Africa, the Ottomans, and the Americas. But he changed. He restricted the slave trade and freed his slaves in his will, more than most contemporaries did. The Wrap also raged over a scene depicting a Native leader calling Washington mystically protected after he miraculously survives battle: And when George Washington is told, point blank, that the Indigenous Peoples of America think he was chosen by the gods to be their land’s savior, you’ll be forgiven for yelling curse words at the screen, or even for throwing up. (Well, I’ll forgive you. The ushers at your local theater may feel differently.) As for Native Americans, conquest, migration, and divide-and-conquer shaped history long before Europeans arrived, and tribes warred among themselves, too. Variety was another vocal critic, portraying the film as grade-school great-man propaganda: “Young Washington” is like one of those great-man biographies you read in grade school. Released by Angel Studios for the Fourth of July, the movie is intended as a bit of likably square, neo-traditional, right-wing-adjacent counterprogramming. But say this much for it: In its life-of-an-American-plaster-saint way, Jon Erwin’s coming-of-age military adventure film doesn’t make being George Washington look easier than it was “Young Washington” is just competent enough to create that crisp tug of schoolkid patriotism the books we read as children provided. Nothing wrong with that, as long as you’re not an adult confusing feel-good heroism with the lessons of history. Nothing wrong with that as long as you’re not an adult who wants to erase the good in America’s history just because flaws existed. The left’s fixation on past mistakes is just an attempt to delegitimize our republic. Who’s a threat to democracy again? The Chicago Tribune dismissed Young Washington as faith-based fluff: “Young Washington” is produced and distributed by Angel Studios, the faith-based movie studio that churns out films based on true stories that either feature freak accidents, strange illnesses, or more recently, unique stories from the past in which faith in God is a factor. Apparently, our nation’s founding also falls under this umbrella Wait “Apparently” God was a factor in our nation’s founding? Have modern history books been tampered with to the degree that even this basic, indisputable fact is no longer recognized? The review went on to demand more “nuanced” stories for middle schoolers (code for tearing down the Founders) and labeled the film “propaganda”: Audiences, including the middle school social studies students, deserve better and more nuanced stories about this country and the values it was built upon But what else can you expect from “Young Washington”? It’s propaganda in the form of a history lesson in the shape of a summer blockbuster. If only it were even slightly entertaining — maybe they’ll tackle that in the inevitable sequel. The values it was built on? You mean Christian values? Yes, students should definitely be taught more about that. The Chicago Tribune shockingly awarded Young Washington only 1.5 out of 4 stars. Yet audiences strongly disagree, as proven with a tremendous 92 viewer score on Rotten Tomatoes, an impressive A from CinemaScore, excellent reviews on IMDb, and 33 million in box-office revenues in its first ten days Even younger generations are enjoying it as these students demonstrated with chants of “Washington” after viewing it: Students ERUPT into chants of Washington! after watching Young Washington at Mount Vernon. pic.twitter.com/xD1SlP10Qv — Ocean Rasso (@OceanRasso) July 12, 2026 Actor Chris Pratt raved with enthusiastic praise, as well: Celebrate America’s 250th birthday at the box office!!! There’s a lot of great choices this weekend. But considering it’s July 4 weekend I humbly suggest “Young, Washington.” I was actually blown away. The movie is incredible. Like Braveheart for Americans. Jon Erwin crushed it. pic.twitter.com/dl1a3Uy39o — Chris Pratt (@prattprattpratt) July 3, 2026 Critics may wish we’d all feel shame for our country, but Americans are clearly showing their patriotism and love of the grit, bravery, liberty and self-rule that created this great nation. Young Washington is a rousing summer flick reminding us why America remains history's greatest experiment. Dawn Slusher Mon, 07/13/2026 - 15:15 Marketing Timing Regular Search Engine Title 'Young Washington' Outperforms, Liberal Critics Seethe with Anti-Patriotic Rage CNS Commentary Off

7 hours ago

POLL RESULTS: Worst Media Quote of the Week Winner!

POLL RESULTS: Worst Media Quote of the Week Winner! Filling in for Geoffrey Dickens this week, I’m here to reveal the winner of the Worst Media Quote of the Week. As a refresher, this interactive series is where you – our loyal NewsBusters readers and MRC supporters – have a say as to which elite liberal journalist or deranged celebrity had the hottest take – otherwise known as the worst media quote of the week. Thank you to all who voted last week via NewsBusters and the MRC’s various social media sites (Facebook, Instagram, X, and Truth Social). Without any further ado, the results have been tabulated and the winner for the Worst Media Quote of Week is Sunny Hostin! ABC’s The View co-host won in an absolute landslide with 90 percent of the vote! Hostin won with a whopper from July 6 about feeling “unsafe” anytime she “walk[s] into a community” and “see[s] American flags all over” because she equates “an American flag with white supremacy.” Behind Hostin, ABC’s George Stephanopoulos and NBC’s Chuck Todd were both tied at five percent. In Stephanopoulos’s case, he declared on July 5 America’s constitutional system is “under stress” because of Trump while Todd screeched he “feel[s] betrayed” by Trump’s supposed cheapening of the country. Check out the following clip (via the MRC Video team) to see the nominees in action: Watch the Worst Quotes here from George Stephanopoulos, @chucktodd and Sunny Hostin Video by @Schineman pic.twitter.com/lS5ahbFfXa — Media Research Center (@theMRC) July 9, 2026 WINNER (95 percent of the vote) Sunny Hostin: I Feel Unsafe Whenever I See American Flags All Over a Community “I said this on this show many, many years ago. Because this is my tenth year on the show and I said there are times; when I walk into a community, and I see American flags all over the community, and I suddenly feel unsafe, because there’s a section of this country that has co-opted the American flag and they equate being an American or an American flag with white supremacy.”— Co-host Sunny Hostin on ABC’s The View, July 6. TIED-SECOND PLACE (5 percent of the vote) George Stephanopoulos: Constitutional System “Under Stress,” From Trump “The Declaration of Independence, signed 250 years ago this week, broke America free of rule by a British monarch. The Constitution that followed was designed to ensure that our country would not be governed by a monarch. The President would be constrained by the courts, in Congress, ethical norms, and elections every four years. 250 years later, that system is under stress, tested by a President determined to wield power and buck norms in a way his predecessors did not.”— Moderator George Stephanopoulos opening ABC’s This Week, July 5. TIED-SECOND PLACE (5 percent of the vote) Chuck Todd: “I Feel Betrayed” by Trump’s Cheapening of America “For some people, the central text in their lives is religious, and I respect that. For me, the Constitution has always carried that kind of weight. So that’s why I’m so angry and feel betrayed. I do. I feel betrayed as an American by him [Donald Trump] on this. The Constitution is not perfect, but it gives us a way to keep going. It gives us structure for disagreement. It gives us a method for repair. It gives us the possibility of becoming better without pretending we were always good. Maybe it makes some of the same promises that some religious texts do for people. And this is why I’m so pissed off. Not because I love the country less, but because I love the idea of America enough to resent seeing it cheapened by this man. America deserved better at 250.” — Former NBC’s Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd on The ChuckToddCast, July 4. Curtis Houck Mon, 07/13/2026 - 14:54 Marketing Timing Regular Search Engine Title Sunny Hostin Wins Worst Media Quote of the Week for American Flag Comment CNS Commentary Off

7 hours ago

MS NOW's Stengel: Trump's Retaliation For Iran Assassination Attempt Would Be 'Genocide'

MS NOW's Stengel: Trump's Retaliation For Iran Assassination Attempt Would Be 'Genocide' Tensions with Iran remain high, but on Saturday's edition of MS NOW’s The Weekend, former Time editor turned Obama State Department official turned MS NOW analyst [the revolving door whirrs!] Richard Stengel found the real villain: President Trump’s blunt deterrent threat. Stengel denounced Trump’s warning that the U.S. would respond forcefully if Iran succeeded in assassinating him. According to the New York Post, Trump said he has left standing instructions to “just literally bomb them at levels that they’ve never seen before.” He reiterated the point on Truth Social, declaring “1,000 missiles are locked and loaded” should Iran act on its threats against the sitting president. Stengel’s verdict? That amounts to “threatening genocide.” He called the language “incredibly vulgar and undiplomatic,” adding that it was “more than unseemly” for an American president to issue such a threat “in case he’s assassinated.” You know what else is vulgar, undiplomatic and maybe just a tad unseemly, Richard? Assassinating the sitting President of the United States. Stengel did slip in a concession: “The Iranians aren’t good guys, and are long-time leaders of global terrorism. The fanatics in Tehran aren't good guys? Bold diplomatic démarche there, Richard! Under Obama and Stengel, the bad guys in Iran were treated like good guys. We don't recall Stengel — or his former bosses — ever branding as “genocide” the civilian-targeted bombings ordered by Democratic presidents Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman. The firebombing of Dresden and the atomic strikes on Hiroshima and Nagasaki killed an estimated quarter-million civilians. Yet Trump’s warning of devastating retaliation against a terror-sponsoring regime killing the sitting U.S. president somehow crosses a bright line for Stengel. MS NOW's Stengel: Trump's Retaliation For Iran Assassination Attempt Would Be 'Genocide' pic.twitter.com/HYifX5eBKR — Mark Finkelstein (@markfinkelstein) July 11, 2026 What would Stengel consider an appropriate American response if Iran actually managed to assassinate the President of the United States? Recalling our negotiators—strongly worded letter to follow? For Stengel and his MS NOW colleagues, tough deterrence is apparently more frightening than the very real Iranian threats that prompted it. President Trump, true to form, is making clear that America will not absorb the killing of its Commander-in-Chief with polite restraint—seemliness be damned! Mark Finkelstein Mon, 07/13/2026 - 14:00 Marketing Timing Timely Search Engine Title MS NOW's Stengel: Trump's Retaliation For Iran Assassination Would Be 'Genocide' CNS Commentary Off

8 hours ago

Sen. Lindsey Graham’s Death Cheered Online by Hypocritical Liberals

Sen. Lindsey Graham’s Death Cheered Online by Hypocritical Liberals High-profile liberals publicly cheered Republican Senator Lindsey Graham’s (R-SC) death over the weekend – and, their callousness and hypocrisy were quickly exposed and condemned by online posts. “Good riddance,” executive producer and host of The Young Turks Ana Kasparian, wrote in a social media post Sunday after it was reported that Sen. Graham died suddenly on Saturday evening. But, as a post by Libs of TikTok responding to Kasparian reveals, she once declared that it is never acceptable to gloat over a person’s death – and that only a “monster” would do so: “What kind of monster thinks gloating about dead people is ever okay? I guess apologists for ethnic cleansing.” Kasparian later responded by doubling down on – and escalating – her joy over Sen. Graham’s death: “Are you offended? “Let me clarify: I’m elated he’s dead. Overjoyed. “Just like he was elated at seeing countless dead children throughout Middle East.” There is no evidence to support the claim that Sen. Graham was ever pleased, much less “elated,” to see children die in the Middle East, the X.com platform states when questioned about Kasparian’s post. On Sunday, progressive social media influencer Brian Krassenstein also appeared to take pleasure in Graham’s death in a post to his million followers on X.com: “Lindsey Graham just died. Good, I’m glad he’s dead. He can no longer hurt innocent people!” But, Krassenstein didn’t stop there, attempting to excuse his comment by blaming President Donald Trump for having made a similar remark about the death of former FBI director and Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Unlike Mueller, however, Mueller did hurt people by leading the politically-motivated, thoroughly-discredited Russia collusion investigation hoax of Pres. Trump in 2016. Libs of TikTok contrasted Krassenstein’s take on Sen. Graham’s death with a previous post of Krassenstein saying that celebrating an opponent’s death lowers the celebrator to the level of the person they despise: “People who celebrate another person’s death like some are, are no better than those they criticize.” “Actress Margaret Cho mocks Lindsey Graham’s death and appears to wish Trump is next,” Libs of TikTok noted in a separate post, embedding video of the leftist entertainer’s comments. “Bye Lindsey. Bye Lindsey Graham: from the closet to the coffin,” Cho says, going on to say she has “hope” that Republican Senator Mitch McConnell – and another unnamed person – soon bring the death toll to three of her political opponents: “Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham – it does happen in threes – hope.” Apparently, Libs of TikTok couldn’t find any comments by Cho saying that it’s wrong to wish death upon people you don’t like. Actress Margaret Cho mocks Lindsey Graham’s death and appears to wish Trump is next pic.twitter.com/hQ2shOppXt — Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) July 12, 2026 Craig Bannister Mon, 07/13/2026 - 13:46 Marketing Timing Breaking Search Engine Title Liberals Criticized for Hypocrisy Over Lindsey Graham Death Reactions Online CNS Commentary Off

8 hours ago

DISGRACEFUL: NBC Only Covered Charlie Kirk Evidentiary Murder Hearing ONCE in a Week

DISGRACEFUL: NBC Only Covered Charlie Kirk Evidentiary Murder Hearing ONCE in a Week Last week, a Utah judge convened an evidentiary hearing to possibly set the stage for trial in the murder of conservative icon and Turning Point USA Founder and CEO Charlie Kirk, allegedly by now-23-year-old Tyler Robinson. It served as the first opportunity for Utah prosecutors to unveil interviews as well as forensic and surveillance evidence against Robinson, but NBC’s lead newscasts couldn’t have cared any less. In fact, NBC’s Today never covered it, and Nightly News only mentioned it on Thursday with a one-minute-and-41-second story. NBC was certainly aware of it, but buried it on lesser-watched shows such as reports Tuesday and Wednesday on the overnight show Early Today and Monday through Friday on the mid-day show, NBC News Daily. “We're going to turn now to dramatic moments today in a Utah court in the case of the man accused of assassinating public activist Charlie Kirk. Never-before-seen photos of the alleged weapon and what the suspect's former roommate in a recorded interview revealed,” declared Nightly News anchor Tom Llamas on Thursday. WILD: This 101-second report on Thursday's 'NBC Nightly News' was the first time NBC News mentioned on their lead morning or evening newscasts there was even an evidentiary hearing against Tyler Robinson in connection to Charlie Kirk's assassination ABC and CBS have covered it pic.twitter.com/ZEmc2GhFDl — Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) July 10, 2026 Dangerous, unhinged conspiracy theories exploded in the months leading up to the hearing, but Comcast-owned NBC chose not to utilize public airwaves granted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to serve the public by airing the evidence. ABC was only marginally better with seven minutes and 45 seconds. However, they at least provided ample mentions, with Good Morning America having covered it last Monday (news brief), Tuesday (full story), and Wednesday (news brief). Last week, World News Tonight had full reports on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. “A never-before-seen interview with [a] witness alleging Tyler Robinson expressed regret the day after Charlie Kirk was gunned down...Lance Twiggs, the suspect's former roommate and romantic partner, received messages from Robinson that prosecutors say contained a confession,” correspondent Kayna Whitworth said Wednesday from outside the courthouse. The man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk allegedly expressed regret after the shooting, according to the suspect's former roommate and romantic partner in a never-before-seen interview. @KaynaWhitworth has more on what unfolded in the Utah courtroom. https://t.co/c2hmv4srTk pic.twitter.com/dj3NDl55VZ — World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) July 10, 2026 In a finding that would surely trigger the Status team led by Oliver Darcy and other so-called media reporters, the Bari Weiss-led CBS News had extensive coverage, tallying 20 minutes, even taking the time to outline the legal basics of the hearing. CBS Mornings covered it every day last week except for Thursday and, in the case of Tuesday, had two full segments with correspondent Carter Evans in Utah and legal analyst Caroline Polisi back in the studio for analysis, including an explanation of what an evidentiary hearing is even about (click “expand”): In contrast, CBS took the Charlie Kirk evidentiary hearing seriously, giving it 20 minutes between Monday and Friday mornings. On Tuesday, they had two segments, including one with @CarolinePolisi explaining what this even means (quirk of Utah law) and how the week would unfold pic.twitter.com/FWhmEfh1do — Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) July 10, 2026 [T]his is not a trial, I mean, it is being dubbed as a mini trial, but it’s sort of a unique feature of Utah law. What we’re essentially seeing is like a grand jury process where you get to that probable cause to move forward with a trial. So, all the prosecutors need to do here is show that there’s enough probable cause to move on to an actual trial. We all just get to see it, the benefit of seeing it, because of Utah law. And so, what I’m watching for, really, is we’re getting just the beginning of the glimpses of the defense’s potential arguments here. They are pushing back on the authentication of the evidence. They won a motion yesterday to keep out this video compilation of the day of the shooting because they said it was altered. They said it gave the impression that it was one person, so there’s a clue there. She questioned, Kathryn Nester, the lead defense attorney, she questioned one of the law enforcement officers about a gun holster that was left at the scene. She questioned, you know, just the overall security, trying to point out how it was sort of lax, so you can see where they are going which I find – (.) [T]he evidence is overwhelming, and I think what we will see – remember this is five days – some of the most compelling evidence does come from his roommate/romantic partner, Lance Twiggs. We supposedly are going to hear a recorded audio of Lance Twiggs getting in all of those text messages. Remember, we essentially have a confession through those text messages. There was a letter left underneath his computer. (.) Look, this is a really difficult case to watch. You saw the judge even flinch there when watching the video recorded images of what happened. You also have Tyler Robinson’s parents who were in attendance as well, in a closed courtroom. The CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil recorded a similar output with full stories on Monday through Thursday, but surprisingly skipped Friday. Fourth District Court Judge Tony Graff inexplicably ruled Friday morning that, while the hearing would end Friday, he wouldn’t issue a ruling on whether there was probable cause to greenlight a full trial. Surprisingly, ABC and CBS ignored this development on their Friday night and Saturday morning newscasts. Nonetheless, it was an important week in the Kirk family’s pursuit of justice in Charlie’s untimely murder that shook the country. But over at NBC, they barely found it worth of anyone’s time. Curtis Houck Mon, 07/13/2026 - 13:38 Marketing Timing Regular Search Engine Title NBC Only Covered Charlie Kirk Evidentiary Murder Hearing ONCE Last Week CNS Commentary Off

8 hours ago

CNN's Kasie Hunt Uses U.S. World Cup Loss & Knicks Defeat To Ask If Trump is 'Bad Luck'

CNN's Kasie Hunt Uses U.S. World Cup Loss Knicks Defeat To Ask If Trump is 'Bad Luck' Last Monday the U.S. Men's National Soccer Team was beaten by Belgium 4-1 in the World Cup, setting the stage for those who hate Donald Trump, to pin blame for the loss on him, in much the same way they claimed his presence was the reason the New York Knicks lost when he attended game 3 of the NBA Finals in June. On CNN's The Arena Saturday, host Kasie Hunt seriously asked if Trump is bad luck. Trump had called FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review the red card given to Folarin Balogun in the team's previous game, which would have meant he could not play vs Belgium. The call was overturned. Hunt began the segment with a clip of Trump explaining how he handled his appeal, and then put forth her ridiculous theory. HUNT: This week in history, the U.S. Men's National Soccer Team got knocked out of the world cup. They were in the midst of their best run since 2022. And then President Trump involved himself to overturn a red card. And then they lost. Coincidence? Or is the president bad luck? Unfortunately, this was not a joke. HUNT: We looked at the professional sports events that Trump attended this term, and his teams have a losing record. You only have to think back to last month when he attended game three of the NBA finals at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks snapped their 13 game winning streak, and it was the only finals game they lost. Hunt said his teams have a losing record, yet she then says the Knicks had a winning streak and only lost one game in the Finals. She then turned to CNN Legal Analyst Elliot Williams, who downplayed the whole concept, but did not totally defend Trump. WILLIAMS: Is there some supernatural curse that the President brings? No. With respect -- HUNT: Sports fans are very superstitious. WILLIAMS: OK, fine. HUNT: Are you not? I mean -- WILLIAMS: Agreed. I just think with respect to the World Cup, he inserted himself into a matter that took away any goodwill the team had had.... We'd actually become a little bit of a Cinderella story at this tournament. They were doing well. And just that cloud that got put over the team by that phone call that he made really just sort of took that away for certainly every global fan and many, many American fans had a bad taste. HUNT: I think that we also shouldn't ignore that, you know, for any sports team, right, for any group of people, there is something about the way you feel going into a match, right? What are the vibes, so to speak, that can affect how the team performs. She then played a clip from NPR, which also energetically suggested Trump ruined the World Cup for the U.S. team. Former U.S. goal keeper Bill Hamid had no love for what Trump did. HAMID: There was a certain level of, like, flying under the radar. And once that situation happened and our President got involved, I for sure know it kind of shifted the focus to now have all the eyes in the world and to now be sort of demonized in a way. I do feel for the guys. Hunt, feeling vindicated gave a victorious shrug, and said, I mean, before CNN's Kristen Soltis Anderson weighed in, basically making a case that Hunt's whole sports-curse scenario is nothing more then an example of Trump Derangement Syndrome. ANDERSON: I'm sorry. Look, ridiculousness. The U.S. men's national team played terribly.... They did not lose that match just because of a phone call. It was a bad, bad soccer game. I do think it's so funny the way people like suddenly being clutching their pearls about this red card getting overturned. Before Donald Trump was involved, everyone was kind of in agreement that it was a terrible call. And believe it or not, even former Clinton advisor and CNN Contributor Paul Begala couldn't bring himself to blame Trump for the soccer loss, after trashing him of course. BEGALA: Everything he touches turns to poop.... That said, it's the team's job to win, period. That's why I love sports. That's why I love politics. You win. I don't want to hear the sun was in my eyes. The wind was in my face. The President was in the stands. He made a call. Shut up and win. I'm sorry. At least Begala, who has no use for Trump, can see through this jinx insanity. Hunt was just presenting some Saturday TDS for all to see. This is CNN! Steve Malzberg Mon, 07/13/2026 - 11:40 Marketing Timing Regular Search Engine Title CNN Debates If Trump Is 'Bad Luck' After US World Cup and Knicks Losses CNS Commentary Off

10 hours ago

Washington Week Shucks ‘Oysterman’ Platner, Still Touts High Hopes for Maine Dems

Washington Week Shucks ‘Oysterman’ Platner, Still Touts High Hopes for Maine Dems The latest Washington Week with The Atlantic roundtable on PBS on Friday featured not only criticism but cynicism regarding the Democratic Party’s slimy embrace of Graham Platner, the disgraced former U.S. Senate candidate for Maine, credibly accused of sexual assault. Yet the journalist panel remained high on Democratic prospects for the Senate, even in Maine. Moderator Jeffrey Goldberg: “This is very much an I-told-you-so kind of week for many people in domestic and international politics. On the domestic side, a lot of people have been telling the Democratic Party, maybe you shouldn't pin your Senate hopes on a guy with a Nazi tattoo. It wasn't the Nazi tattoo that did in Graham Platner, of course. It was a rape allegation that caused the left wing of the party to finally give up on their beloved putative oysterman. PBS’s overall coverage of Platner’s rise and fall mostly spared viewers the “oysterman” schtick. However, the network evening news shows and the New York Times certainly feasted on Platner’s phony populism. As a bonus, Goldberg even played some brief gotcha games with liberal politicians for a change. Goldberg: Peter, I want you to watch Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders talk about Platner before the rape allegation surfaced. Clips followed of Warren saying that's my kind of man and Sanders gushing that Platner was rather a brilliant guy. New York Times White House correspondent Peter Baker paused his Republican-bashing long enough to point out the obvious. Peter Baker: I think there's a willingness to suspend disbelief about people from your own party that you wouldn't have for people in the other party, right? In other words, they would never have accepted a Republican candidate who had a Nazi tattoo.... A confession by Susan Glasser [Baker’s wife] to feeling personally “optimistic” dovetailed suspiciously with the sense of Democrats having dodged a bullet and given themselves a better chance. New Yorker journo Susan Glasser finds bright side for Dems in Maine: I'm not usually...the person who's like, let's be all optimistic and upbeat here.... However, it did come before this July 13th deadline for them to get a new candidate who might have a better chance to win. pic.twitter.com/XLl1pYGSOr — Clay Waters (@claywaters44) July 12, 2026 Susan Glasser, The New Yorker: Now, the flip side is, and I`m not usually, as you know, Jeff, the person who`s like, oh, let`s be all optimistic and upbeat here. But from the point of view of Democrats, this was a pretty divisive, damaging, I-told-you-so week. However, it did come before this July 13th deadline for them to get a new candidate who might have a better chance to win. Puck’s Leigh Ann Caldwell was equally optimistic when Goldberg asked if the Democrats could pick up four U.S. Senate seats and win control. Leigh Ann Caldwell: Well, actually Washington Democrats think that now that Graham Platner is out of the race, they actually think they have a better chance of beating Susan Collins. Goldberg at least raised a rhetorical eyebrow to the pro-Democratic cheer. Goldberg: Is that what they think, or is that what they say? Caldwell: .so they are thrilled that this is happening before this deadline so that they at least have an opportunity to try to get someone on the ballot to beat Susan Collins. Later Goldberg admitted Platner “wasn't actually that much of an oysterman.he was a hobby oysterman.” Alex Harris of The Atlantic made a strange confession, referring to the Platner oysterman myth as “like the little half-truths, right, that they can sort of get away with that an average viewer wouldn't see, but us, you know, kind of paying attention to it pretty often do.” So is the media who patronized the phony progressive “oysterman,” without revealing the myth-making behind the image, also guilty of telling “half-truths? And how is that average viewer Harris derides going to know that the oysterman was only a half-truth if the elitist media refuse to inform them? Clay Waters Mon, 07/13/2026 - 07:50 Marketing Timing Regular Search Engine Title Graham Platner Exit Boosts Maine Democratic Senate Hopes Despite Scandal CNS Commentary Off

14 hours ago
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