How Propagandists At Politico Use Corruption To Hide Their Ignorance
When sloppiness, ignorance, or all of the above get exposed, Politico stealth-edits pieces or tries to rewrite history in a pathetic attempt to avoid admitting fault.When sloppiness, ignorance, or all of the above get exposed, Politico stealth-edits pieces or tries to rewrite history in a pathetic attempt to avoid admitting fault.Pentagon doesn't bend to liberal reporters, takes their press badges
The Department of War has implemented new rules regarding news-gathering at the Pentagon such that now, according to Secretary Pete Hegseth, the building "has the same rules as every U.S. military installation."
These rules, which reflect the fact acknowledged by the New York Times that "members of the news media do not possess a legal right to access the Pentagon" and that "legally, the press has no greater right of access than the public," prompted apoplexy among scores of liberal news outlets.
'It's like college move-out day.'
After the Pentagon Press Association characterized the rules as a form of intimidation, the Associated Press, the Atlantic, CNN, Fox News, the New York Times, Politico, Reuters, Task & Purpose, the Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post announced that they were not going to sign an agreement signaling comprehension of the new policy by the 5 p.m. Tuesday deadline.
If the liberal reporters loath to sign a form indicating they "have received, read, and understand" the new rules thought that the Department of War was going to buckle in the face of their protest, they were greatly mistaken.
The Pentagon Press Association said in a statement that on Wednesday — a day after Hegseth gave select publications a virtual wave goodbye — the Department of War "confiscated the badges of the Pentagon reporters from virtually every major media organization in America."
The PPA claimed further that "Oct. 15, 2025, is a dark day for press freedom that raises concerns about a weakening U.S. commitment to transparency in governance, to public accountability at the Pentagon, and to free speech for all."
RELATED: While the lights are off, let’s rewire the government
Footage shows shows a gaggle of reporters who apparently turned in their press credentials and vacated their Pentagon workspaces exiting the building, many wearing looks of self-satisfaction.
A reporter from an independent outlet that covers the military told the Columbia Journalism Review, "It's like college move-out day."
Nancy Youssef, a reporter for the Atlantic who has occupied space at the Pentagon since 2007, told the Associated Press, "It's sad, but I'm also really proud of the press corps that we stuck together."
One America News Network did not stick together with the liberal media outfits. It reportedly signed the form recognizing the new rules.
Hegseth indicated that the new rules rejected by the liberal media were, in essence, that reporters can no longer roam freely through the halls of the Pentagon; members of the press must wear visible badges; and the "credentialed press [is] no longer permitted to solicit criminal acts."
The lengthy document detailing the new rules in full states that:
- credentialed members of the press who are American citizens can access the Pentagon 24 hours a day;
- reporters must ensure their press credentials are visible and worn above the waist while in the Pentagon;
- reporters cannot roam around various locations within the Pentagon without an escort from an authorized War Department official;
- while members of the press are not required to submit their writings to the War Department for approval, DOW information "must be approved for public release by an appropriate authorizing official before it is released by any military member, DoW civilian employee or contract employee"; and
- reporters could have their credentials revoked or not renewed if they "solicit government employees to violate the law by providing confidential government information."
Press pool shocks Trump with reaction to Columbus Day news
President Trump was shocked at reactions from members of the press on Thursday while making an official proclamation about Columbus Day.
Appearing with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and War Secretary Pete Hegseth, the president spoke to the media about his landmark peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine. Before his remarks though, he made time to sign a document about the historic explorer Christopher Columbus.
'We love the Italians.'
After a short history lesson from staff secretary Will Scharf about Columbus' travels to the New World in 1492, Trump promptly summarized the document by stating, "In other words, we're calling it Columbus Day."
Shockingly, the press erupted in applause.
"Yes!" one person was heard saying as Trump looked off to his staff, puzzled.
"That was the press that broke out in applause," the bewildered president pointed out. "That was — can you believe that? I've never seen that happen before. The press actually broke out in applause."
Laughing, Trump then presented the newly signed document before delivering one of his famous one-liners.
RELATED: DEBUNKED: The left's claims about Christopher Columbus are FALSE
"Columbus Day, we're back!" Trump said, showing the document off. "Columbus Day! We're back, Italians! OK? We love the Italians."
The proclamation honors Columbus' life, faith, courage, and perseverance while further cementing October 13, 2025, as Columbus Day. It also discusses attempts by progressives to cancel Columbus with claims he is a controversial figure.
"Outrageously, in recent years, Christopher Columbus has been a prime target of a vicious and merciless campaign to erase our history, slander our heroes, and attack our heritage," the document reads.
Describing "left-wing radicals" who have toppled statues and monuments of the explorer while tarnishing his character, Trump declared in the writings that "those days are finally over."
"Our Nation will now abide by a simple truth: Christopher Columbus was a true American hero, and every citizen is eternally indebted to his relentless determination," Trump wrote.
The shift in federal guidance comes after President Joe Biden issued the first presidential proclamation of Indigenous Peoples' Day — to be observed on Columbus Day — in 2021.
"For generations, Federal policies systematically sought to assimilate and displace Native people and eradicate Native cultures," Biden wrote at the time. "Today, we recognize Indigenous peoples’ resilience and strength as well as the immeasurable positive impact that they have made on every aspect of American society."
RELATED: Saving History
On Thursday, Trump further praised Italian Americans for their contribution to American culture.
"United States and Italy share a special bond rooted in the timeless values of faith, family, and freedom," Trump explained.
Finally, the White House said it will direct the American flag to be displayed on all public buildings on Columbus Day to honor his legacy as well as "all who have contributed to building our Nation."
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Trump unexpectedly praises the media: 'See? I didn't use the word'
As President Trump concluded his trip to Scotland, he took a moment to praise the media members who were in attendance, in a rare moment of mutual appreciation between the press and the president.
Trump's trip featured varying successes, including when he secured a massive trade deal with the European Union that saw tariffs placed on the foreign trading body that will now "completely accept" American auto and industrial standards, according to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
Another win for Trump came when he opened a new course at Trump International Golf Links Aberdeen in Scotland. Following an impressive swing from the tee box, Trump gave the media some rare compliments.
'We're going to try to get things straightened out, for the world.'
Wearing a white and gold "USA" hat, Trump thanked the press in attendance.
"Thank you, everybody — and thank you to the media," Trump began, making sure not to repeat his most famous tagline.
"The media has been terrific, believe it or not. See? I didn't use the word 'fake news' one time. Not one time!"
The president continued, "Today, they're not fake news. Today, they're wonderful news. I just want to thank you. They've treated us really well, and they respect what we've done."
"Really, at a level you rarely see nowadays, so I really, very much appreciate it."
There was one media member who was seen as impolite, however, and caused enough commotion to garner moans and groans from his colleagues.
RELATED: Canada declares independence from Liberal censorship — with Donald Trump's help
— (@)
As Trump was leaving the golf course, a reporter yelled, "Mr. President, what will you say next to Benjamin Netanyahu?"
Other media members were aghast at the question, likely due to the high levels of cordiality between the media and Trump at that point in the day, but the president answered the question anyway.
"We're going to try to get things straightened out, for the world," Trump replied.
As cameras flashed, one man is heard saying, "Come on!" in response to the question, with the White House response team eventually writing on X that "the Fake News just can't help themselves."
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Trump admin appeals ruling granting Associated Press access to 'the President's most intimate spaces'
A federal court granted the Associated Press an injunction Wednesday preventing the Trump administration from excluding it from press events at the White House.
U.S. District Court Judge Trevor McFadden, a Trump appointee, ordered White House officials to rescind the denial of the AP's access to the Oval Office, Air Force One, and other spaces based on the liberal news organization's viewpoints.
"The AP seeks restored eligibility for admission to the press pool and limited-access press events, untainted by an impermissible viewpoint-based exclusion," wrote McFadden.
"That is all the Court orders today: For the Government to put the AP on an equal playing field as similarly situated outlets, despite the AP's use of disfavored terminology," continued the judge. "The Court does not order the Government to grant the AP permanent access to the Oval Office, the East Room, or any other media event. It does not bestow special treatment upon the AP."
The Trump administration is appealing the decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
'We're going to keep them out.'
On his first day in office, President Donald Trump directed Secretary of Interior Doug Burgum to "take all appropriate actions to rename as the 'Gulf of America' the U.S. Continental Shelf area bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the States of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida and extending to the seaward boundary with Mexico and Cuba in the area formerly named as the Gulf of Mexico."
Trump celebrated the name change by declaring Feb. 9 the first ever Gulf of America Day.
Despite the U.S. government's renaming of the body of water, the AP persisted in calling it the "Gulf of Mexico" both in its reporting and in its style guide, which is used by journalists around the world.
This armchair subversion did not go over well with the Trump White House.
Blaze News previously reported that Trump told reporters when asked about restrictions on the AP, "We're going to keep them out until such time that they agree that it's the Gulf of America."
'It also exposes the Associated Press' commitment to misinformation.'
Trump also took shots at "The Associated Press Stylebook," noting, "I do think that some of the phrases they want to use are ridiculous, and I think, frankly, they’ve become obsolete, especially in the last three weeks."
According to court documents, Leavitt told AP chief White House correspondent Zeke Miller on Feb. 11 that "at President Trump's direction, the AP would no longer be permitted in the Oval Office as part of the press pool until and unless the AP revised its Stylebook."
Days later Leavitt noted that the AP was "not invited" to the Oval Office to cover Trump signing a pair of executive orders. Sure enough, AP journalists found themselves barred from other numerous events.
'It does not ensure their privilege of unfettered access to limited spaces.'
When the AP complained, White House deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich stated, "The Associated Press continues to ignore the lawful geographic name change of the Gulf of America. This decision is not just divisive, but it also exposes the Associated Press' commitment to misinformation."
While there are plenty of examples, Budowich's allusion to "misinformation" may be in reference to the AP's
- false report about an explosion that took place Oct. 7, 2023, outside the Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza, which it blamed on Israel as opposed to the Islamic terrorists responsible;
- false report claiming that U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard called Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin "very good friends";
- deceptive framing of Vice President JD Vance's speech concerning a Georgia school shooting;
- false election-time claim about Project 2025 being the "Republican blueprint for a second Trump term in the White House"; or
- its false report that Russia fired a missile into Poland.
"While their right to irresponsible and dishonest reporting is protected by the First Amendment, it does not ensure their privilege of unfettered access to limited spaces, like the Oval Office and Air Force One," continued Budowich. "Going forward, that space will now be opened up to the many thousands of reporters who have been barred from covering these intimate areas of the administration."
The AP filed a lawsuit against Trump administration officials on Feb. 21 accusing Budowich, Leavitt, and chief of staff Susie Wiles of "coercing journalists to report the news using only government-approved language."
The lawsuit proved successful.
McFadden noted in his ruling Wednesday that while he was granting the AP its requested injunction, it "does not limit the various permissible reasons the Government may have for excluding journalists from limited-access events."
"It does not mandate that all eligible journalists, or indeed any journalists at all, be given access to the President or nonpublic government spaces," continued the judge. "It does not prohibit government officials from freely choosing which journalists to sit down with for interviews or which ones' questions they answer. And it certainly does not prevent senior officials from publicly expressing their own views."
Lauren Easton, a spokeswoman for the AP, stated, "We are gratified by the court's decision."
"Today's ruling affirms the fundamental right of the press and public to speak freely without government retaliation. This is a freedom guaranteed for all Americans in the U.S. Constitution," added Easton.
The Trump administration has requested a stay of the injunction pending the outcome of its appeal.
An attorney for the government noted in a court motion Thursday that McFadden's injunction "constitutes an unprecedented intrusion into Executive authority."
"For the first time in history, and inconsistent with D.C. Circuit precedent ... a court issued an order to control access to the President's most intimate spaces: his personal workspace (the Oval Office), his means of transportation (Air Force One), and his personal home (the Mar-a-Lago Club)," wrote U.S. Attorney Brian Hudak.
Hudak further noted that the government has not restricted the AP's speech, just denied it "special access to the president's personal and private spaces."
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WHCA Cartel Is Freaking Out Because It’s Losing Power And Control, Not Press Freedom
The media pearl-clutch about a 'free press' when they really mean their power and control are threatened.Trump Should End On-Camera White House Press Briefings In His Second Term
Can the on-camera briefings. Trump doesn't need them. Neither do the rest of us.NYT publisher concern-mongers about Trump, priming pump on renewed press victimhood narrative
A.G. Sulzberger, the chairman and publisher of the New York Times, concern-mongered Wednesday in the pages of the Washington Post about the fate of press freedoms under a second Trump term.
The multimillionaire newspaperman suggested that unlike his first go-around, this time Trump might actually come to resemble his caricatures in the Times and other establishmentarian outfits similarly compromised in bygone years by certain three-letter agencies.
As part of his mental gymnastics routine, Sulzberger attempted to draw parallels to real and perceived attacks on press freedom abroad — in countries such as India, Hungary, and Brazil — never once mentioning the successful efforts in recent years by the Biden-Harris administration to coerce companies to suppress and censor Americans' speech, including that of journalists such as Jim Hoft of the Gateway Pundit.
After insinuating that his paper is neutral and stating he isn't interested in "wading into politics," Sulzberger claimed that "would-be authoritarians" abroad found encouragement for their respective media crackdowns, not in President Barack Obama's war on whistleblowers or his Department of Justice's targeting of Julian Assange, but in Trump's characterization of the mainstream corporate media as "fake news."
'Trust in the news media sits at historic lows in much of the world.'
Sulzberger claimed that Trump used the term "as a cudgel to dismiss and attack journalism that challenged him," glossing over various other reasons informing the Republican's use of the term and why the term ultimately found such resonance with the American public.
The context that appears to be missing is that among the apparent targets of Trump's branding were those who dutifully suggested British spy Christopher Steele's Democratic-funded dossier was legitimate; falsely suggested that Trump and his team conspired with the Russians to secure victory in the 2016 presidential election; joined spies and the Biden campaign in falsely suggesting the Hunter Biden laptop story was Russian misinformation; and falsely claimed Trump said all Mexicans were rapists.
Sulzberger's own publication is not blameless, having been an exponent of the Russian collusion hoax; falsely claimed Trump supporters killed U.S. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick with a fire extinguisher; falsely reported on the basis of terrorist propaganda that Israel blew up a Gazan hospital; and suggested that the Babylon Bee, a satire website, was a "far-right misinformation site."
Despite Sulzberger's portrayal of the corporate media as victims of Trump's hostility, he also neglected to mention that this hostility was for them both profitable and reciprocal.
According to Pew Research, 20% of stories in the press about Obama in his first 60 days in office were negative and 42% were positive. In Biden's first 60 days, 19% of the stories were negative; 27% were positive.
In Trump's first 60 days, 62% of the stories about his presidency were negative and only 5% were positive.
A Harvard University study found that 80% of the press coverage of Trump during his first 100 days — including in the Times — was negative. Thomas E. Patterson, professor of government and the press at the Kennedy School, wrote, "Trump's coverage was unsparing. In no week did the coverage drop below 70 percent negative and it reached 90 percent negative at its peak."
The only major dip in negativity came when Trump ordered missile attacks on Syria following allegations that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad gassed his own people.
The corporate media's attacks on Trump have continued into this election cycle.
The Media Research Center revealed last month that on CBS, NBC, and ABC, Kamala Harris was painted in a favorable light in 84% of their coverage, whereas Trump was depicted negatively in 89% of their coverage, reported the New York Sun.
Although Sulzberger was willing to acknowledge that "trust in the news media sits at historic lows in much of the world," he did not credit partisan hackery, "fiery but mostly peaceful" reports, or successive media hoaxes along the lines of the costly coverage of former Covington Catholic student Nick Sandmann's innocent smiling near the Lincoln Memorial in 2019.
Instead, Sulzberger suggested the decline was "helped along by the flood of misinformation, conspiracy theories, propaganda and clickbait unleashed on social media."
Sulzberger's ostensible expression of contempt for the free flow of information online was published the same day that users on social media forced the Associated Press to correct its latest misleading post.
According to the Times' publisher, Trump's supposed anti-press action "would likely be informed by his open admiration for the ruthlessly effective playbook of authoritarians such as [Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor] Orban."
The playbook, according to Sulzberger, usually involves the following five steps:
- "Create a climate hospitable to crackdowns on the media by sowing public distrust in independent journalism and normalizing the harassment of the people who produce it."
- "Manipulate legal and regulatory authority — such as taxation, immigration enforcement and privacy protections — to punish offending journalists and news organizations."
- "Exploit the courts, most often through civil litigation, to effectively impose additional logistical and financial penalties on disfavored journalism, even in cases without legal merit."
- "Increase the scale of attacks on journalists and their employers by encouraging powerful supporters in other parts of the public and private sector to adopt versions of these tactics."
- "Use the levers of power not just to punish independent journalists but also to reward those who demonstrate fealty to their leadership. This includes helping supporters of the ruling party gain control of news organizations financially weakened by all the aforementioned efforts."
Sulzberger figures that Trump has proven himself open to the strategies in this playbook, having previously sued companies for defamation; expressed an interest in de-funding NPR; impeded Amazon's defense contracting over his "serial displeasure" with Jeff Bezos' Washington Post; and challenged corporate media companies' licenses.
The Times' publisher concluded his essay by recycling platitudes he's leaned on in recent years and with multiple paragraphs characterizing his publication as a bulwark against the imagined threats of a future administration or even state advertising revenue.
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JD Vance marches up to reporters avoided by Harris outside Air Force 2 and drops a great line
The last time Vice President Kamala Harris had a thorough interaction with the press was on June 24, when she sat down for a controlled interview on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" to stoke fears about possible legal protections for the unborn.
Harris has avoided interviews of substance in the weeks since, despite many historic events taking place about which prospective voters may want her input.
For starters: The Democratic establishment acknowledged President Joe Biden's decrepitude, then killed his re-election campaign; Harris leapfrogged the remains of Biden's political career and chose a running mate now facing allegations of "stolen valor"; President Donald Trump was shot in a failed assassination attempt; and Iran and Israel are drifting toward war.
Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), Trump's running mate, seized upon the opportunity this week to again strike a sharp contrast with the current vice president, demonstrating that he is not similarly averse to engaging with the fourth estate.
Harris and her new running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, were in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, for a campaign event Wednesday. Vance, similarly in Eau Claire for a rally nearby, noticed Air Force Two sitting on the tarmac at Chippewa Valley Regional Airport, not far from where he touched down.
'Hopefully it’s gonna be my plane in a few months.'
Vance, flanked by U.S. Secret Service agents, marched over to a group of reporters gathered nearby who were otherwise ignored by Harris.
"I figured I'd come by and, one, just get a good look at the plane because hopefully it's going to be my plane in a few months," said Vance. "But I also thought you guys might get lonely because the vice president doesn't answer questions from reporters and hasn't for 17 days."
Vance pressed the issue of Harris' relative silence, asking, "Have they given you guys an explanation for why she won't take questions from reporters?"
"I'd love her to just answer what she wants to do and also explain why every single position she has has changed," continued Vance. "She pretends to be a tough-on-crime prosecutor, and yet here she is wanting to defund the police. She's the border czar, yet she's opened up the American southern border."
Prior to moseying back across the tarmac, Vance added, "This is a person who has to answer questions from the media, and it's disgraceful that she runs from you guys, and it's also insulting to the American people."
The Ohio senator later provided additional context on X, noting, "I thought the reporters traveling with Kamala might be a little lonely given that she never answers questions from them, so I figured I'd come say hello and check out my new plane while I was at it."
At his campaign event in Eau Claire, Vance underscored that unlike Harris, he and Trump "will go anywhere. We will answer any question because we respect the American people enough to actually ask them for their vote rather than sit in front of a teleprompter, read scripted lines, and run away from every reporter and every actual citizen who's going to decide this election."
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