There were some deeply dramatic issues emerging last week involving the effects of the fuel embargo on Cuba, entities moving out of blue states, and the courts ruling against President Trump’s tariff efforts. But all of that was largely ignored by our friends in the press – Stephen Colbert was mad!!!
The media was rather consumed with the case of “The Late Show” pulling the interview with Democrat Senate candidate James Talarico (TX) as the host claimed he was supposedly being canceled. Again. But then, as always, the facts arrived and disrupted the manufactured outrage. Ah, well, it gave them a couple of days to trash the president again, so all was good!
All of that was swirling against the backdrop of the Olympics, where Team USA was having a great tournament – and upsetting the press in the process. So it is time to tug on the hip waders and the swamp of news outlets this past week.
THE CONTENDERS
(dis)Honorable Mention: Huffington Post – After the big Olympics by Team USA, HuffPo came out with an acidic feature on being depressed about being an American. Behold the tens of thousands who lit them up over this anti-jingoism attempt.
If waving the American flag or chanting “USA!” turns you off right now, you’re not alone. https://t.co/ndUODJtix4
— HuffPost (@HuffPost) February 21, 2026
Rolling Stone – The outlet felt it was newsworthy that American Girl owners dress their dolls in anti-ICE protest attire. In getting the Colbert story wrong, its headline, claiming CBS demanded the interview be spiked, is contradicted by its subheader. The site performed an exploration into why RFK Jr. swims while wearing jeans.
CNN – While visiting with Colbert, Kaitlan Collins compared his show to talk radio, something I’m sure he would not welcome. Jake Tapper was bothered that Dan Bongino interviewed FBI Director Kash Patel after he had interviewed disgraced FBI officials. Abby Phillip joined in with the others, striving to repair AOC’s image after her debacle in Munich. Brianna Keilar pushed the claim that ICE is arresting American citizens without attributing to the laws broken, which led to the arrests.
CBS News – The site charged that Kash Patel went to Italy on the taxpayer dime to watch the USA hockey game, ignoring that he had a full itinerary while in Milan. Karoline Leavitt was challenged by Ed O’Keefe about when President Trump was ever accused of being racist; O’Keefe was undone by his own past of doing just that.
MS NOW – In covering Colbert, Jen Psaki accurately read the statement from NBC that the show’s producers pulled the Talarico interview – then went on to claim President Trump forced them to do it baselessly. Ken Dilanian and Carol Leonnig reported that Kash Patel flew to Italy on the FBI jet just to watch hockey and ignored the FBI providing his schedule of meetings in Milan before publishing. Joe Scarborough tried to equate the Talarico Equal Time controversy to conservatives complaining when it was applied to talk radio, when that had actually been about the Fairness Doctrine. Lawrence O’Donnell was there to give James Talarico airtime in his incessant media tour about being silenced, then Larry stated that CBS making this move constitutes a bribe, and Trump should be impeached. Amazing.
The Atlantic – They published a fantasy tale about a reporter, or a mother, whose child died from the measles, and even the outlet was confused whether it was real or fiction. They actually went the “You know who else wanted Greenland – Hitler!” route, and Tom Nichols went full Godwin in an accusatory piece. The site claims that having a bond with dogs and cats is a trait of MAGA.
THE WINNER
POLITICO
Tough round for the D.C. fixture.
The Playbook either got things 100 percent incorrect or lied about the administration pressuring “The Late Show” to cancel James Talarico.
The site lapsed into the tired narrative circle, moving from denials that illegals vote in elections to now saying the instances are rare.
They somehow felt that after years of opposing President Trump, it was news when Bruce Springsteen would oppose Trump on his new tour.
In covering the California gubernatorial race, Eric Swalwell and Tom Steyer were prominently covered, yet the two GOP candidates leading in the polls were entirely ignored.
Editor’s Note: The mainstream media continues to deflect, gaslight, spin, and lie about President Trump, his administration, and conservatives.
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