Lawrence O’Donnell Calls Out the ‘Stupidest White House Press Corps (and President)’ In History

The devolution of the White House press corps has been one of the most profoundly disturbing and dangerous aspects of the Era of Donald Trump. And it couldn’t come at a worse time. As Trump pursues his mission to undermine American principles and rule as an autocratic tyrant, much of the media is cooperating by failing to fulfill their duties as the guardians of democracy.

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Donald Trump TV Set

Immediately upon his reoccupation of the White House, Trump orchestrated an overhaul of the press corps that he regards as “the enemy of the people.”. He installed an FBI boss, Kash Patel, who has threatened to “come after the people in the media.” And he ejected credible journalists from the press briefings and replaced them with sycophantic puppets devoted to disseminating his dishonest and self-serving propaganda and lies.

SEE THIS: Trump Declares Himself King of the White House Press Corps, Will Now Decide Who Can Question Him

On Tuesday night, MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell addressed this abysmal situation in an extended analysis of what’s gone wrong with the Washington press (video below). He tagged the current crop of White House Trump flunkies as “the stupidest White House press corps in history.” And that wasn’t hyperbole. O’Donnell said that…

“The possibility of a relentlessly stupid person becoming president of the United States has been underexplored by screenwriters. And then Donald Trump came along and went far beyond what Hollywood could ever imagine in the presidency.”

Recalling his past as a writer and producer on TV’s “The West Wing,” O’Donnell opined that…

“If I were writing the character of a stupid president in a script, I would simply have had the stupid president completely rely on a smart White House staff and a smart cabinet and just hide behind those people, and absolutely – and I mean absolutely – never talk to the press, because a stupid president’s stupidity would be immediately exposed by the White House press corps.

“And on that point, I would have been very wrong. Because it turns out the stupidest presidency in American history has the stupidest White House press corps in American history.”

What triggered O’Donnell’s angst was a remark made by Trump at Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting where he took a few questions from the media. At one point he was asked a question by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins about whether he had approved of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth suspending military aid to Ukraine. Trump dodged the question, so Collins asked him directly who approved the pause. Trump arrogantly – or ignorantly – replied “I don’t know. Why don’t you tell me?”

It was Trump's Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, who ordered the pause of weapons to Ukraine.Did Trump know that? Is he lying here? Or is he utterly ignorant of what's going on in his own administration?

News Corpse (@newscorpse.bsky.social) 2025-07-08T17:01:03.549Z

O’Donnell went on to criticize the press corps that Trump “has been able to beat down and humiliate…to the point where they take that for an answer meekly and shut up.” No one bothered to press Trump for a serious answer about who is running the Defense Department. Note that Hegseth was sitting next to him at the table.

Following this embarrassing exchange, Trump later the same day told the press that he would be resuming military aid to Ukraine. So it makes one wonder how Hegseth manages to hold on to his job in the wake of so many glaring mistakes, including disclosing military attack plans during a chat on the Signal app.

O’Donnell summed up his segment saying that…

“Some individual members of the White House press corps – and I want to stress this – remain excellent at their jobs. But they frequently don’t get to ask Donald Trump a question. […] And I have to admit, if I were in the White House press corps, I’m not sure I would figure out how to resist it, except to maybe yell out some question about Donald Trump lying about something. And then I wouldn’t be in the White House press corps anymore. I would be shown out the door and that would be the end of that.”

Exactly. The media who continue to participate in these charades are behaving like cowards who are afraid to lose their access to the president. But that access is worthless if the only things they ever get out of him are lies and propaganda. It is not worth sacrificing your journalistic integrity.

The media needs to grow a spine and start to challenge Trump, or refuse to show up just to bolster his blatant bullshittery. That shouldn’t be a difficult decision.

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Trump Plans a UFC Fight at the White House to Bring it More of that Trump Class and Dignity

Following his triumphant mission to terminate health insurance for nearly 12 million Americans, while cutting taxes for billionaires and exploding the national debt, Donald Trump has quickly pivoted to a new project that is certain to shower the nation in the stately grandeur that makes so many citizens proud.

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During a campaign style rally in Iowa, Trump announced his intention to stage an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event at the White House. This is the sort of august affair that is consistent with Trump’s other recent enhancements to the People’s House, such as two giant flag poles, the paving over of the Rose Garden, the hanging of his mugshot paintings, and refurbishing the Oval Office with faux-gold ornaments and décor. All in an effort to encourage pride and patriotism.

SEE THIS: Trump Goes Bonkers Ranting that Democrats Are ‘Evil, Nasty People Who Hate Our Country’

Where would the nation be without Trump’s lofty facade of MAGA-sterial munificence? The elegance that he exudes with every utterance was evident as he thrilled his cult followers at the State Fair in Des Moines with news of his latest sleazy spectacle…

“We’re going to have a UFC fight. Does anybody watch UFC? The great Dana White? We’re going to have a UFC fight. We’re going to have a UFC fight — think of this on the grounds of the White House. We have a lot of land there. We’re going to build a little — we’re not, Dana is going to do it. Dana is great, one of a kind — going to be a UFC fight, championship fight, full fight, like 20,000 to 25,000 people, and we’re going to do that as part of ‘250’ also.”

Trump: "We're gonna have a UFC fight on the grounds on the White House … we're gonna do that as part of 250."

Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2025-07-04T01:13:18.000Z

What could be more representative of the Era of Trump than a phony sporting event featuring hulk-like contestants in trunks pretending to battle it out to win a humongous, gaudy belt and a dubious title? Maybe Trump himself will enter the contest and win another participation trophy like the dozens he has awarded himself at his own golf courses.

In addition to boosting the classiness of the White House, Trump is rewarding a longtime political ally and financial backer. UFC boss, Dana White, is an old friend and business associate of Trump’s who donated a million dollars to his “America First Action” super?PAC. That political action committee was chaired by Linda McMahon, the former head of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), which is part of the same corporate family as the UFC.

McMahon is also Trump’s current Secretary of Education. Seriously…Education(!?) She recently decreed that, in order for universities to receive federal grants that fund life-saving research on cancer, Alzheimer’s, and other devastating illnesses, they must be “in sync” with the Trump administration. And she is a full fledged member of the Trump cult who giddily participates in his glorification ceremonies…

SUCH AS…Trump Gathers His Cabinet Members to Conduct Another Festival of Feckless Trump-Fluffing

As usual, Trump is bathing America in the sewage of his tacky persona, and exploiting his office to benefit himself and his cronies. He couldn’t care less about the American people or the reputation of the United States as it nears its 250 year anniversary. Count on Trump to make things even worse as the celebration nears and he begins to pitch his 250th birthday bibles, sneakers, and posters of himself as a jacked Uncle Sam.

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Trump’s Propaganda Secretary Lies to Children on ‘Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day’

On Karoline Leavitt’s first day on the job, she told reporters in the White House press briefing room that she was committed to “telling the truth from this podium every single day.” That may be the first official lie of Leavitt’s tenure as Donald Trump’s press secretary.

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Donald Trump and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt

The torrent of falsehoods emanating from Leavitt ever since has affirmed Trump’s choice to hire her as his media mouthpiece. She has been more than able and willing to disseminate his shameless distortions and deceit no matter how distant from the truth or even reality. Leavitt has proven to be the perfect redistribution vehicle for Trump’s daily delivery of garbage. And she made sure that the press corps that is permitted to attend briefings was cleansed of troublemakers who dared to ask real questions that challenged her or Trump.

SEE THIS: Trump’s Press Secretary Pledges to Plant Pro-Trump Crackpots in the White House Press Room

That atmosphere of contrived pro-Trump bias was inspired by the authoritarian regimes of Trump’s idols, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, and Kim Jong Un, who are staunchly opposed to freedom of the press. The result has been that many of the press briefings in the White House have been dominated by ultra-rightist partisans, some of whom have actually been affiliated with Russian media.

Leavitt’s commitment to dishonesty was on display again on Tuesday when the White House observed “Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day.” The press briefing room was filled with kids in the seats that were ordinarily reserved for journalists, or what the Trump regime considered to be journalists. It was actually kind of adorable, until Leavitt began to answer the questions posed by the children. What follows are a few examples of how Leavitt retained her determination to lie, even to kid “reporters.”

Question: How many people has he fired?
Leavitt: Thus far we have not had anyone fired with the exception of one individual who did leave their job.

FACT: The Trump administration has had thousands of honest, hard working staffers fired from dozens of government agencies. Many of those people were responsible for preserving the health, safety, and lives of Americans, and others around the world.

Question: What is Trump’s favorite room in the White House?
Leavitt: I think his favorite room in the White House is definitely the Oval Office because it’s so beautiful and he has decked it out in gold. It’s now MAGA gold in there.

FACT: Leavitt explains that Trump’s favorite room in the White House is the Oval Office. Not because it’s where important decisions are made that impact the nation and the world. But because he has turned it into a gaudy replica of his Mar-a-Lago home/hotel with faux gold that resembles a tasteless king’s palace. And plastering the Oval Office with a partisan “MAGA gold” further politicizes the People’s House.

Question: What is Trump going to do about climate change?
Leavitt: That’s a very good question. The President cares very much about our environment. He says all the time he wants to have the cleanest air, the cleanest water, the cleanest environment for the world. He also cares very much about our energy independence and ensuring that we can keep the lights on in our homes at a very cheap rate. So we want to make energy here in the United States because we do it cleaner and better than everyone.

FACT: Notice that the question asked was about climate change, but Leavitt never mentioned that in her response. She referred only to the environment. Maybe that’s because Trump has called climate change a hoax manufactured by China. And his Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, bellowed that the Department of Defense does not do climate change crap.” And Trump’s remarks about the environment are just cover for his advocacy of fossil fuels that exacerbate climate change, make the environment (and people) less healthy, and produce dirtier air and water.

It’s bad enough that Leavitt and Trump lie so brazenly to adults. But this performance for kids is a nauseating example of how bereft they are of any morality or decency. The parents of those children – presumably the reporters who are usually in those seats – should make a point of admonishing Leavitt for lying to their kids.

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SRSLY? WH Propaganda Secretary: It’s ‘Ridiculous’ to Say Trump Does Anything For His Own Benefit

The prolific outpouring of preposterous pronouncements that emanate from Donald Trump’s White House create a daily flash flood of foolishness and farce. His Press/Propaganda Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, has effortlessly surpassed the record breaking threshold of lies achieved by her Republican predecessors.

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Donald Trump and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt

In addition to disseminating the daily dishonesty decreed by the Trump regime, Leavitt has purposefully turned the White House Press Room into an assembly of Trump-fluffing fringe figures from the InterTubes, who view their role as one of MAGA advocacy, as opposed to anything resembling journalism.

SEE THIS: Trump Declares Himself King of the White House Press Corps, Will Now Decide Who Can Question Him

On Friday Leavitt unleashed what may be the the most laughably fantastical comment of her brief tenure as Trump’s Politburo Chief. She was asked about Trump’s upcoming junket to the Middle East, and whether he would meet with anyone connected to his business interests there (video below). It was an appropriate question considering that his sons just announced a new luxury hotel project in Dubai. In response, an obviously annoyed Leavitt complained that…

“I think it’s frankly ridiculous that anyone in this room would even suggest that President Trump is doing anything for his own benefit. He left a life of luxury and a life of running a very successful real estate empire for public service. Not just once, but twice. And the American public reelected him back to this White House because they believe he acts in the best interest of our country and putting the American public first.”

First of all, what Trump left may have been a luxurious lifestyle, but it was also a struggling real estate enterprise that was so over-leveraged that he had to work as TV game show host to stay afloat financially. What’s more, he didn’t leave for public service. He left to further enrich himself, to satiate his massive ego by reigning over America as a dictator, and to avoid going to prison for the multitude of felonies he was convicted of, with many more on the docket.

What is “ridiculous” is the notion that anyone would buy into Trump’s facade of selflessness and sacrifice. Contrary to Leavitt’s warbling, everything Trump does is “for his own benefit.” If he was the least bit concerned about “the best interest of our country,” he wouldn’t have imposed his inflationary and recessionary Trump Taxes (aka tariffs) on America’s international trading partners; he wouldn’t be dismantling critical government agencies and cutting services such as Medicare and Medicaid; he wouldn’t be aligning himself with authoritarian tyrants and alienating American allies. But Leavitt wasn’t finished. She continued…

“This is the president that has actually lost money for being president of the United States. I don’t remember these same types of question being asked of my predecessor about a career politician who was clearly profiting off of his office. That is not what president Trump does. And this White House holds ourselves to the highest ethical standards.”

Leavitt: "I think it's frankly ridiculous that anyone in this room would even suggest that President Trump is doing anything for his own benefit. He left a life of luxury and a life of running a very successful real estate empire for public service."

Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2025-05-09T17:30:17.497Z

There is a kernel of truth in what Leavitt says here. Trump’s real estate ventures have suffered because people have been so repulsed by him that they have chosen to avoid patronizing his businesses. However, the larger truth is that Trump has exploited his presidency to earn billions of dollars in blatantly corrupt scams, such as his meme coin that is nothing more than a drop box for foreign nations and criminals to deposit what amounts to bribes and/or extortion.

While untold thousands of Trump cult disciples have lost fortunes, Trump and his cronies have raked in multimillions in untraceable contributions to his personal charity. That applies also to his Media venture that includes his Twitter ripoff, Truth Social. A recent story about which reveals that “Large institutional investors have massively increased their holdings of Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG) in recent months [raising] further questions about big business’s desire to curry favor with Donald Trump.”

MORE HERE: Grifter Trump is Hawking His Stock and Crypto that Have Lost Gullible Rubes Billions of Dollars

As for Leavitt’s faulty memory, President Biden and his press team were relentlessly battered with inquiries about his finances, and particularly those of his family. Although, nothing ever came of it because, unlike Trump, there was never any shred of evidence of wrongdoing.

The consistently dishonest utterings of Leavitt reflect the mandate that she has been given by her notoriously dishonest, pathological lying boss. And that propensity for prevarication is woven throughout the Trump administration. When Leavitt speaks of holding to “the highest ethical standards,” she is looking at it from the depths of a trench of deceitfulness where no sunlight can reach. After all, she began her job as Trump’s mouthpiece by lying that “I commit to telling the truth from this podium every single day.”

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Trump Gathers His Cabinet Members to Conduct Another Festival of Feckless Trump-Fluffing

Having reached the arbitrary media milestone of 100 days in office, Donald Trump has assembled his White House toadies to perform what he regards as their most critical duties as members of his Cabinet: Puckering up to kiss his…let’s say ring.

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Donald Trump TV Set

This reprisal of Trump’s occupation of the White House is, much like his prior occupancy, an engagement that resembles his reality TV hosting chores more than anything like governing or leadership. He behaves as if he is the master of the plantation and everyone that he has bought and paid for are obliged to serve with obedience and adoration. Never mind how much he is despised by the American people.

SEE THIS: Trump Marks His First 100 Days By Glorifying Why Most Americans See Him as ‘A Dangerous Dictator’

During Trump 2.0 he has already called a couple of Cabinet meetings. And unique among presidents, these meetings have nothing to do with advancing the nation’s business. There is no discussion of projects or policy. How could there be when, along with his Cabinet, he invites the press to witness what is an elaborate tribute to Trump himself. Some examples of the discourse that takes place include the following fits of flattery from his fawning flunkies…

Scott Bessent: Sir, it’s been a momentous 100 days with you at the helm.
Doug Burgum: Everybody I’ve met, whether it’s at a coal mine or the border, law enforcement, the one thing they say is please thank President Trump from all of us.
Pete Hegseth: What we have seen since your election, your inauguration, there’s been nothing short of a recruiting renaissance.
Elon Musk: It’s an honor to work with your incredible cabinet.
Howard Lutnick: The attention on the Trump gold card — I mean, it makes me very popular.
Kristi Noem: One thing I want to point out is fake news has been saying that Biden deported more people than you.
Linda McMahon: I’d like for you to be known as the education president.
Lee Zeldin: The biggest reason why we’re here is that this is the 100th day of the most consequential, historic first 100 days in the history of this country.
Pam Bondi: Your first 100 days has far exceeded that of any other presidency in this country. Ever. Ever. Never seen anything like it. Thank you.
Susie Wiles: Congratulations to everyone on 100 days.. it’s unparalleled in my memory and best I can tell, ever.
JD Vance: You sit in the Oval Office and see these portraits of presidents past. And let’s be honest — most of them have been placeholders.

Isn’t it comforting to know that all of these public servants are seated around the conference table in the White House, with red hats in front of each of them, gushing over Dear Leader rather than wasting their time doing the work that past Cabinet secretaries have done?

No, really! If they were actually working, these incompetent Trump cultists would only be making things worse. That is painfully evident in what they said at this meeting. For example, Attorney Genuflect Bondi praised Trump for saving 258 million lives via his fentanyl seizures, as if he was there apprehending the drug traffickers himself. So according to her, 76% of the country would be dead now if not for Trump.

Trump's Attorney Genuflect, Pam Bondi, says that Trump has saved 258 million lives via his fentanyl seizures."Are you ready for this, media?" According to Bondi, 76% of the country would be dead now if not for Trump.

News Corpse (@newscorpse.bsky.social) 2025-04-30T17:47:42.089Z

Another example was how Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, replied to a question about whether he had spoken to the president of El Salvador about returning Kilmar Abrego Garcia to the U.S. as the Supreme Court ordered. Rubio’s response was to tell the reporter essentially that the Trump regime is a lawless cabal that can ignore the courts and the Constitution, and answers to nobody.

Q: “Have you been in touch with El Salvador about returning Abrego Garcia? Has a formal request from this administration been made?”Rubio: “I would never tell you that. And you know who else I'd never tell? A judge.”

The Bulwark (@thebulwark.com) 2025-04-30T17:51:34.090Z

Consequently, the more often that Trump huddles with his sycophants, the better for the country. To be sure, they are still cable of doing significant harm, and are doing so. But it’s not like they know what they’re doing, or that their services would be missed. And there’s even a chance that we might get to see Trump play his oldy-moldy and tell one of them that “You’re fired!”

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Trump’s Press Secretary Takes Questions From a Russian Funded MAGA Podcaster in the WH Press Room

From the very first day that Donald Trump entered politics, he has been an avid opponent of the free press and the Constitution’s First Amendment. He frequently refers to the media in Stalinist terms as “the enemy of the people.” And whenever he is confronted by a reporter whose inquiries are less than worshipful, Trump responds by insulting the reporter and dodging the question.

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Donald Trump Vladimir Putin

So naturally Trump’s White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, devotedly reflects Trump’s heinous animosity toward the press. In the few short weeks since he began his second occupation of the White House, Leavitt has reshaped the press room into a propaganda factory whose purpose is to advance the lies of Dear Leader, rather than to inform the American people.

SEE THIS: Trump’s Press Secretary Pledges to Plant Pro-Trump Crackpots in the White House Press Room

On Tuesday Leavitt opened her press briefing session by recognizing a notoriously repugnant character who would be more at home in the Kremlin’s press briefing room than this one in the White House. Tim Pool is an ultra-conservative MAGA proselytizer whos dispenses some of the most bizarre conspiracy theories and hate mongering that the right-wing has produced. But in the Trump White House he has a seat in the press briefing room and gets the first question. Which went like this…

“Many of these organizations that are represented in this room have marched in lockstep on false narratives, such as the ‘very fine people’ hoax, the ‘Covington smear,’ and now what’s being called the ‘Maryland man’ hoax. Where an MS-13 gang member, adjudicated by 2 different judges I believe, is just simply being referred to as a “Maryland man” over and over again.

Now, in an effort from the White House to expand access to new companies, you’ve created this New Media Seat. So I’m wondering if you can comment on – following this expansion, you’ve had numerous outlets disparage the companies that you’ve had sit here, as well as the reporters, I’m wonder if you can comment on that unprofessional behavior, as well as elaborate on if there’s any plans to expand access to new companies.

To summarize, Pool is asking Leavitt why credible journalists are being so darn mean to the bullshit spewers, like Pool, that she has installed in order to prevent any real questions from being asked by professional reporters. And he prefaced his ludicrous question with a stream of crackpot complaints about accurate reporting that he called hoaxes. To this Leavitt replied…

“Sure. Well, we certainly welcome diverse viewpoints in this room. Which is one of the reasons we have you in here. And there’s many new faces in this room in comparison to the previous administration. We wanna welcome all these points into this room. We welcome unbiased journalists who really care about the truth and the facts and accuracy. And you rightfully pointed out the ‘Maryland man’ story.”

First question of the briefing comes from Tim Pool

Acyn (@acyn.bsky.social) 2025-04-22T17:44:09.898Z

REALLY? So Leavitt regards Pool as an “unbiased journalist” who she welcomes into the room because he “cares about the truth and the facts and accuracy?” This would be a good time to take a look at Pool’s record of “diverse viewpoints.” For instance, it was recently revealed that he was the recipient of hundreds of thousands of dollars from Russian state media to produce anti-American propaganda…

“Podcaster Tim Pool was one of six conservative influencers featured by Tenet Media, a Tennessee-based company that was secretly funded by Russian state media employees, according to a criminal indictment filed in September.

“The indictment charged two Russian media executives with allegedly funneling $10 million to Tenet, whose personalities were paid to ‘amplify domestic divisions in the United States’ by parroting Kremlin talking points on immigration, inflation and foreign policy, according to the Department of Justice. […] Pool earned $100,000 per episode for a weekly show he hosted.”

That’s the caliber of “unbiased journalist” that Leavitt has been introducing into the White House press room. While simultaneously she has been banishing respected media organizations like the Associated Press. And the result has been a plethora of preposterous questions from the MAGA goon squad.

MORE HERE: Trump Escalates His War on the Press – and the Courts – with Predictably Preposterous Results

Pool is certainly earning his pay by posing questions that are mostly rabidly biased statements, and pushing the propaganda that is mandated by both Trump and his BFF, Vladimir Putin. Would anyone be surprised if Putin was still paying Pool, and Leavitt as well? Or are they serving their Russian master for free, just because they share the same mission to bring down American democracy?

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White House ‘Corrects’ a New York Times Headline – Winds Up Affirming Trump’s Contempt of Court

The second occupation of the White House by Donald Trump has proven to be far more destructive of the laws and principles of the United States and its Constitution than even the most pessimistic prognosticators imagined. And exacerbating the damage done is the fact that Trump routinely makes matters worse when he is confronted with his offenses.

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Donald Trump

That was demonstrated this week when Sen. Chris Van Hollen travelled to El Salvador to arrange a meeting with his Maryland constituent, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was abducted by Trump’s thugs and carted off to a gulag in El Salvador without the due process that everyone is entitled to in the American justice system. Garcia has also suffered the defamatory abuse of Trump’s MAGA media propagandists.

SEE THIS: Trump DHS Official on Fox News Likens Wrongly Deported Migrant, Abrego Garcia, to Osama Bin Laden

After first being refused, Van Hollen was eventually permitted to see Abrego Garcia and ascertain his welfare and treatment while in custody. The meeting was a significant step forward to what should be Abrego Garcia’s release, and it was widely reported in the U.S. press.

Among the media that posted stories about the meeting was the New York Times. Their headline accurately stated that “Senator Meets With Wrongly Deported Maryland Man in El Salvador.” And that honesty was taken as some sort of challenge by the Trump administration to pile on with more lies and callous disregard for human rights. The White House posted the following…

Thanks White House hack, for providing this additional proof that Trump is in Contempt of Court for non-compliance with a court order to facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia from El Salvador.

News Corpse (@newscorpse.bsky.social) 2025-04-18T18:40:35.874Z

You really have to wonder just how severely disturbed one has to be to get on Trump’s White House staff. This attempt to mock what is a profoundly gross violation of international law and human rights is not only repulsive, it actually harms Trump’s already weak arguments for having deported Abrego Garcia, and for maintaining his incarceration. Trump’s White House is actually affirming that he is deliberately in Contempt of Court.

For starters, they crossed out the word “Wrongly,” which contradicts their own admission that Abrego Garcia’s deportation was the result of an administrative error.”

Secondly, they also crossed out the words “Maryland Man,” and replaced them with “MS-13 Illegal Alien. However, there is no evidence whatsoever that Abrego Garcia is, or ever was, affiliated with MS-13 or any other gang. Furthermore, in the 15 years that he has lived in the U.S. he has never been arrested or charged with any crime.

Finally, they added the words “Who’s Never Coming Back” to end of the headline, referring to their insistence that Trump and his administration have no intention bringing Abrego Garcia back home, despite the ruling by a federal court ordering his return, which was upheld 9-0 by the Supreme Court. That’s gonna come in handy when hearings are held to determine whether Trump should be held in Contempt of Court.

For his part, Trump took time off from golfing to address this matter with a comment on his failing Twitter ripoff, Truth Social, saying that Van Hollen “looked like a fool,” who was “begging for attention.” And for that Trump called him a “grandstander.” All of which proves that Trump is still the master of projection and is staring into a mirror when composing his insults of others. Has there ever been a more foolish, attention grabbing, grandstander than Trump?

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Trump Declares Himself King of the White House Press Corps, Will Now Decide Who Can Question Him

For over a century, the White House Correspondents Association (WHCA) has been responsible for setting the standards for reporters who cover the president. Their commitment to independence and professional journalism has ensured that the coverage of the White House and its occupants would be both tough and fair.

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King Donald Trump in the Oval Office.

From its inception, the mission of the WHCA has been to “share the belief, held by our country’s Founders and enshrined in the First Amendment, that an independent news media is vital to the health of the republic.” It is, in fact, the only way to ensure that the interests of the people are being served. Unfortunately, Donald Trump doesn’t agree. And he has dispatched his Propaganda Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, to see to the dismantling of the White House press corps.

SEE THIS: Trump’s Press Secretary Pledges to Plant Pro-Trump Crackpots in the White House Press Room

As evidence of this betrayal of American principles and the Constitution, Leavitt, made an announcement on Wednesday that further erodes any pretense by the Trump administration to value the free press. She said that…

“As you all know, a group of D.C.-based journalists, the White House Correspondents Association, has long dictated which journalists get to ask questions of the President of the United States in these intimate spaces, Not anymore. I am proud to announce that we are giving the power back to the people who read your papers, who watch your television shows, and who listen to your radio stations. Moving forward, the White House press pool, will be determined by the White House Press Team.”

First of all, Leavitt is engaging in the sort of disinformation that is the hallmark of the Trump regime. The WHCA does not “dictate which journalists get to ask questions of the President.” They evaluate the credentials of White House correspondents, and approve those who meet the high standards that warrant access to the halls of power. It is a merit based system that the White House is permitted to participate in.

More to the point, Leavitt’s decree that the WHCA will no longer perform the function that they have been fulfilling admirably for decades is a spine-chilling imitation of how the media is oppressed under the thumb of Vladimir Putin’s Politburo. She isn’t “giving the power back to the people.” She’s giving it to the wannabe dictator who regularly maligns the press as “the enemy of the people.”

This change means that Trump and his flunkies will decide who gets to ask him questions. And their recent decrees in that regard have been guided by their flagrant biases and vengefulness. It could not be more obvious that they intend to censor all those who are not adoringly worshipful of Trump. They have already replaced longstanding media outlets like NBC News, the New York Times, and NPR, with One America News Network, the New York Post, and Breitbart News. These are not exactly icons of journalistic integrity.

SEE ALSO: Trump Kicks Reporters Out of Pentagon Offices, Replaces Them with MAGA Media Mouthpieces

The WHCA responded to this authoritarian decree in a statement saying that…

“This move tears at the independence of a free press in the United States. It suggests the government will choose the journalists who cover the president. In a free country, leaders must not be able to choose their own press corps.” – Eugene Daniels, White House Correspondents’ Association president.

Trump himself weighed in on the issue saying that…

“We’re gonna be now calling those shots. As you know, we won that lawsuit right there, see the Gulf of America, which is a beautiful name. Most people agree.

“AP has been terrible. I think they’re radical left. I think they’re third rate reporters. I know the specific young lady that works on the account is terrible. she’s a radical left lunatic, as far as I’m concerned.”

Trump on the new policy of the White House picking the journalists who cover the White House: "Well, we're gonna be now calling those shots."

Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2025-02-25T22:10:56.551Z

So Herr Trump is bragging that he will be “calling the shots” from now on. And to reinforce his tyrannical tendencies, he insults the White House correspondent for the Associated Press in his familiar infantile fashion.

Elaborating on his malicious attack, Trump referred to his banning of the AP because they refused to bow down to his order to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico in their international editions, where he has no authority to change geographical names. He did not win any lawsuit on the matter. It is scheduled to be heard next month by a judge who appears to be leaning toward the view that Trump is in violation of the Constitution.

While Trump may be able to forbid honest journalists from asking him question in his Washington and Palm Beach bunkers, he cannot stop them from asking questions in their own reporting. However, he may find that the conspicuous absence of his lie-riddled answers will only make his autocracy-driven cowardice more obvious, and eventually, more injurious to his already rotten reputation.

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Trump’s Press Secretary Pledges to Plant Pro-Trump Crackpots in the White House Press Room

As Donald Trump continues his mission to guide America down the path toward his anti-democratic brand of authoritarianism, his administration underlings are faithfully carrying out his directives in a manner that is familiar to students of tyrannical regimes throughout history.

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Donald Trump and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt

Prominent among Trump’s team of neo-fascistas is his Politburo Chief, Karoline Leavitt, whose commitment disseminating propaganda would make Goebbels proud. She has been a devoted advocate of transforming the role of press secretary into a clearing house for Trump’s official falsehoods and MAGA evangelism.

SEE THIS: Trump’s Press Secretary Plans to Turn the WH Briefing Room Into a Pro-Trump Propaganda Mill

On Tuesday Leavitt told reporters about her intention to allow members of “new media” to apply for White House press credentials. by that she means the sort of MAGA friendly Internet influencers that Trump relied on to spread his dishonest campaign messages last year. She said that…

“I take great pride in opening up this room to new media voices to share the president’s message with as many Americans as possible. In doing so, number one, we will ensure that outlets like yours, Axios and Breitbart, which are widely respected and viewed outlets, have an actual seat in this room every day. We also, again, encourage anybody in this country, whether you are a TikTok content creator, a blogger, a podcaster, if you are producing legitimate news content, no matter the medium you will be allowed to apply for press credentials to this White House.”

This would be a good time to remind everyone that in Trump World Joe Rogan and Alex Jones produce “legitimate news content.” So Leavitt would permit crackpots like that to take the seats of credible journalist that Trump doesn’t like, such as Jim Acosta who was just elbowed out of CNN by executives who are partial to, or afraid of, Trump.

SEE ALSO : Jim Acosta’s Parting Words for CNN (and Trump): It Is Never a Good Time to Bow Down to a Tyrant

Leavitt, however, neglected to note that it is not within her duties as press secretary to decide who gets to attend the White House press briefings. While the White House Press Office does authorize access to the White House itself, reporters need to be accredited by the independent White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) and pass a background check by the Secret Service. Something tells me that Alex Jones, and others of his ilk, would have difficulty meeting either of those criteria.

So it took eight days into Trump 2.0 before Leavitt finally held her first press briefing from the White House. And it surely didn’t disappoint those who were expecting a free-flowing festival of partisan flackery. Despite her stated commitment to telling the truth from this podium every single day,” she lied repeatedly, including in her promise to tell the truth “every single day,” since she’s only been at that podium one day so far.

Among Leavitt’s lies were those that addressed Trump’s halting of federal assistance and grant programs, his inhumane mass deportation plans, his non-existent initiatives to lower consumer prices, his vengeful revocation of security for former government officials, his illegal firing of inspectors general and Justice Department officials, his inflationary tariffs, and his absurd claim that he sent the military to California to turn a magic faucet that would get the water flowing.

Michael Kosta of “The Daily Show” was among those watching Leavitt’s debut performance. And he couldn’t help but notice her attitudinal shift from campaign flack to White House hack. He presented a video clip demonstrating how she has moved forward from her prior role as a Biden basher…

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YIKES! Trump’s Press Briefing Room Could Be Populated By Fawning Sycophants and MAGA Trolls

As the administration of Donald Trump continues to take shape, the vile nature of the beast is becoming unmistakable. Although he campaigned on “draining the swamp,” it is clear that his true intention is to fill it to the brim with toxic sludge. That would explain his proposed department heads whose total lack experience compliments their preposterous policies.

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Donald Trump, Newspapers, Baby, Hate

Among Trump’s ill-considered staffers are the likes of Robert F. Kennedy Jr at Health and Human Services, Matt Gaetz at the Justice Department (now succeeded by Pam Bondi because Gaetz was TOO sleazy), and Pete Hegseth (whose own mother castigated him as an “abuser” of women) at the Defense Department. The “qualities” Trump’s nominees share are primarily unwavering fealty to Trump, and having served previously on Fox News.

SEE THIS: Trump is Stacking His Cabinet with Fox News Trump-Fluffers

The nightmare roster of Trump’s Cabinet should not deflect our attention from other critical White House offices that Trump is determined to debase. For instance, Trump is reported to be planning an overhaul of the White House Press Briefing Room. His animosity toward to the media is well known, repeatedly referring to it in Stalinist terms as “the enemy of the people.” His hatred of the free press is further evident in his serial lawsuits and threats against news enterprises that have committed the offense of telling the truth about him.

The latest wrinkle in Trump’s anti-media campaign is his focus on restricting who will be admitted into the Briefing Room. Politico is reporting that…

“‘Both the strategy and the press briefing room will likely look a whole lot more like the media consumption habits of the American voters of today versus the 1980s,’ said a Trump official granted anonymity to discuss plans still in the works. ‘I could very well see a press briefing room where Maggie Haberman sits next to Joe Rogan.'”

Oh Great! Trump wants to replace reputable journalists with fawning sycophants and MAGA trolls. To be sure, there are some serious problems with the way that mainstream media has covered Trump over the past few years. They have been far too felicitous, too timid with regard to calling out Trump’s pathological lying, and too quick to normalize or “sane-wash” his incomprehensible babbling.

However, that’s not a reason to ditch the media. It’s a reason to fight to reform it. Even in its current state the media has provided significant information about Trump’s criminal activities and his associations with nefarious players, including agents of hostile foreign adversaries.

We can wave goodbye to any of that sort of reporting if Trump has his way and the national newspapers and television networks are replaced or overshadowed by people like Rogan, Steve Bannon, Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, Nick Fuentes, Laura Loomer, Alex Jones, etc.

Just imagine the sort of questions that the aforementioned Trump-fluffers would ask of his doting press secretary, Karoline Leavitt. Following his imposition of inflationary tariffs, they would ask how quickly his policy will make all Americans wealthy? After Ukraine falls due to Trump withholding aid, they would inquire as to how much better life will be under Russian rule. As more women and others suffer and die as a result of his weakening or repealing Obamacare, they will seek to learn more about his proposed raw milk cure for the new pandemic.

The purpose of hosting journalists in the White House Press Briefing room is to hold the administration accountable and gather information to keep the nation’s citizens informed. But under the reign of Trump it would shift to disseminating pure propaganda intended to disinform, and exalt Dear Leader.

This will make the job of real journalists that much harder. Not just because gathering relevant news will be more difficult, but because breaking through the wall of official propaganda will be a challenge. We will need to come up with new ways to to communicate and to validate the news. And the White House will become an obstacle to those goals. Is the media in its present form capable of operating in this new environment? They – and we – better be.

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