The Left-Wing Media Sparks Its Own Crisis and Faces Consequences for Targeting Donald Trump

As defeated Democrats grapple with their identity and beliefs, their media allies are facing their own crisis.

The backlash against their politically motivated bias has arrived—and it’s proving costly in more ways than one.

Recent events have underscored that their war against Donald Trump is perhaps their most blatant violation of truth and fairness, but it is by no means the first or only instance.

This week, CNN was caught boasting that it assisted in liberating a desperate Syrian prisoner from a government slaughterhouse in Damascus.

The catch? The individual was swiftly exposed as an intelligence officer for the reviled Assad regime, a revelation CNN now acknowledges.

Reporter Clarissa Ward and her team fell for the deception because they overlooked a fundamental principle of caution: A story that seems too good to be true usually isn’t.

ABC News and its leading Democratic operative George Stephanopoulos fell into yet another trap.

They prioritized their mission to defeat Trump over factual reporting and legal standards, ultimately conceding when faced with depositions likely corroborating his defamation claims.

In a settlement, the network disbursed $16 million for a Trump library and his legal expenses, while publicly expressing “regret” for Stephanopoulos’ unfounded assertions that Trump had been found liable for rape in a civil case.

That apology is certainly more painful than the financial penalty.

A historical example underscores the media’s reckless abandon of truth.

A North Carolina woman has finally admitted that her allegations of rape against three Duke lacrosse players in 2006 were fabricated, casting the media frenzy of that time in an even more ridiculous light.

Daily, the feeding frenzy depicted white male privilege against a poor black dancer—a narrative that was eagerly consumed.

The facts were hazy and disputed from the outset, but that did not quell the hysteria.

Again, the charges fit a preconceived narrative, dismissing any facts that contradicted it and disregarding the principle of presumed innocence.

Even after a headline-driven local prosecutor recused himself and the North Carolina attorney general declared the players innocent, the damage was irreparable.

Now, with Crystal Magnum’s admission of fabrication, little consolation is offered to her victims.

Will the media also extend an apology?

Don’t hold your breath.

The First Amendment has birthed a powerful free press that many envy worldwide, but public trust has plummeted to an all-time low.

Only one-third of adults report having some or a great deal of confidence in mainstream media, according to an October Gallup survey.

Reputations Overboard

There are numerous reasons for this decline, but none are as significant as the media’s readiness to forsake facts and fairness in pursuit of their agendas.

Frequently, the objective seems not to inform but to persuade.

Major legacy outlets like the networks and The New York Times earned their solid reputations due to their commitment to restraint, yet they have disregarded their integrity in attempts to undermine Trump and impose radical leftist values on America.

The irony of labeling him a Nazi while simultaneously supporting Democratic efforts to incarcerate him and keep him off ballots would be laughable were the stakes not so high.

And now, they must face the consequences.

Unfortunately for them, Trump possesses the resources and determination to fight back.

Moreover, he has been vindicated in major instances.

Consider his decision to sue ABC and Stephanopoulos.

Initially viewed as a costly long shot—until they abruptly surrendered, validating his claims.

As he warned in his press conference on Monday, he is far from finished.

He indicated intentions to sue an Iowa pollster and the state’s largest newspaper, The Des Moines Register, for election interference, and he simultaneously executed that plan hours later.

Poll results released by the pollster, Ann Selzer, just days prior to the election showed Kamala Harris leading Trump by three points. This was perceived as a potential game-changer since all other polls projected an easy Trump win in the state, raising Democratic hopes for a blue flip in Iowa and beyond.

In reality, the poll was off by an astounding 16 points, with Trump emerging victorious in Iowa by 13 points.

Instead of the anticipated Democratic flips, Trump secured wins in all critical battleground states.

Trump asserted that Selzer’s poll was not merely an error but a deliberate attempt to “influence the outcome.”

Selzer and the Register adamantly deny these claims, yet her rationale regarding the magnitude of her error lacks persuasive power.

As reported by Semafor, Selzer suggested that her poll might have served to “energize and activate Republican voters.”

She will need a more compelling explanation if Trump gains court approval for depositions, as will the Register, owned by Gannett.

The Register, which endorsed Joe Biden in 2020, made no presidential endorsement this year.

Shift Back to the Right

The debates surrounding editorial endorsements at The Washington Post and Los Angeles Times provide further insight into the media’s political role.

Fortunately, Post owner Jeff Bezos and Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong are countering their Trump-critical editorial teams by demanding a more balanced approach to news coverage and editorial voices.

In both situations, the owners have blocked the publication of Harris endorsements while indicating that neither candidate will receive support from the papers.

Some staffers departed in protest, while others who threatened to quit ultimately opted to remain for their paychecks.

Trump continues to wage a legal battle against the Pulitzer Prize board, claiming defamation when it dismissed his prior request to retract two 2018 Pulitzers awarded for coverage of the Russia collusion narrative—an allegation proven to be a hoax orchestrated by Hillary Clinton.

‘Press Is Very Corrupt’

On Monday, Trump also announced he is suing CBS for editing a “60 Minutes” interview with Harris and Bob Woodward misleadingly, amidst an audio tape dispute.

“We need to correct the press,” Trump stated.

“The press is very corrupt. Nearly as corrupt as our elections.”

He added, “I’m not doing this because I want to. I feel it’s my duty.”

Personally, I wish legal actions weren’t necessary and that media owners and editors would revert to a time of stringent standards of fairness and a clear distinction between news and opinion.

However, with the rise of unchecked social media and the relentless contempt for Trump expressed by many leftist journalists, who are often celebrated with Pulitzers and other honors, there are few reasons to be optimistic about swift or voluntary change.

Thus, Trump’s legal initiatives may be the only plausible corrective with a chance of success.

What a shame.