What the Media Buries

And why they bury it

Photo Credit: Getty: Chandan Khanna

The corporate media often overlooks stories of profound significance when it comes to Donald and the Republicans. The incessant focus on ratings and the horse race leads them to miss the forest for the trees.

When I started this newsletter, it was with the intention of filling in this gap: to cut through the noise, challenge bothsidesism, and ensure that important stories are not just covered but are discussed and analyzed in a meaningful way.

Donald’s $175 million bond is even shadier than we thought

Regular readers will know that on Friday, I wrote about New York Attorney General Letitia James’ plans to reject Donald’s bond.

As it turns out, the bond is even more dubious than we first believed it to be: “The little-known insurance company that rescued [Donald] by providing a last-minute $175 million bank fraud bond isn’t just unlicensed in New York; it hasn’t even been vetted by a voluntary state entity that would verify it meets minimum ‘eligibility standards’ to prove financial stability.”

Also, “The legal document from Knight Specialty Insurance Company doesn’t actually promise it will pay the money if [Donald] loses his $464 million bank fraud case on appeal…Instead, it says [Donald] will pay, negating the whole point of an insurance company guarantee.”

James has been granted an April 22 hearing on the matter. According to former prosecutor Eric Lisann, based on these details, the insurance company will not be permitted to post the bond. Another attorney, Dave Kingman, wrote that James will now be able to begin enforcement proceedings on Donald’s properties.

I know Donald, and he can’t be happy with this.

A key Democratic group allocates $186 million to flip the House

The Democratic Party is investing a whopping $186 million in the battle for the House. The party’s primary outside fundraising group, House Majority PAC, which is linked to Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, is reserving $146 million for TV ads and $40 million for digital advertising. The record-breaking amount reflects the party’s determination to regain control of the House — and they are just four seats away.

Despite the lack of stories about it, this investment indicates that Democrats are very much in the game and may even have a strategic advantage over their Republican rivals to connect with voters in key swing states.

A Republican admits that his own party is spreading Russian talking points on the House floor

Republican Representative Mike Turner has expressed concern about the spread of Russian propaganda among his House Republican colleagues. Turner, chair of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, has noted that anti-Ukraine and pro-Russia messages are being echoed on the House floor.

It’s a story that deserves more attention and not only underscores the need for vigilance against disinformation and propaganda originating from our nation’s enemies, but also highlights the broader influence of Putin’s Russia within Republican ranks.

More of this, please.

Donald says he’ll sue the judge in his hush money election interference case

Donald’s lawyers made the ridiculous claim that he would sue the judge presiding over his criminal election interference hush money case for a perceived conflict of interest, among his other delay tactics.

Donald and his lawyers say that Judge Juan Merchan is biased because his daughter works at a Democratic consulting firm that helped President Biden’s campaign in 2020.

I have one question that I hope the media presses Donald on:

Why should Judge Merchan recuse himself because his daughter may be a Democrat, but Clarence Thomas can remain on the bench for Donald’s immunity case even though his wife, Ginni Thomas, spread election lies, helped finance and attended the Stop the Steal rally?

UPDATE: The Washington Post reported the appeals court denied Donald’s latest attempt to delay the trial today.

RFK Jr.’s New York state director says her “No. 1 priority” is preventing a Biden victory

Rita Palma, New York director for RFK Jr.’s campaign, has been urging Republican voters to support Kennedy in the election, arguing that a vote for him will help Donald defeat Joe Biden in the state.

This needs to be a bigger story. If voters are aware that RFK Jr. is merely a spoiler with no realistic chance of winning, left-leaning independents might be persuaded to steer clear of his candidacy in order to avoid inadvertently undermining their own interests.

Donald claims immigrants aren’t coming from “nice countries”

Behind closed doors and among the billionaire and millionaire attendees of his latest fundraiser, Donald complained that the United States wasn’t getting enough immigrants from “nice” countries. With a self-awareness unusual for him, he even appeared to understand how racist he sounded:

“And when I said, you know, ‘Why can’t we allow people to come in from nice countries,’ I’m trying to be nice,” [Donald] said at the dinner, to chuckles from the crowd. “Nice countries, you know like Denmark, Switzerland? How about Norway?”

There’s no mistaking what Donald meant: white countries. Donald also demonizes migrants from Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East and falsely blames them for crime — despite the fact that this talking point isn’t supported by data.

Donald’s comments fuel xenophobia — and that’s the point. He thinks this tactic is the best way to keep his base angry, terrified, and engaged and they always prove him right.

A quick review of my family’s history:

Friedrich Trump, Donald’s grandfather and my great-grandfather, left Germany in order to evade military service. Both he and my great-grandmother, Elizabeth, were German which means my grandfather, Donald’s father, Fred was, in right-wing parlance, an “anchor baby.”

Will the media press Donald on this? They will, if we keep speaking out.

Donald’s abortion video was one of the biggest mistakes he ever made

In a video posted to Truth Social today, Donald made one of his boldest statements yet about abortion, declaring he had “proudly ended Roe v. Wade.” In so doing, he just handed Democrats the political ad of the season.

Political analysts say Republicans are in trouble on abortion rights, which are set to play a key role in 2024. Democrats have recently announced plans to put abortion measures on the ballot in several states, and the Florida state Supreme Court already did them that favor.

Donald might have thought he was making his anti-abortion rhetoric more palatable by suggesting he thinks abortion should be left to the states, but he managed to piss off the two groups he needs: first is the right, who want him to pass a national ban; and second are independents, who don’t want states to ban abortion. Nice job, Donald.

I’ve long believed that the media, perhaps unintentionally, has been helping Donald on abortion by allowing him to obfuscate. Until he posted this video, Donald has been able to remain ambiguous and inconsistent on the issue. The media must hold Donald’s feet to the fire and scrutinize not only his stance but the potential implications for health care and women’s freedom. In the meantime, we’ll do it for them.