It’s shaping up to be one of the craziest years on record. The current President, who’s only where he is now is because CNN and MS NOW devoted a lot of time to him even when they shouldn’t have, told them they’re no longer allowed in the White House Press Pool. Politico is another news media that has been denied.
Naturally, they have sued citing a violation of the First Amendment. As a former journalist, I’ve said “No comment” is a comment. People in elected offices or civic positions don’t have to talk to reporters. But they can’t exclude the media from a public meeting if they’re not being disruptive. And if they’re speaking at the United Nations, they have no control over who is there from the media.
The same goes for covering court proceedings. They’re open to the public to a degree as long as people behave themselves which is the same as any other public meeting. Most judges and magistrates prefer you don’t take photos (especially with flashes) during court sessions. You definitely can’t take any pics or the jurors or even identify them if you know them. But sitting like a knot on a log in a court room or town council meeting isn’t going to be disruptive. Being removed might look bad for a judge or lawyer but every word spoken is a part of public record as it’s a legal proceeding.
On the flip side, a grand jury is closed because it’s an investigation. And that’s the legal loophole law enforcement and prosecutors have to keep the media and public out. Anything said or revealed can also open media to slander or libel in the event it’s not true. It also puts witnesses at danger of intimidation. Yet a prosecutor or witness can say something during a regular court hearing or trial and you can report it. Charges have been filed and thus are open record. And any testimony by witnesses or experts can be questioned by both sides.
It’s all that grey area.
But when he scheduled a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday for the new helipad on the South Lawn, many major networks boycotted it. While there was still press, his speech wasn’t recorded. Yes, he still got the attention but it wasn’t the attention he wanted. Even Fox News cut off a rally in Greensboro, N.C. where J.D. Vance was speaking saying they’d return if he mentions any news.
On Monday, the White House launched TrumpTV on YouTube and it hasn’t received a lot of views and an outpouring of ridicule from people calling it “state-run media” which it is. And this has been planned more than over a weekend. It’s six weeks until the November general election. Even though he isn’t on the ballot, he really is because his approval ratings are at an all-time low. Gas and especially diesel is way to high. Food prices are high. No policies from the White House are helping people but instead hurting them.
Yet YouTube like other websites basically function on paper as tech websites not media sites. So that might be the loophole the White House is using to side step the semantics on the matter.
Yet the man in the Oval Office has repeatedly said he thinks government should control the media and prohibit what is reported. On the campaign trail, he lied about federal libel laws because they’re aren’t any. And usually libel only applies to when journalists and reporters knowing print, post or broadcast information they know to be false for seriously dangerous reasons. For instance the Richard Jewel case was a prime example of this even though he had been cleared by investigators.
While it’s nice the media finally stepped up, it could’ve easily happened years ago. But it was good for ratings.
At the same time, Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colorado) is upset because the media is reporting on her alleged sexual affairs with both men and women staff members. Just three years ago, she was on video masturbating a man she just met earlier that day at a community theater.
Boebert, like the President has blasted the media for all the unfavorable reporting. But it seems sexual misconduct and politics go hand-in-hand. Earlier this year Eric Swalwell, a Democrat, dropped out of the California Gubernatorial elections amidst allegations of sexual assault and misconduct. And a decade ago, Al Franken, another Democrat, stepped down when it a photo resurfaced of him pulling a prank on a woman that was in poor taste and could be considered sexual harassment.
What’s worse for Boebert is she’s constantly held herself up as a model of Conservative and Christian values. Yet her ex-husband, Jayson Boebert, pled guilty to exposing his genitalia to a minor in a bowling alley. She denies it blaming the victim which is typical of the right.
Her eldest son, Tyler, was arrested and faced felony charges including sexual exploitation of a child and contributing to the delinquency of a minor regarding an incident from 2024. He also became a father at the age of 18 after getting a teen girl pregnant. And he’s had other legal and criminal issues including vehicle break-ins and credit card thefts.
When Boebert tells people to read the Bible she must be referring to the naughty parts no one wants to talk about.
