A day filled with lies.

June 26, 2025

Members of the Trump administration spent most of the day on Wednesday lying to the American people, Congress, and our NATO allies. If the major media in America had any interest in holding the Trump administration accountable, any one of the lies could have served as the lead story in dozens of major outlets. Instead, the press not only ignored the lies but repeated them uncritically, providing the lies with a misleading aura of legitimacy and credibility.

How did we get here? Can we do anything about it? Does it matter?

The control of the major media by entrenched politicians and monied interests has been the steady state in American politics for most of our nation’s history. There have been (and are now) notable exceptions of fearless journalists and crusading outlets. But for the most part, the history of the American press is as a tool of monopolists, oligarchs, families with generational wealth, and party bosses. They wielded the press as a reactionary cudgel to protect their interests—money, property, and power.

These tendencies have been exacerbated by the concentration of media properties vertically and horizontally over the last fifty years. Today, a handful of corporations control most of the daily media content consumed by Americans.

The media as a champion of democracy and public interest that holds politicians to account is largely a post-Watergate phenomenon. The mealy-mouthed complacency of the major media outlets in Trump's second term is a regression to type and mean. (Again, there are exceptions.)

However, as Trump and his surrogates lied at a blistering pace on Wednesday, none of those lies made it onto the front pages of any national outlet. (Readers: Prove me wrong, please! Send me examples that disprove my assertion!)

How do we reconcile the deliberate failure to challenge Trump's lies with the outrage that met every statement by Joe Biden that reporters suspected of being anything less than 100% accurate? (Remember the time reporters screamed at Biden’s press secretary because they did not believe her truthful statement that a Parkinson’s specialist who was regularly visiting the White House was not treating Joe Biden? The doctor was, instead, treating military veterans on the White House staff who suffered traumatic brain injury in combat.)

Here is the simple explanation: Most major media outlets are afraid of Donald Trump. More to the point, they are cowards at a moment in history when the free press matters most to the protection of the Constitution. Their cowardice is subtle: Treating the first president to attempt a coup as legitimate; granting his wild lies a patina of credibility; sane-washing incomprehensible gibberish that typifies nearly every statement spoken or written by Trump; treating risible lies with the pretense of neutrality, and applying a false equivalency to competing political parties—one of which is seeking to destroy democracy and the other of which is trying to save it.

I offer the above observation not as a complaint, but as an explanation. It explains why we feel that we are rolling a boulder uphill while our political opponents ride golf carts to the top of the hill, only to have the media report that “Republicans beat Democrats in the race to the top of the hill.” I have quit hoping that the US Supreme Court will provide meaningful support in resisting Trump's lawlessness. I have given up that hope for the media, as well.

Let’s not bemoan our fate, but let’s not pull our punches, either: Our defense of democracy is made more difficult because Trump and his surrogates lie with impunity, having been granted a Golden Ticket by the major media.

We must step into the breach. We must be tireless—no, relentless—in speaking the truth in the face of Trump's lies. The reconciliation bill is a perfect example. It is a battle between truth and lies, reality and fantasy, and integrity and mendacity. Republicans will begin voting on the bill next week, clearing the way for the largest transfer of wealth from the working class to the top 1% in our nation’s history. See The Hill, (6/9/25), Only the Senate can stop the largest wealth transfer in US history.

Check out Jessica Craven’s Chop Wood Carry Water for easy, effective ways to contact your Senators: Chop Wood, Carry Water 6/24 - by Jess Craven. Or sign up for Field Team Six Social Storm Training (on Bluesky) on how to spread the truth far and wide. (Beginner and advanced classes are available.) The principles used for effective messaging on Bluesky can be transferred to other social media platforms.

We must take control of the political narrative. We have some allies in the fight (local press, boutique national outlets, and a handful of national outlets, e.g., The Guardian). But we must be fearless in using social media, newsletters, podcasts, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, and any other platform that is accessible and effective. It is up to us. The press isn’t going to save us; indeed, we must save the press by demonstrating fearlessness in the pursuit of truth and the defense of democracy.

With the above background, let’s take a look at some of the many lies told by Trump and his minions, and how they were ignored by the press.

---

Nominee for Second Circuit Court of Appeals says he can’t recall telling subordinates they would need to tell courts “f*ck you” if they ruled against Trump administration.

A whistleblower provided a detailed complaint alleging that Trump's former personal attorney, Emil Bove, told subordinates in the DOJ they might need to tell federal courts “f*ck you” if they ruled against the Trump administration. When grilled about that statement on Wednesday by Senator Adam Schiff in a Judiciary Committee meeting, Bove twice said he had “no recollection” of making such a statement. In context, the “I don’t recall” answer is the equivalent of an admission. See Crooks and Liars, Nominee Bove ‘Can’t Recall’ Telling DOJ To Say ‘FU’ To Courts.

Bove’s “I don’t recall” was a blatant lie to cover up the fact that he made the statement and fears that there are notes or a recording that will prove he did so. The Crooks and Liars article quotes the back-and-forth in which Bove twice said “I don’t’ recall,” and once attempted to evade answering the question by giving a qualified denial. When Senator Schiff drilled down to remove the quibbling qualification, Bove again retreated to “I don’t recall.”

The New York Times article on the same exchange omitted any reference to the “I don’t recall” answers and quoted only a portion of his qualified denial (leaving out the irrelevant qualification which Bove quickly abandoned). Based on the Times’s selective and partial quotation of Bove’s answer, the Times reported that Bove “denied” that he made the “f*ck you” statement about the courts—which is an inaccurate summary of what Bove said during the hearing.

Compare the Crooks and Liars article, above (with embedded video of the cross-examination by Schiff), with the NY Times article, Bove Denies Suggesting Justice Dept. Ignore Court Orders. (Accessible to all.)

The Times’s reporting on this subject seems to go out of its way to protect Bove from a statement that should disqualify him from being confirmed as a federal judge.

---

Attorney General Pam Bondi claims she is unaware that ICE agents are wearing masks.

In a separate hearing in the Senate, Attorney General Pam Bondi claimed that she was unaware that ICE agents are wearing masks when detaining immigrants for deportation.

See The Guardian, Pam Bondi denies knowing Ice agents wore masks during raids despite video evidence.

Per the Guardian,

Bondi reiterated her proclamation of ignorance, saying: “It sounds like you have a specific case and will be happy to talk to you about that at a later time, because I’m not aware of that happening.”

Anyone who has watched a news program, viewed news reports on the internet, or read a newspaper is aware that ICE agents are wearing masks to make arrests. Bondi is lying—transparently and blatantly. We are entitled to use inference and common sense in judging the veracity of unreasonable statements.

The use of masks by ICE is terrorizing citizens and immigrants alike. The practice poses a grave risk of a tragic accident based on the fear that masked gunmen who refuse to identify themselves are criminals or terrorists. That risk should be of a matter of utmost concern to the United States Attorney General.

Notably, the New York Times did not bother to report on Bondi’s testimony--or her lies. To the Times, an Attorney General lying to Congress is not “news that is fit to print.”

---

Trump lies to NATO and is setting up a misleading briefing to Congress regarding Iran

During a press availability at the NATO conference in The Hague, Trump was asked why he failed to deliver on his campaign promise that he would settle Russia’s war on Ukraine within 24 hours of taking office. Trump responded that he was “being sarcastic” when he made that statement during the campaign. See Irish Star, Humiliated Trump gives bumbling answer when asked about ending Ukraine war in 24 hours.

Trump is lying about his promise being “sarcastic.” As documented by CNN, Trump promised on fifty-three (53) occasions to end the Ukraine war in 24 hours of taking office (or earlier). See Fact check: It wasn’t ‘in jest.’ Here are 53 times Trump said he’d end Ukraine war within 24 hours or before taking office | CNN Politics.

Trump's claim that his campaign promise was sarcastic is an obvious lie which has been rightfully mocked throughout the world. Here’s the problem: When a US president tells an obvious lie while appearing at a NATO press conference, it underscores the fact that the president cannot be trusted. Lack of trust among allies can be world-changing.

Again, major US media outlets seemed not to care that Trump told many lies during a NATO press conference. Among the other lies Trump told was the repetition of the statement that Fordow nuclear processing facility in Iran was “obliterated.” An initial intelligence report contradicts Trump's claim. See US strikes only set back Iran’s nuclear program by months, report says | AP News.

The Trump administration is hastily pulling intelligence experts from a congressional briefing on Friday and replacing them with Sec. of State Marco Rubio—who has demonstrated the willingness to lie for Trump.

Senate Democrats have pushed back, demanding that the administration produce at least one member from the intelligence community. Trump will produce CIA Director John Ratcliffe, who is also a partisan loyalist to Trump. We should expect the Trump administration to walk back the initial assessment that the bombing failed to destroy the Fordow underground processing facility.

Let’s review how we got to this dispute over the extent of the damage. US intelligence officials are now saying that it will take weeks to gain confidence about the extent of the damage. And yet, in announcing that the raids took place, Trump claimed—without any reliable basis—that the Fordow site had been obliterated. That unsubstantiated claim set off the argument about the extent of damage. Trump has no one but himself to blame for the confusion and misdirection over the bombing.

---

DOGE engineer admits that it was difficult to find “waste, fraud, and abuse.”

Trump unleashed a team of DOGE hackers to “cut” funds previously appropriated by Congress. The basis for the illegal impoundment of funds was the claim that the funds represented “waste, fraud, and abuse.”

The “waste, fraud, and abuse” claim was a lie—as we all knew. See NPR, Former DOGE engineer says federal waste and fraud were 'relatively nonexistent'.

Per NPR,

A former employee of the Department of Government Efficiency says that he found that the federal waste, fraud and abuse that his agency was supposed to uncover were "relatively nonexistent" during his short time embedded within the Department of Veterans Affairs.

"I personally was pretty surprised, actually, at how efficient the government was," Sahil Lavingia told NPR's Juana Summers.

Of course, shortly after giving the interview, the engineer received an email stating that he had been fired.

---

Opportunities for Reader Engagement

Here is an interesting and timely discussion of the risks to judges and the justice system:

Speak Up For Justice is hosting an on-line seminar on “Global Risks to Judges and the Urgent Need to Protect Them and the Justice System.”

The event will be held on June 26, 2025, at 9:00 am PT / Noon ET. Sign up here: Register here for Global Risk to Judges.

Featuring retired US Supreme Court Justice Antony Kennedy as well as a justice from the Constitutional Court in South Africa, a State Circuit Court in Venezuela, a past president of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, and a district judge from Gdansk, Poland.

---

Concluding Thoughts

There is more, but I will be on the road again (to Washington, D.C.), so I need to pack this evening (morning).

As Senate Republicans push to vote on the reconciliation bill, some Senators (and House members) are getting cold feet. See Talking Points Memo, Backlash Over ‘Big Beautiful’ Bill Continues In Congress. While we have seen some pushback previously, only to be disappointed by the willingness of Republicans to capitulate to Trump, we have the opportunity to stop the reconciliation bill and force Republicans to negotiate with Democrats. The chances of stopping the bill are long, but we won’t stop it if we give up before the last vote is cast.

Continue to contact congressional representatives. We will never know which call, letter, or email may be the tipping point. But there is a tipping point! We need only find it!

Stay strong! Talk to you tomorrow!