Coverage Discrepancies: Epstein vs. Gabbard
According to a review conducted by the Daily Caller News Foundation, CNN and MSNBC have reported on President Trump’s connection to Jeffrey Epstein significantly more than their coverage of Tulsi Gabbard’s revelations regarding the “Russiagate” scandal since July 18. The ratio stands at over four times more mentions of Epstein compared to Gabbard’s claims.
On July 18, Gabbard shared a document that she claims highlights a long-standing effort to undermine Trump, which she argues originated during the Obama administration after Trump won the 2016 election against Hillary Clinton. In the weeks following her announcement, the terms “Russia,” “Gabbard,” and “Obama” were mentioned 1,848 times by CNN and MSNBC. However, many of these mentions seem to originate from critics of Gabbard’s 2016 document release, which they’re framing as a conspiracy involving Russia.
In contrast, Epstein’s name came up an astonishing 8,101 times during the same period, largely triggered by a Wall Street Journal report about a controversial birthday greeting Trump allegedly sent to Epstein on his 50th birthday. This led Trump to file a lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal on July 18.
During a recent episode of “Anderson Cooper 360,” guest host John Berman consulted Andrew McCabe, a former FBI assistant director. McCabe suggested that Gabbard is employing “massive distraction techniques” intended to shift focus away from the controversies surrounding Epstein.
McCabe remarked, “This is not information. It’s propaganda. When conspiracy theories about a powerful coalition of Democrats linked to Epstein aren’t gaining traction, they’re reverting to their most significant issue.” He went on to characterize Gabbard as an opportunist, claiming she leveraged her past experiences for an agenda with the White House.
On the same day, Gabbard addressed the press at the White House, stating that she had submitted a criminal introduction to the Department of Justice concerning former President Obama.
Meanwhile, CNN’s Jeff Zeleney reported that the network was not prioritizing Gabbard’s disclosures in their coverage. On another CNN discussion, McCabe labeled the crime introductions between Gabbard and former CIA Director John Brennan as “silly.”
A report by Special Advisor John Durham examined the FBI’s investigation into allegations of collusion between Trump’s 2016 campaign and Russia, concluding that the FBI’s actions lacked proper support.
In some commentary linking Epstein to Trump, MSNBC’s Norm Eisen suggested that Trump may have deeper ties, pointing out that Trump appeared to have sought a meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell regarding ambiguous past actions.
During an episode of “Deadline: White House,” MSNBC’s Nicole Wallace discussed the Wall Street Journal article indicating Trump had been warned that his name appeared in Epstein-related documents, a claim dismissed as “fake news” by White House Communications Director Stephen Chan.
Requests for comment from both MSNBC and CNN went unanswered by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
