A columnist from the Washington Post mentioned on Thursday that mainstream journalists might never be able to definitively prove any conspiracy between President Donald Trump and Russia from 2016, and suggested that they should avoid turning it into a media spectacle.
Perry Bacon Jr., appearing on the “Don Lemon Show,” advised Lemon and his colleagues against making strong claims about Trump’s supposed connections with Jeffrey Epstein. He warned that insinuating conspiracies without solid evidence could lead to a chaotic media atmosphere.
“Back in 2017, we were probably both covering Russia,” Bacon recalled. “Putin and Trump are cheating, and so forth.” He also pointed out that there was considerable media attention at the time regarding these matters.
In a separate discussion, Lemon questioned how the media should handle the narrative around Trump and Epstein, mentioning that it had elements reminiscent of prior conspiracy theories like Pizzagate. Bacon noted that some media outlets had shown interest in the Epstein story, but others seemed less engaged.
Lemon probed Bacon about the media’s current focus and its implications for Trump. Bacon responded that while the media interest had grown, it may have come a bit late and added that there are certainly ongoing efforts to cover the subject.
However, Bacon emphasized the need for restraint in media coverage to avoid a repeat of the Russian investigation saga, which ultimately yielded no incriminating evidence regarding presidential collusion with the Kremlin in the 2016 election.
He acknowledged that while it was apparent Putin favored a different outcome in the election, there was still no clear, undeniable evidence to support claims of a conspiracy. He suggested that while it’s important to cover these stories, the media shouldn’t shift to a constant focus on Epstein with every new report. There are also other significant issues worth covering, he pointed out.
“What’s happening in Texas is considerable,” he remarked, mentioning how National Republicans are trying to garner votes amidst Democratic absences in their districts.
