The downfall of the press, media’s double denial regarding Joe’s decline, and additional commentary

ICONOCLAST: Press Suicide

President Trump’s initiative to “restrict public funding to NPR and PBS” presents “a chance for the media to engage in some serious self-reflection.” Jonathan Turley from The Hill notes this.

The “harm done to the press in the last decade” has been primarily self-inflicted, as it abandoned “a standard of neutrality and objectivity” and morphed into “an echo chamber amplifying liberal and often partisan democratic viewpoints.”

As a result, “readers and viewers have left mainstream media in droves,” while “editors and reporters remain ensconced in their trees.”

NPR isn’t exactly basking in accolades, given that “its diminishing audience is largely comprised of white, liberal, and affluent individuals.”

Now, like any media entity, there’s a need to “decide between retaining bias or broadening your audience.”

Libertarian: Media Double Standards on Joe’s Decline

Some outlets concede that “mainstream media has struggled to swiftly cover former President Joe Biden’s cognitive decline.” Robby Soave from Reason points out that former NBC host Chuck Todd has dismissed this notion as “a contrived right-wing narrative aimed at discrediting the media,” arguing that those “defending Biden” aren’t “journalists” but “former strategists.”

Soave adds, “The mainstream media didn’t just bypass the issue; they embraced the role of Biden’s defenders and propagated the narrative that conservatives were behind the story.”

While “Biden’s staff, strategists, and Democratic leaders” might have contributed to the cover-up, “a significant segment of the media went along with it.”

Veteran: America’s Military Recruitment Surge

The U.S. reports “the military has experienced its highest uptick in enlistment in over a decade.” According to Rob Manness from the Mature American Civic Association, this isn’t surprising: Following the Biden administration’s “turning the military into a woken Marxist social experiment,” Trump’s “bold, unappreciated vision of America is motivating young patriots to step up.”

There’s a noticeable “groundwell of interest among young people keen to serve.”

They seem eager to “defend the United States” rather than “participate in diversity seminars” or “learn about preferred pronouns.”

They seek “meaning—something larger than themselves. The Army provides that.”

Plus, they’re “inspired by a president who exudes strength.” As a service member puts it, “I was never proud.”

Political Beat: Democrats’ Struggles

Democrats “are still floundering to find their way amidst the shadow of a second Trump presidency,” quips Ingrid Jacques at USA Today.

Lamentably, they’re stuck in Tim’s “Waltz’s ‘Code Talk'” while struggling with Harris’ strategic messaging.

Democrats “have failed to present credible alternatives to the pressing issues the president is tackling, like border security, trade, and deficits.”

In a poll regarding who voters believe is better at addressing key national issues, “40% favored Trump, while only 32% backed Congressional Democrats.”

Meanwhile, hopeful gubernatorial candidate J.B. Pritzker (D-Ill.) in 2028 is pushing for a “bold” agenda, yet seems to have “embraced many initiatives without providing clear recommendations for mass mobilization and protests.”

No: “The rage towards Trump and his supporters has repeatedly backfired on Democrats, and it will continue to do so.”

From the Right: Concerns About Homeless Sex Offenders

“Sex offenders constitute over 20% of the unsheltered homeless population in 20 states and over 10% in 32 states,” reveals a new report. According to City Journal’s Devon Carts, the national median stands at 20%.

The registry mainly includes individuals convicted of severe offenses like rape and child sexual abuse, with sex offenders committing new offenses at rates two to four times greater than those still incarcerated.

Nonetheless, “The U.S. Housing and Urban Development agency permits publicly funded programs,” and even “scholars argue that homelessness doesn’t escalate the threat of crime,” resulting in sex offenders being accommodated in shelters that support women and children.

– Edited by the Post Editorial Board