In this special episode, the host recaps the year with hand-picked best segments, discussing the roles of opinion people and journalists, a recent lawsuit threatening media coverage, confusion around debate standards, media's past lies, CNN's alleged spying on Trump campaign, criticism of former FBI agent Clint Watts, and the media's spread of misinformation and conspiracy theories.
The recent Twitter files drop revealed that the allegations of Russian bot interference on Twitter were unfounded and that the media unquestioningly adopted the false narrative, discrediting conservatives and Trump supporters.
The media's complicity in spreading misinformation, such as the Russian bot narrative, and its disregard for truth highlights the extent of the misinformation machine and its willingness to peddle lies for its own gain.
Deep dives
Twitter's Russian bot scandal debunked
The recent Twitter files drop by Matt Taibbi revealed that the allegations of Russian bot interference on Twitter were unfounded. Emails from Twitter executives confirmed that the accounts labeled as Russian bots were actually legitimate right-leaning accounts. Joelle Roth, a Twitter executive, admitted in internal communications that the dashboard used to track Russian influencers was false and the allegations were baseless. This exposes the media's unquestioning adoption of the Russian bot narrative, which has been used as a tool to discredit conservatives and Trump supporters. The evidence shows that the misinformation machine was in full effect, perpetuating a fabricated story to tear the country apart.
Clint Watts and the Hamilton 68 Russian bot scam
Clint Watts, a former FBI agent and MSNBC contributor, played a key role in the Hamilton 68 group, which claimed to track Russian influencer accounts on Twitter. However, the recent Twitter files drop revealed that the group's claims were false. The emails from Twitter executives showed that the accounts labeled as Russian bots were not Russian and were not engaged in spreading misinformation. The Hamilton 68 group, led by Watts, falsely accused legitimate right-leaning accounts of being Russian bots, perpetuating a narrative that was unsupported by evidence. This highlights the extent of the misinformation machine and the disregard for truth in the media.
The media's role in spreading the Russian bot narrative
The media, including outlets like Mother Jones, Newsweek, and The Daily Beast, uncritically embraced the Russian bot narrative and propagated it to the public. Despite evidence showing that the allegations were baseless, the media failed to question or fact-check the claims. This demonstrates the media's complicity in spreading misinformation and its willingness to further a false narrative that serves its own agenda. The public deserves honest and unbiased reporting, but the media's actions show a disregard for truth and a willingness to peddle lies for their own gain.
The connection between Paul Manafort and Constantine Calimnik debunked
Adam Schiff and the media have repeatedly claimed that Paul Manafort's dealings with Constantine Calimnik, who was labeled as a Russian agent, are evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. However, it has been revealed that Calimnik was actually an Obama administration source, known to the State Department since at least 2013. This connection directly undermines the narrative of collusion and highlights the media's failure to provide accurate reporting. The misinformation propagated by Schiff and the media shows a disregard for facts and a willingness to push false narratives to undermine the Trump administration.