In the summer of 2024, two successive events transpired to assure that Donald Trump would rise to the White House for a second term. The July attempt on his life in Butler, Pennsylvania, galvanized many voters to see the inherent danger posed in this country, and then on June 21, the called-for debate by President Biden was held. After months of insistent reports that Biden was a vibrant dynamo (behind the scenes, quixotically), the then-president postured as a bold and brave figure as he challenged Trump to an early debate.
This was something of a strategic move by Biden’s handlers, and you would have to be something of a conspiracist to suggest that this was an intentional move to display his weakness and provoke a change on the Democratic ticket. (Ahem.) Trump surely sensed there was blood in the water and he eagerly accepted the challenge. As we know full well, the puffery from Biden was pure posturing, as his impacted condition was on display to such a degree that mere minutes into the contest, Democrats were panicking and the media were scrambling for explanations.
READ MORE: Joe Biden Did Not Just Sink His Reelection Bid at the Debate; He Took the Press Down With Him
Hunter Biden Claims Joe Biden Was Given Drugs Prior to His Disastrous Debate Performance
It was apparent to anyone who watched this event that the president had become completely exposed and that his prospects for the upcoming election were likely torpedoed. The question shifted instantly from “if” to “when” he would step aside, or be forced out of his reelection campaign. Before the evening crossed midnight, there was already the question of who would step in to take over the party’s prospects. I still hold to the belief that after party leaders forced Biden’s hand to have him step aside, he preemptively placed Kamala in the role of his follow-up before a party consensus was reached. His hastily-penned announcement on a Sunday, and Barack Obama hesitating a couple of days to endorse Kamala Harris, illustrate this probability.
But as President Silveralert ran aground that night, also foundering instantly was his supportive press industry. Things had gone awry in such a stark fashion that Democrats were contacting the media in a panic, and the press were reporting on the turmoil while the debate was still underway. It was a tangible feeling of helplessness as the administration’s “sharp” narrative (the favored snow job from White House officials) was blasted into confetti. But also facing demise was the credibility of the press in this country.
From a media perspective, the year 2024 can basically be divided into two halves. For approximately six months we had the press shielding Biden from criticism, serving as administration mynah birds and repeating verbatim the talking points spat out by the White House. The president was as “sharp” as he had ever been, and despite the blatant public appearances of issues, behind the scenes, he was said to be a mental titan who ran circles around his staff, who struggled to keep up. And for those of us willing to point out the obvious, or go so far as to post the evidence, the press lashed out, accusing everything from partisan hackery and trafficking in fraudulent reporting. The press desperately claimed that entirely accurate video accounts of Biden’s diminishing condition were “cheap fakes,” and accused those detailing those facts of promoting fake news.
This coordinated subterfuge was completely laid bare that July evening. The Democratic Party was unable to recover, as Kamala was essentially held back from the press for the first month or so of her truncated campaign, and the subsequent appearances she made revealed all of the issues they hoped to hide. At the same time, the press fared no better.
It took no time at all to watch as the industry that was just shown to be a gaggle of partisan hacks went full bore in support of the Harris campaign. Her history was completely rewritten (“She was never Border Czar!”) as the media were transformed into the unofficial PR team. Her daft policy proposals were never explored, her work history was glossed and shown as a sterling résumé (did we ever find the McDonald's she gloriously worked at while in college?), and we only were delivered critical appraisals of Donald Trump as the K-Hive was pimped and promoted in shameless fashion. (Did you know her nebbish husband Doug Emhoff was a sex symbol?!)
A column partly about Doug Emhoff, and partly about left vs. right models of masculinity in the post-sexual revolution, post-industrialization era: https://t.co/8m6g3l0aHk
— Catherine Rampell (@crampell) August 23, 2024
By the time the election arrived, the Democrats and the press were operating in a cloud of delusion that there was a chance of a Harris victory. The sound drubbing in the results was not just a Harris defeat but was felt as a repudiation of the press as well. They strained to sway public opinion, and the result was an election with a wider victory than projected, with various groups moving to the GOP and swaths of counties shifting right.
The Democrats disregarded their own voting base, and the media was regarded as the hyper-partisan entity long suggested. The Democrats today have historically low approval, and the press has sunk in credibility. They persist with perpetual criticism of the president that runs counter to the public perception, and it only sinks them further in terms of general trust. You might expect that a full year of introspection might inspire news outlets and journalists to adjust their tactics.
Instead, they are ramping up their losing methodology. One can only now imagine where they might be one year from now.
This article has been updated to clarify that Biden dropped out of the presidential race one year ago.
Editor's Note: The mainstream media continues to deflect, gaslight, spin, and lie about President Trump, his administration, and conservatives.
Help us continue to expose their left-wing bias by reading news you can trust. Join RedState VIP and use promo code FIGHT to get 60% off your membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member