CNN's Disgrace: This Is What They Call Journalism?

This is CNN. Or, rather, this is what passes for journalism at CNN, and it's a disgrace. CNN's Dana Bash exemplifies this, as we can see from a conversation she had with Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) on the current rioting in the Los Angeles area; it seems CNN is going back to the "mostly peaceful" well.

.@MarkwayneMullin on Trump bypassing California Governor Gavin Newsom on deploying the National Guard: "I don't know why a governor would want to try to protect illegal activity inside a state. And the president has made it very clear, if the governor or the mayor of a city isn't… pic.twitter.com/M9qFgYcG82
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) June 8, 2025

After Dana Bash notes (correctly, for once) that in the 1992 Rodney King riots, California's Governor Pete Wilson - a Republican - requested the National Guard be activated, while on Saturday, President Trump activated the National Guard without such a request. She also notes that the last time a president unilaterally activated and deployed the National Guard was in Alabama in 1965.

Why did President Johnson send in the Guard in 1965? Because local authorities refused to enforce federal law.

Why did President Trump send in the Guard in 2025? Because local authorities refused to enforce federal law.

In both cases, you had local authorities either refusing to enforce federal law or actively defying federal law.

Senator Mullin defenestrated that comment.

Well, you've got two issues here. You've got a very weak, lawless, governor in Governor Newsom, who's not enforcing the nation's laws. And then you had a Biden administration for the last four years that didn't enforce our immigration laws... Regardless of what they're doing right now, they entered the country illegally, and therefore they are illegal, and they are criminals.
I don't know why a governor would want to try to protect illegal activity inside a state. And the president has made it very clear, if the governor or the mayor of a city isn't willing to protect the citizens of his state or the city, then the president will.

That's the key takeaway: Local authorities have not enforced the law. They don't even seem to be able to stop rioters from starting fires and throwing rocks at law enforcement. These were riots, nothing but, and it's an act of intellectual dishonesty to try to pull that "fiery but mostly peaceful" horse squeeze again.

Which brings us to Dana's real jaw-dropping assertion:

.@DanaBashCNN suggests that what's been happening in LA—arson, rocks thrown at moving vehicles, law enforcement being attacked—isn't a "real riot."

The Fake News continues to side with violent rioters over the professionals dedicated to restoring safety to our communities. Sick. pic.twitter.com/eBIixEy3FK
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 8, 2025

Dana Bash: I just want to state for the record that what did happen in 1992 was so different from what we're seeing now. That was a real riot.

Dana, it's not your job to state anything for the record. It's your job to report. You're interviewing a United States Senator. Let him state things for the record. Senator Mullin replied:

Dana, if you have people... You and I can look at this and we can obviously see that this is not under control. It's not under control. You and I both can see that. And a riot is a riot. They're throwing all types of objects at law enforcement. And the president's absolutely right. It's pretty bad.

The pictures, videos, and reporting, much of it right here on RedState, coming out of this disaster speak very eloquently on just how out of control this situation is.

They Called for Insurrection, They Got It, and Now They're Playing Innocent. CA Officials Are Repugnant

A riot does not have to encompass a defined geographical extent to be a riot, Dana. Whether the riot is city-wide or confined to one neighborhood, a riot it is and a riot it remains. The Mayor of Los Angeles and the Governor of California have both made statements that we can only define as in defiance of federal authorities. Those authorities - ICE and Homeland Security - have the constitutional task of enforcing our immigration laws. That's what they are doing, and local authorities are not only failing to enforce their laws, but in some cases, they are ordering local law enforcement not to provide any support.

The situation in California is a disaster, and President Trump has no other course of action open to him. This is a city in the throes of rebellion, and that rebellion has to be quelled. That's what Dana Bash either doesn't understand or refuses to admit. Her partisan reporting on this issue is a disgrace; she should be ashamed of herself, and CNN should be ashamed to have her face above their logo.

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