What Should MAGA Media Do Now. . .?

Article in The Guardian by J Oliver Conroy, 3/2/26

Headline:  ” ‘Open betrayal’ or ‘just and imperative’? Trump’s Iran strikes divide conservative media”

Subhead:  “Trump’s decision to join Israel in attacking Iran has divided the American right – from Murdoch’s cheerleaders to Maga isolationists”

“As a presidential candidate, Donald Trump repeatedly pledged to get the US out of ‘endless wars’, put ‘America first’ and focus on domestic policy. . .”

“Now the Trump administration’s decision to join Israel in attacking Iran has shocked the US and the world. It has also divided conservative media in the US – with many journalists and pundits on the right celebrating Trump’s decision to confront a longtime American foe, but others expressing dismay or confusion at the revival of a Bush-style interventionism . . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/02/trump-iran-strikes-right-wing-conservative-media

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Article in Media Matters by Noah Dowe, Zachary Pleat & Gideon Taaffe, 3/2/26

Headline: “MAGA media feud erupts over Trump’s war against Iran: ‘We’re not supposed to be running around doing this anymore.’ “

Subhead:  ” ‘An illegitimate regime’ vs. ‘Pimps for the enemy’ “

“Media figures in right-leaning spaces are bickering about President Donald Trump’s war on Iran. The strikes so far have reportedly killed multiple Iranian leaders and many civilians; three American service members have reportedly been killed in action, more seriously wounded, and Trump said that there likely will be more casualties.

“Many prominent right-wing figures spoke out in praise of the war.. .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.mediamatters.org/us-iran-relations/maga-media-feud-erupts-over-trumps-war-against-iran-were-not-supposed-be-running

Don’t Call Me Shirley!

Article in Media Matters by John Knefel, 2/27/26

Headline:  “MAGA media provocateur Nick Shirley boosted an antisemitic video. It was only a matter of time.”

Subhead:  “Shirley, who helped spur the federal crackdown in Minneapolis, promoted and defended a video from Tyler Oliveira titled ‘I Exposed New Jersey’s Jewish Invasion…’ ”

“One of the most important developments in right-wing media in the last few years is the rise of a class of provocateurs who create on-the-ground, documentary-style videos targeting communities based on their religion, ethnicity, or political beliefs. . .”

“On February 25, Shirley promoted and defended an antisemitic video made by fellow YouTuber Tyler Oliveira titled ‘I Exposed New Jersey’s Jewish Invasion… .’ The video runs more than an hour long, and it seeks to transform pedestrian, local issues about land use into something sinister by relying on longstanding antisemitic tropes about Jews controlling the financial system. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.mediamatters.org/antisemitism/maga-media-provocateur-nick-shirley-boosted-antisemitic-video-it-was-only-matter-time

MAGA Defector Bridge-Burning?


Article in Raw Story by Robert Davis, 2/23/26

Headline:  “This MAGA media figure is about to cause ‘a whole lot more drama’ for Trump: analyst:”

“A MAGA media figure is about to cause ‘a whole lot more drama’ for President Donald Trump, according to one analyst.

“Last week, Tucker Carlson released an interview with Trump’s ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, where he accused a former Israeli Prime Minister of visiting the infamous Epstein Island and other remarks that left pro-Israel Republicans steamed, Will Sommer at The Bulwark reported on Monday. For instance, pro-Israel voices like Laura Loomer and Dave Rubin spoke out against Carlson’s interview. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.rawstory.com/trump-2675303066/

CBS “Balanced” to the Right?


Article in New York Times byJohn Koblin, 2/17/26

Headline:  “Colbert Says CBS Pulled Senate Candidate Interview”

Subhead: “Stephen Colbert said he had to drop an interview with James Talarico from his Monday broadcast because of new F.C.C. guidance that targeted political interviews on late-night shows.”

“Stephen Colbert said on his late-night show on Monday that his network, CBS, barred him from airing an interview with a Democratic candidate for a U.S. Senate race because of new guidance from the Trump administration about equal airtime for political candidates. . .”

“Mr. Colbert pointed to new guidance from the F.C.C. from January, warning media companies that talk shows carried on local broadcast networks were required to offer equal airtime to candidates competing for the same office. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/17/business/media/colbert-cbs-fcc-talarico-carr.html

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Article in Daily Kos by Emily Singer, 2/17/26

Headline: “How the GOP’s latest media meddling is a major self-own”

“If you wanted a textbook example of the Streisand Effect, look no further than the Trump administration’s meddling in the Texas Senate race.

CBS News refused to air late night host Stephen Colbert’s interview with Democratic Texas state Rep. James Talarico, who is currently locked in a competitive Senate primary with Rep. Jasmine Crockett. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/2/17/2369185/-How-the-GOP-s-latest-media-meddling-is-a-major-self-own?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=top_news_slot_1&pm_medium=web

“No Stinkin’ Press Credentials”

Article in Columbia Journalism Review by John Stang, 2/17/26

Headline: “Elbowing In”

Subhead:  “In Olympia, Washington, a few right-wing media figures have been trying to get credentialed to cover the statehouse. Their efforts—which now include a lawsuit—have shaken up the entire press corps.”

“Last week, in Olympia, Washington, a group of three right-wing media figures filed a lawsuit confronting a question that is becoming increasingly fraught across the United States: who is and is not a journalist in a government building. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.cjr.org/feature/olympia-washington-press-corps-statehouse-credentials-lawsuit-brandi-kruse-jonathan-choe-ari-hoffman-correspondents-association-legislature.php

Media Unmasking ICE?

Article in Media Matters by Reed McMaster & Isabella Sherk, 2/12/26

Headline:  “Right-wing media’s claims that ICE agents need to be masked for safety fall apart”

Subhead:  “Right-wing media have argued for months that immigration officers and their families are in danger of being doxed, assaulted, and even murdered if agents don’t wear mask”

“Right-wing media have claimed Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection agents are in danger of being “doxed” and even murdered if they are unable to conceal their identity. New reporting shows that working in immigration enforcement is actually safer than being a civilian, and there are no recorded incidents of agents being doxed. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.mediamatters.org/fox-news/right-wing-medias-claims-ice-agents-need-be-masked-safety-fall-apart

Rt. Wing Media Likes Coups?

Article in Media Matters by Zachary Pleat, 2/6/26

Headline:  “Right-wing media rally behind Trump’s efforts to trigger regime change in Cuba”

“After right-wing media pushed for and then celebrated the Trump administration’s ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and seizure of the country’s oil supplies last month, they quickly pivoted to the administration’s reported efforts to overthrow Cuba’s government, which for now primarily involves starving the island of oil. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.mediamatters.org/fox-news/right-wing-media-rally-behind-trumps-efforts-trigger-regime-change-cuba

Rt. Wing Media – Whistle = Assault?

Article in Media Matters by Payton Armstrong, 2/3/26

Headline:  “Right-wing media figures are furious at activists for using whistles during ICE activity”

Right-wing media figures are lashing out at community members in Minnesota for using whistles to alert others of federal immigration enforcement in the area, asserting that whistles should be ‘considered a violent weapon and that their use constitutes ‘interference” with immigration enforcement operations or even “assault.’

“Activists and residents have explained that whistles are ‘a way to quickly draw witnesses and cameras when enforcement activity happens in neighborhoods.’. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.mediamatters.org/immigration/right-wing-media-figures-are-furious-activists-using-whistles-during-ice-activity

MAGA Media Distorting Minnesota?

Article in Media Matters by MAtt Gertz, 1/30/26

Headline:  “MAGA media demand Trump put down the Minnesota ‘revolution’ “

“A week after Border Patrol officers gunned down nurse Alex Pretti on the streets of Minneapolis, MAGA media’s biggest stars are portraying locals who oppose immigration enforcement officers’ brutal tactics as China-backed ‘revolutionaries’ seeking ‘the complete overthrow of Western civilization’ which they are urging President Donald Trump to put down at all costs…”

Read the full article at:

https://www.mediamatters.org/fox-news/maga-media-demand-trump-put-down-minnesota-revolution

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Article in Columbia Journalism Review by Jem Bartholomew, 2/2/26

Headline: ” I Might Get Arrested, People’ “

Subhead: “How MAGA media outlets are fueling Trump’s crackdown on the press.”

“. . .In the immediate aftermath of the church protest, the right-wing, MAGA-aligned mediasphere reacted with fury. ‘Don Lemon storms the church, rushes the altar in the middle of the sermon, harasses and threatens the pastor on a live feed,’ Benny Johnson, the right-wing YouTuber, posted on X, twisting the facts as aggressively as a powerlifter wringing out a wet towel. Johnson called for Lemon to be “frog marched before the cameras” and face “full federal charges with decades of prison time.’. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.cjr.org/the_media_today/don-lemon-georgia-fort-arrests-church-st-saint-paul-ice-pastor-dhs-maga-media-benny-johnson-tim-pool.php

Noem Media Interview Trouble?

Article in Raw Story by Robert Davis, 1/29/26

Headline: “Analysts blown away by Kristi Noem’s ‘unbelievable’ Fox News interview”

“. . .Then administration officials like Noem and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller smeared Pretti by calling him a “domestic terrorist” and claiming he brandished a weapon at immigration officers, two claims that the administration has since distanced itself from.”

“Noem attempted to clean up her part of the mess on Hannity’s show on Thursday, but it appears she may have made it worse. . .”

” ‘So @Sec_Noem, you publicly call the dead protester a “domestic terrorist” right away, and THEN you investigate to see if the person really was a domestic terrorist? That’s how you do things? That’s really ass-backwards,’ former Republican congressman Joe Walsh posted on X. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.rawstory.com/kristi-noem-2675060811/?utm_source=front-sidebar-watch