president donald trump
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Veteran journalist Soledad O’Brien lambasted the media for its coverage of President Donald Trump, saying it has given in to “access journalism.”
The American media’s coverage of President Donald Trump has been attacked by critics who’ve felt it is too conciliatory to Trump, and Soledad O’Brien fully agrees. The veteran journalist voiced her perspective in a conversation with Variety columnist Brett Lang during a discussion of The Perfect Neighbor, a documentary film on which she serves as executive producer, at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.
“The media has done a really piss poor job, to be honest,” O’Brien said to Lang about its coverage of Trump. “In a couple different ways. Framing every discussion as ‘this vs this’ is a real mistake. There is [a] lot of access journalism that has just been distressing and dismaying to watch. There are journalists I respect, but they want access. There’s a lot of countries where journalists don’t get access to their political leadership, and you can actually do a good job reporting when you’re not necessarily being invited to the dinner or having a front-row seat. In this country we are all about getting access, so we see a lot of journalists say we need to get in.” O’Brien also partially blamed the media landscape for “misinformation and disinformation,” pointing to recent headlines concerning Trump’s commentary on tariffs.
“The conversation around tariffs is hilarious if it wasn’t so pathetic,” the former CNN host said. “People have no idea what a tariff means and what the impact will be. That is a failure of journalism if people don’t understand the basics. I am hopeful we will do a better job in helping people understand the issues better instead of just pushing access to things. I’m not optimistic about it.”
O’Brien also spoke about her involvement in producing The Perfect Neighbor, which examines Florida’s controversial “stand your ground” laws. The documentary, directed by Geeta Gandbhir, focuses on the murder of Ajike Owens, a young Black mother of four who was shot by her white neighbor Susan Lorincz. “When you come in after a tragedy you are dealing with people who have been deeply impacted by such tragedy,” Gandbhir said of the film. “They are not who they were. They are changed. That was so important [to see them before]. We wanted to lead with the humanity of the community.
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As Costco reaffirmed its support for DEI initiatives in its company, the Black community showed its support in numerous social media posts.
In the wake of President Donald Trump’s attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies and standards in federal agencies last week, other private companies have followed suit including Target. Costco, however, has stood firm. The Black community took notice of their stance, and civil rights activist Reverend Al Sharpton punctuated the support by leading a “buycott” along with 100 members of his National Action Network organization at a Costco location in East Harlem, New York, last Saturday (January 25). “We will stand with those who stand with us,” Sharpton said to reporters, as NAN members who attended were given $25 gift cards to shop.
Leading a buy-in with 100+ @NationalAction members at the @Costco location in Harlem, NYC to show support for the company’s strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
This comes as DEI policies face growing attacks from both President Trump and the private… pic.twitter.com/D2eYTeAZlV
— Reverend Al Sharpton (@TheRevAl) January 25, 2025
Costco reaffirmed its commitment to DEI policies in a meeting with the National Center for Public Policy Research, a conservative think tank that labeled DEI part of a “radical Marxist agenda” and called programs espousing it “illegal, immoral, and detrimental to shareholder value.” The company said that an “overwhelming margin” of 98% of its shareholders were opposed to a measure to strip DEI from its policies. Costco’s chair of the board of directors, Tony James, said the programs are “consistent with the company’s values and code of ethics.” He added: “We have always been purposefully nonpolitical, and a welcoming workforce has been integral to the company’s culture and values since its founding.”
The move by Sharpton coincided with several companies moving to limit or eliminate DEI programs, including Amazon, Microsoft, and Target. While some questioned the timing of the support as 18,000 unionized workers (represented by the Teamsters) at Costco stores nationwide approved a strike to begin on February 1, others lauded the company for standing up to the Trump administration’s pointed attacks on DEI. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, user Dale Thompson roasted those conservative supporters of Trump who vowed online to never visit Costco again. “If you’re a whiny Conservative who’s canceling their Costco membership b/c they won’t alter their hiring policies for Trump, go ahead & do it,” he wrote. “Costco hasn’t changed their $1.50 hot dog combo for 40 years, so you’re in for a loooong fight. And you’re freeing up parking too.”
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Government files on the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will be declassified for the public, due to an executive order by President Donald Trump.
On Thursday (Jan. 23), President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the federal government to declassify and release their files surrounding the life and assassination of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The executive order “requires the review within 15 days of ‘records related to’ the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and within 45 days related to the assassinations of Senator Robert F. Kennedy and the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.”
The King family released a statement as the news broke: “The assassination of our father is a deeply personal loss we have endured for 56 years. We hope to review the files as a family before they are made public.” Trump gave no reason as to why Dr. King’s files were being released. The King family has long believed that the known assassin, James Earl Ray, was aided by other forces as part of a larger plot.
The FBI told reporters that it was “complying” with the executive order, which “also requires designated agencies to submit a plan to the White House for ‘the full and complete release of these records.’ The FBI is identifying records responsive to the EO and will work with the Department of Justice and ODNI (Office of the Director of National Intelligence) respectively.” Concerning the files on Dr. King, it is expected that the FBI will declassify and release their records on their surveillance of him, as well as those documents concerning his assassination and records from their covert COINTELPRO operation investigating him.
During Trump’s first presidential term, he had publicly vowed to release the documents fully. He chose not to go forward at the behest of intelligence agencies, instead opting to place redactions to protect sensitive information. Trump has long floated conspiracy theories about the assassinations of President Kennedy, saying before signing: “That’s a big one, huh? A lot of people are waiting for this for a long — for years, for decades.” His adviser and nominee for health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr, has also declared the CIA was responsible for his father’s death. Trump instructed his aide to give Kennedy the pen he had signed the executive order with after signing.
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President Donald Trump and Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro clashed over the handling of deportees from America to the South American nation via military planes, with Petro initially denying entry. After President Donald Trump threatened to impose stiff tariffs on Colombia, President Gustavo Petro agreed to the terms that allow immigrants to return who entered the United States illegally.
CNN was one of several outlets covering the brief yet intense exchange between the two leaders that began on Sunday (Jan. 27) when military planes from the United States carrying illegal immigrants attempted to land in Colombia. The outlet said it examined documents that showed the country approved the flights yet President Petro says that wasn’t the case with officials stateside saying that Colombia retracted the authorization. There have been reports on social media that the migrants were placed in shackles.
Petro initially denied access to the planes from landing stating that American officials handling the migrants as criminals and demanding a more humanitarian approach. In response, Trump threatened tariffs on imports against Colombia, which has been a longtime trade partner with America. Trump also said he would levy a travel ban on citizens of the country, revoking visas, and halting visa processing for both immigrant and non-immigrant visas.
The visa restrictions were particularly alarming as they typically only arise for countries or individuals that have committed human rights abuses. Petro fired back with tariff threats of his own and had choice words for Secretary of State Marco Rubio via social media.
By Sunday evening both sides stated that they reached an agreement, with some framing the actions of Colombia’s agreement with the United States and backing down from Trump. However, it appears that Petro was able to negotiate terms that were more in line with other deportation exchanges done under the Biden administration which ever escalated into a trade dispute.
“We will continue to receive Colombians and Colombian women who return as deportees, guaranteeing them decent conditions as citizens subject to rights,” Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo said in a statement. Murillo then shared that deportation flights are clear to go and that they will send the Colombian presidential plane to help with the efforts of bringing citizens back.
The White House issued a statement in connection to the brief standoff.
“Today’s events make clear to the world that America is respected again. President Trump will continue to fiercely protect our nation’s sovereignty, and he expects all other nations of the world to fully cooperate in accepting the deportation of their citizens illegally present in the United States,” read the statement.
On X, formerly Twitter, some are discussing the exchange between President Gustavo Petro and President Donald Trump while expressing disappointment that the country didn’t stand up further for itself. We’ve got those reactions below.
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President Donald Trump was sworn in on Monday (Jan. 20) and the spectacle of the inauguration has concluded with many in the media offering their observations On X, President Donald Trump’s rambling and sometimes unfocused acceptance speech was dissected at great lengths with some pointing out the fallacies and falsehoods spewed from the pulpit.
President Donald Trump spoke at length from inside the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, using the moment to essentially echo many of his campaign talking points to raucous applause from his subordinates and supporters. It was more of the same tough talk and bluster most have come to expect, and there were soft lobs toward Black and Hispanic communities coupled with promises of cleaning up the crime in cities across the nation.
Trump also promised to tap into natural resources on the domestic level despite the threat to the climate it poses and wants to transform America into a manufacturing giant once more. He also made appeals to the auto industry and directed domestic companies to ramp up production. There were also the long-existing threats of tariffs against other nations and the promise of eliminating the cost to American citizens.
In a bizarre moment, Trump went back to his desire to rename the Panama Canal and said that the country “broke its promises” to America. He also used this moment to take a direct swipe at China, saying that he intends to snatch the canal back from the rival superpower.
Pastor Lorenzo Sewell’s passionate prayer in support of Trump also garnered some responses given the dramatic histrionics on display and the religious leader evoking Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Free At Last” speech inappropriately. It was, in a word, “something.”
Like much of Trump’s presidential campaign, the unchecked bravado of the former business mogul was on full display with a full-throated embrace from those in attendance who applauded nearly every word. However, how these plans are expected to move forward was not illustrated in any visible detail. Trump also circled and repeated his points, appearing to speak off script and barely spoke to the concerns of average Americans and largely aimed his words at his rabid base. There was also an unnecessary jab at the LBGTBQ community, in particular regarding gender presentation.
On X, users are chiming in regarding the inauguration of President Donald Trump and dissecting his words and a higher level than legacy media would ever dare. Check out those reactions below.
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Donald Trump appeared on Meet The Press Sunday morning (Dec. 8), marking his first televised interview since becoming the president-elect in November after a tight race with Vice President Kamala Harris. Sitting down with Meet The Press moderator Kristen Welker, Donald Trump was measured at times but also slippery on some of his positions as observers on the X social media platform pointed out contradictions and flat-out lies in his statements where he received little pushback.
President-elect Donald Trump, 78, spoke in a conversational tone as he sat across from Kristen Welker, displaying a muted version of expressing himself in comparison to some of his fiery and off-the-rails campaign speeches. With the presidential victory in hand and emboldened by officially winning the Republican Party majority of both the House and Senate, Trump toned down the rhetoric but also said that he would carry out unpopular policies despite growing murmurs of discontent among his base and those far outside of it.
Trump spoke to Welker’s inquiry about his plans for the first 100 days in the White House, a longstanding marker of the president making his intentions known and setting a tone for the government as his leadership continues to come into view over the next four years.
After a rambling answer that covered everything from tackling crime in major cities and extending the so-called “Trump tax cuts,” Trump defended his nominee for Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth despite the mounting allegations against him. Trump’s answer was a masterclass of avoiding the actual question by using filler words and highlighting how much Fox News supported Hegseth, once more ignoring the fact that some of the allegations against his nominee originated within the network.
Early in the chat, Welker lobbed a question regarding tariffs, which some felt was one of several softballs tossed at Trump. Instead of getting Trump to explain how he’ll attack inflation and lower prices, since it was a key campaign point and why many voters pulled the lever for him, he elected not to offer a guarantee on one of his top promises.
“I can’t guarantee anything. I can’t guarantee tomorrow. But I can say that if you look at my — just pre-Covid, we had the greatest economy in the history of our country. And I had a lot of tariffs on a lot of different countries, but in particular China,” Trump said before meandering and calling the tariffs “beautiful,” but Welker did remind Trump that those “beautiful” tariffs cost Americans billions.
In other portions of the conversation, Trump still refused to concede the 2020 election results despite overwhelming evidence that the presidency was not stolen from him. He also doubled down on false claims that he improved the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which he continues to refer to as “Obamacare,” a law that took cues from Sen. Mitt Romney when he was governor of Massachusetts and the state’s health care reform law.
Trump continues to claim he “saved Obamacare” despite his many attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act and insert a law of his own, even though it could harm those who voted for Trump in the long run. Trump also stuck to his incorrect statement that 13,099 murders in the past three years were allegedly committed by illegal immigrants. Welker attempted to get Trump to understand the number includes four decades of data but Trump insisted this exaggerated number came under President Joe Biden’s tenure.
On X, formerly Twitter, Donald Trump’s Meet The Press interview found its way onto the timeline with many pointing out how it missed several marks. Check out the replies below.
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A recent report claims that the Trump administration had easy access to prescription medications in large amounts, with doctors behaving “like the Wild West”.
A follow-up to a report from the Inspector General of the Department of Defense that criticized the White House Medical Unit during the Trump administration reveals that the unit doled out prescription medication with little to no oversight and messy record keeping. One source close to the matter stated to Rolling Stone, “It was kind of like the Wild West. Things were pretty loose. Whatever someone needs, we were going to fill this.”
According to the investigation, a tracking form in the report that was released in January contained numerous medications ordered in large doses such as Xanax, morphine, hydrocodone, diazepam and lorazepam (the latter two more commonly known as Valium and Ativan) and even ketamine and fentanyl. The report claims that there was no oversight exercised, with high scrutiny leveled at Ronny Jackson, who was the personal physician for former President Donald Trump at the time until 2019 after filling a similar role for former President Barack Obama.
It was also noted that many senior Trump officials would combine Xanax usage with drinking alcohol. “Knowledgeable sources say that samples of the stimulant were passed around for those contributing lines to major Trump speeches, working late hours on foreign policy initiatives, responding to Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe, coping with the deluge of media inquiries about that investigation, and so much more,” said the follow-up article. One former senior administration official said frankly of the situation: “You try working for him and not chasing pills with alcohol.” For those who wanted to raise complaints, they chose not to because “they feared they would receive negative work assignments or be “fired” if they did.
Jackson, who is currently a Republican congressman representing the 13th District of Texas, declined to comment when his office was reached. The physician has been regarded as an “eccentric” type in the past, with complaints about his behavior piling up including 56 of 60 subordinates interviewed testifying to the Pentagon that they “experienced, saw, or heard about [him] yelling, screaming, cursing, or belittling subordinates.” Other sources corroborated his actions. “Any practices existing at that time were all set up by Jackson, who’d been there for a dozen years. Though the med unit was led by an administrator, little happened without his say-so,” another source claimed.