Trust in mainstream media has plummeted to historic lows, with polls showing most Americans believe journalists push agendas rather than report facts. Remember when journalists actually reported news instead of creating it? The White House press corps seems determined to prove those skeptics right. During Wednesday’s briefing, their attempts to manufacture drama between President Trump and his cabinet revealed just how desperate they’ve become.

The scene unfolded as reporters gathered for another press briefing. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stood alongside Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard to discuss explosive new findings. A congressional report had just dropped, revealing troubling actions by Obama-era officials during the Russia investigation. But instead of focusing on these revelations, one CNN reporter had other plans.

Kaitlan Collins decided to ignore the actual news and push a different narrative. She suggested Gabbard was releasing intelligence documents just to curry favor with President Trump. (Because that’s what passes for journalism at CNN these days.) The implication was clear: Trump’s cabinet members were competing for his attention through publicity stunts.

Press Corps Pushes False Narrative

The timing of Collins’ question was particularly telling. Here was Gabbard presenting evidence of how the FBI under James Comey had relied on the discredited Steele Dossier without verification. The same dossier funded by Hillary Clinton’s campaign. The same false document that media outlets had breathlessly promoted for years.

This is the modern media playbook in action. When confronted with facts that challenge their preferred narratives, they simply change the subject. They create conflict where none exists. I’ve watched this pattern for years, and it never gets less pathetic.

White House Fights Back

Leavitt’s response was swift and devastating. She didn’t mince words or play the media’s game.

From ‘The Daily Wire’:

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt unloaded on CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins during Wednesday’s White House briefing, accusing her of fomenting “chaos and distrust” among President Donald Trump’s cabinet and assuring her that her efforts would be unsuccessful…

“The only people who are suggesting that the Director of National Intelligence would release evidence to try to boost her standing with the president are the people in this room, who constantly try to sow distrust and chaos amongst the president’s cabinet — and it is NOT working.”

Those final three words carried special weight. They weren’t just a rejection of Collins’ premise. They were a declaration that the old media tricks have lost their power.

Pattern of Media Manipulation

This confrontation represents something bigger than one heated exchange. Remember how these same journalists pushed the Russia collusion hoax? How they treated the Steele Dossier as gospel despite zero verification? (So much for their “rigorous fact-checking.”)

The congressional report proved what many Americans already suspected. The Obama administration and intelligence agencies had pushed fabricated information to damage Trump. The media had been willing accomplices.

Now those same journalists sit in the briefing room, still trying the same tired tricks. But as Leavitt made crystal clear, nobody’s buying it anymore. The American people have wised up. Trust, once broken, is nearly impossible to rebuild.

This White House understands something the press corps doesn’t: Americans want straight talk and real results, not manufactured drama. As traditional media continues its slide into irrelevance, moments like this remind us why. The guardians of democracy have become the merchants of manipulation—and their customers have stopped buying. Good riddance, I say.

Key Takeaways

• CNN reporter tried manufacturing cabinet drama instead of covering real news
• Press Secretary Leavitt exposed media’s constant attempts to “sow distrust and chaos”
• Congressional report revealed Obama-era officials pushed unverified Steele Dossier
• Americans see through media manipulation tactics—trust in journalism hits rock bottom

Sources: Daily Wire