Get access to Brad Slager's "Riffed From the Headlines," a daily VIP feature where he looks to bring accountability to the mainstream media. Use promo code FIGHT to get 60% off your VIP membership!
Artisanally-Crafted Narratives – ABC NEWS
In a way, this report is accurate – in its manner of being deceptive.
Sympathy for the illegals continues in the press. This latest from ABC News displays the manner in which deception is a key component in covering the issue of detentions and deportations. The outlet reports that when Mahmoud Khalil was taken in by ICE agents, the agency did so without a warrant.
This sounds really bad, and it is accurate that a warrant had not been issued. Here is the niggling little detail that the network is choosing to leave out – when it comes to visa revocation and deportation orders, those do not require a warrant.
But otherwise, solid reporting by ABC News.
According to government lawyers in a new court filing, ICE did not have a warrant for activist Mahmoud Khalil's arrest when they took him into custody last month.
— ABC News (@ABC) April 25, 2025
Read more: https://t.co/SJWgBS7QCm pic.twitter.com/10s5RKi4af
Legalized Press-titution – THE NEW YORK TIMES
Any valid reason for avoiding the particulars of this case?
Joining in on the pro-illegal immigrant support system is The Times, with this weepy tale of a man deported to Jamaica. The paper makes it sound like this was an unwarranted move, despite the fact that he has a conviction for kidnapping and the judge ruled at the time that he would need to be deported after serving his 15-year sentence.
The New York Times conveniently glossed over that this illegal alien, Nascimento Blair is a convicted kidnapper and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
— Tricia McLaughlin (@TriciaOhio) April 24, 2025
In 2008, he was issued a final order of removal. Because of the Biden administration’s open border policies, this criminal… pic.twitter.com/qy3PvxBI2P
News Avoidance Syndrome – ABC 7-LOS ANGELES
This is becoming a disturbing pattern…
This local ABC affiliate has been covering a number of stories regarding illegal immigrants, but with one distinction; it does not like to use that “illegal” designation. Fox News' Bill Melugin has spotted a couple of instances where the station is covering some serious stories but elects to leave out the particulars about their residency status and the criminal records of those involved.
“Man” = 2x previously deported Mexican illegal alien w/ multiple felony convictions in CA prior to killing these two American teenagers. https://t.co/1jmbr4ePGp
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) April 24, 2025
This “Pomona father” is a previously deported illegal alien who returned to the U.S., which is a felony under 8 USC 1326 (illegal re-entry after removal).
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) April 24, 2025
The “day laborers” targeted had charges for child abuse, assault with a deadly weapon, DUI, and immigration violations. https://t.co/RK79wtcylV
Anti-Social Media – ABC NEWS
More anonymous reports, fewer pieces of direct evidence.
ABC News is at it again with the latest neutered hit job on Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. This time, it details how he allegedly has an unsecured internet line in his office and he got this to use the Signal app. This comes from two – you guessed it – anonymous sources.
While this is set up as yet another alleged violation of distributing sensitive classified intelligence, this report not only failed to provide the details of any sensitive transmissions, it does not even contend that Hegseth sent anything sensitive at all. It is merely an accusatory presentation, without even the charge of wrongdoing.
BREAKING: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth used the Signal app on a personal computer in his office that was connected to the internet on an unsecured commercial line — known as a “dirty line” — two sources confirmed.https://t.co/oAUSm8aMNW pic.twitter.com/nDMiSE0Ogz
— ABC News (@ABC) April 24, 2025
Body Checking the Fact-Checkers – VARIOUS OUTLETS
Maybe this is because they defeated “misinformation” after all?
Over at Axios, Sarah Fischer details an interesting development across the media spectrum. According to a recent Pew Research study, news outlets once deeply obsessed with accusing “misinformation” and calling it the greatest threat to our democracy seemingly have been dropping the subject, almost entirely:
America's obsession with countering mis- and disinformation has withered as society grows skeptical of institutions once trusted with facts. Professional fact-checking went mainstream during the first Trump administration, but it's since become politicized. Americans are less enthusiastic about policing information today than they were two years ago, and the trend is bipartisan.
A couple of things here. It is not that America was obsessed with this topic, it was the press. And it has not “since become politicized,” the problem was that the news outlets politicized it from the beginning.
Hence, the public distrust and ensuing disinterest in this matter.
America's obsession with countering mis- and disinformation has withered as society grows skeptical of institutions once trusted with facts. https://t.co/anYj2Ea1R7
— Axios (@axios) April 22, 2025
