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Kash Patel Becomes the Focus of Media Analysis They Consistently Get Wrong

Brad Slager
Brad Slager  |  Feb 20, 2026
The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Townhall.com.

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Both Kinds of Standards – CNN

  • We are unclear what the complaint is here, Jake.

Dan Bongino, after stepping down from his role at the FBI, has returned to his radio program. This week he had his former boss on the show, Kash Patel. This apparently bothered CNN fixture, and the journo who topped our year end Townhall 50 list, Jake Tapper.

He posted a shot of the pair in a snide manner, so it seemed needed to remind him of his past of likewise interviewing Bureau figures.

Artisanally-Crafted Narratives – CBS NEWS

  • Sure, other things may be scheduled – but they know why he REALLY went there.

Kash Patel is heading to Milan for the Olympics, and the press is rather bothered by this. CBS leads the charge in accusing him of going just to watch some hockey games. He has meetings with Italian officials, is reviewing security measures to prepare for the 2028 games in Los Angeles, and a number of other official gatherings. But hockey, THAT is the primary reason for his trip, according to the network, based on the dismissive approach they take with these meetings – some scheduled last summer.

As part of the trip, Patel is also scheduled to take part in meetings with law enforcement counterparts in Italy.

Deadline Gambit – MS NOW

  • The official itinerary conflicts with the pre-written hitpiece.

Joining in with the slam on Patel was MS NOW, also insisting he is spending $75 million in his trip to go watch hockey. Only problem: The network was provided with the details of his trip.

Ben Williamson, FBI Assistant Director for Public Affairs, stated that upon being contacted by the network reporters Ken Dilanian and Carol Leonnig, he gave them the schedule of meetings Patel had lined up.

Legalized Press-titution – POLITICO

  • Something in place for a decade is still in place, so it is regarded as “news.”

Bruce Springsteen has announced an upcoming tour. Bruce Springsteen has long been a vocal opponent of Donald Trump. For reasons clear only to the scribes at Politico, The Boss declaring that he will be opposing Trump from the stage on his tour is somehow considered to be “news.”

DNC PR Firm – MS NOW

  • Another “Censorship Media Tour” is underway.

It has become the most dependable of news cycles; a Democrat figure claims they are being censored by President Trump, and they proceed to go on a blitz of appearances on news programs, incapable of shutting up about how they are silenced.

James Talarico, the focus of this week’s Stephen Colbert non-troversy, has been appearing with any sympathetic media figure to warble about being censored. Joe Scarborough is just the latest to pimp the “muzzled” candidate.