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Rob Finnerty’s Thursday segment with Chuck Todd turned into the kind of sparring match Americans deserve — two veteran journalists trading barbs over who’s failed the public more: the billionaires who own legacy outlets or the reporters who protect the powerful. The showdown wasn’t theater; it was a welcome airing of grievances about press rot and elite immunity, and Finnerty pressed Todd on why the media so often looks the other way when real scandals surface.
The real story that swallowed mainstream coverage was the Justice Department’s massive January release of Epstein-related material — a dump totaling roughly 3.5 million pages, plus thousands of images and videos, the department says was produced to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Conservatives have long demanded sunlight on the swamp, and this release, however imperfect, pulled the curtain back on a grotesque network of abuse and the institutions that enabled it.
But let’s be blunt: the DOJ’s timidity and heavy redactions prove that transparency has limits when it conflicts with Washington’s comfort zones. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche’s announcement came only after Congress forced the issue and President Trump signed the law — a reminder that Americans should never expect institutions to police themselves without pressure from the people and their representatives. The documents are a start, but they also expose how much has been hidden and how many questions still need answers.
While the Epstein files explode on to the public stage, Jeff Bezos quietly supervised the gutting of the Washington Post — a one‑third reduction in staff that eviscerated key coverage areas and betrayed the paper’s historical mission. The layoffs are not merely bad business; they are proof that media empires built on prestige can crumble when owners cut costs, chase politics, or lose trust with readers. Conservatives watching the Post flounder should not mourn left‑wing nostrums; we should demand accountability from owners who preach virtue but practice neglect.
Chuck Todd tried to frame some of these problems as mere “ecosystem” failures, but Finnerty rightly reminded viewers there’s a moral dimension here: elites protect elites, and institutions that were supposed to be guardians of liberty too often become protectors of privilege. The Epstein releases showed how tips, leads, and allegations circulated through corridors of power without consequence, and how media and prosecutors alike can be deferential instead of relentless. Americans deserve a press that chases truth and a justice system that does not shy away from the powerful.
This isn’t a partisan plea; it’s a demand for the rule of law and for a free press that serves the public interest rather than social cliques. Conservatives should cheer the moments when sunlight burns through secrecy and should keep the pressure on every institution that coddles the rich and the famous. If the Epstein files teach us anything, it’s that no amount of reputation should shield misconduct from exposure and consequence.
So here’s the takeaway from Finnerty’s exchange with Todd: stop apologizing for asking tough questions and stop letting establishment gatekeepers tell you what’s worth investigating. America is a country of hardworking men and women who deserve straight answers, not sanitized narratives. Keep demanding transparency, hold the powerful to account, and never let the press become an arm of the elite again.
