Staff Reports
The hacking of Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign has brought to light a curious case of selective outrage and media double standards that could make a seasoned circus clown blush. As the FBI investigates these cyber shenanigans, some are drawing comparisons to Russia’s influence operations from 2016. The irony? It seems like the real culprits this time might be lurking in Tehran rather than Moscow.
In an effort to prevent a repeat of 2016’s “let’s expose everything” fiasco, various media outlets—namely Politico, the New York Times, and the Washington Post—have voluntarily decided to sit on their hands, holding onto internal communications from Trump’s campaign. While they have these emails, they give every impression of having signed a secret pact to keep them under lock and key. One must wonder if this newfound discretion indicates a softening of their edges in the face of a modern-day scandal or if they are waiting for the right moment to strike, ensuring maximum drama and clicks when they do.
Their decisions stand in marked contrast to the 2016 presidential campaign, when a Russian hack exposed emails to and from Hillary Clinton’s campaign manager, John Podesta>>https://t.co/Vij2ZYVZz0 pic.twitter.com/NJh4XRYcUI
— FOX 8 New Orleans (@FOX8NOLA) August 13, 2024
To put this in perspective, back in 2016, we witnessed quite the spectacle of John Podesta’s emails being dumped faster than a sack of potatoes at a food drive. Those revelations were all the rage, going live for the public to see, courtesy of WikiLeaks amidst a frenzy of claims about foreign interference. In stark contrast, the current outlets received information that could shine a light on possible vulnerabilities in the campaign, yet they appear to have decided to play coy. The current narrative seems to be “What you don’t know won’t hurt you,” apparently forgetting that they previously turned everything into a public buffet.
Adding to the internal drama, Roger Stone’s email was reportedly compromised in the attack. The man who has walked the tightrope of political intrigue accused of having foreknowledge of the WikiLeaks shindig involving Clinton is now on the defensive. As the future and fate of the Trump campaign swell and swell, Stone’s crew is sounding the alarm bells, suggesting that any media outlet that advises caution is doing the bidding of America’s adversaries. On top of that, it’s a real head-scratcher to see Trump’s campaign comms director, Steven Cheung, flipping the script with a clear warning about any news outlets that dare to publish internal documents.
The left-leaning media outlets are trying to present their hands as clean as if the very essence of journalistic integrity is at stake. They assert that their decision to withhold the emails is about reasoned judgment and authenticity, perhaps in a lame effort to align themselves with the high ground they claim to occupy. When one might think they’d learned from history, it appears they are instead opting for a “fool me once” strategy while the mainstream media wrings its hands over what constitutes acceptable information.
What remains crystal clear is that the media has not only double standards but double standards that are as visible as a neon sign on the highway. The 2024 campaign is shaping up with its unique quirks, including an email scandal that makes new headlines. Meanwhile, the Democrats can breathe a sigh of relief, as they likely sleep easier knowing the current campaign editorials won’t alienate or expose their secrets. Thus, the narrative churns between what is allowed into public view and what is safely tucked away, sending the message that, once again, when it comes to covering politicians, sides matter more than substance.
