Welcome to What the Media Missed, the place we dig into the various examples of legacy media malpractice that disgraced the nation’s entrance pages this week—whereas highlighting how Every day Kos goes previous the spin to uncover the true horror tales of our new Trump period.
Elon Buys the GOP
Tesla CEO and shadow President Elon Musk already owns many of the Republican Social gathering. This week, he moved to purchase what little remained within the type of a rumored $100 million “donation” to President Donald Trump’s political operation. However whereas mainstream media retailers reported on Musk’s unprecedented present to his alleged boss, solely Every day Kos dug into precisely what Musk can be shopping for with all that money.
Musk has a very good cause to purchase his option to security: As Every day Kos reported on Wednesday, Musk’s much-hyped cuts from his so-called Division of Authorities Effectivity haven’t lowered federal spending. Actually, whole authorities spending is up, main some White Home insiders (particularly an irate Secretary of State Marco Rubio) to name for Musk’s fast humbling. Fats probability when Musk is on monitor to turn out to be the one largest donor in Republican Social gathering historical past. Because it seems, being an almost bottomless supply of ethics-free financing makes you a fairly untouchable power in right-wing politics.
For now, Musk’s fats pockets can nonetheless purchase him a spot on the determination desk. However with federal courts overturning his mass firings and Cupboard secretaries bristling beneath his bumbling mismanagement, Musk’s cash is now not a assure that anybody within the White Home might be listening without end. As Musk’s star dims, Trump’s calls for for money will solely improve—an unimaginable ransom, even for the richest man on the earth.
Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill on March 11, 2025.
Schumered
On Wednesday, Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer boldly predicted that Senate Republicans lacked the votes to go their rotten government-funding package deal. As skilled Schumer watchers know, that type of confidence is sort of all the time adopted by a betrayal of Democrats’ place. And simply someday later, Schumer lived as much as voters’ lowest expectations.
As an alternative of utilizing Republican dysfunction to showcase their incompetence to the American individuals, Schumer introduced he would abruptly cease combating and assist Republicans’ nightmare invoice. That announcement did extra than simply sow confusion amongst Schumer’s Senate colleagues—it as soon as once more reminded voters that even Democratic lawmakers don’t appear to know what they imagine. And it gave 9 different members of the Democratic caucus permission to hitch him in voting to finish debate on Friday, together with two senators who’re retiring.
Every day Kos referred to as it what it was, quoting Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York: “outrage and betrayal.” Schumer’s clockwork caving to GOP stress despatched a wave of fury by the occasion as rank-and-file Democrats realized they have been on the verge of surrendering yet one more pivotal legislative combat to Trump and his MAGA cronies. Progressive Democrats, together with Ocasio-Cortez, blasted Schumer’s gambit as “dangerous” and cited his spinelessness for instance of why Democratic voters are shedding religion of their occasion.
It’s arduous to argue with that bleak prognosis. As soon as once more, Schumer’s sclerotic management has led Democrats right into a lure that makes them appear to be weak-willed rubes. If Democrats can’t tackle their identification disaster, they might lose their probability to retake a chamber of Congress within the 2026 midterm elections, and the nation can’t afford that type of worst-case situation.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz
Democrats (Slowly) Fill the Void
“If your Republican representative won’t meet with you because their agenda is so unpopular, maybe a Democrat will. Hell, maybe I will,” Walz posted on X. “If your congressman refuses to meet, I’ll come host an event in their district to help local Democrats beat ‘em.”
As Every day Kos reported this week, Walz introduced his first city corridor stops in Iowa’s third District, represented by Republican Rep. Zach Nunn, and Nebraska’s 2nd District, the place Republican Rep. Don Bacon barely received reelection final 12 months. Walz joins Ocasio-Cortez and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders as the primary Democrats to fill the void left by Republican lawmakers. Which begs the query—the place the heck is everybody else?
It’s no shock Republicans need to keep away from their voters. Throughout the nation, the GOP is now dealing with its most sustained unpopularity in years. Fifty-seven % of voters, in addition to a 3rd of Republicans, now say Trump’s management is “too erratic” and Republican insurance policies are hurting the financial system. All that chaos is hopefully persuading exhausted People that it’s time to appropriate their electoral errors, beginning with ousting the GOP’s dysfunctional Home majority in 2026. Touring town-hall excursions are an effective way to start out.
Headline Watch
Good factor there’s no darkish historic precedent for a fascist chief deciding who’s and isn’t Jewish …
Politico, left, and Every day Kos
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