BRIAN STELTER: Trump Made Me Do It!

Video at the link, but the transcript is far more watchable:

Let me take this on. Partisans on the right are already claiming the end of the Mueller probe vindicates all of their prior positions. They are saying the media, the evil media, was wrong all along.

Donald Trump Jr. is tweeting out messages like this: “#CollusionTruthers.” Accusing the press of pushing a narrative against his dad. Junior is making a rookie mistake. Mueller’s assignment was to get to the truth about Russian interference.

Now, did many commentators and Democratic politicians allege collusion? Yes.

Did many journalists ask about it? Yes.

There is a giant difference between asking and telling. The job of the nation’s news media is to ask, to question all sides to scrutinize and report on opposing points of view and only take the side of truth and decency.

In other words: We didn’t fall for anything, push a false narrative, work to delegitimize a presidential election, or cover for Hillary Clinton’s very real security lapses. No, we were just asking questions. Bravely, one presumes.

And here’s the kicker:

The president’s kids and friends on Fox should be able to tell the difference between agenda-driven columnists and journalists trying to report. There is a big difference. There is difference between news and opinion.

Would that his bosses and coworkers at CNN understood the difference.