June 26, 2025

CNN IS IN THE MIDST OF ABOUT THE WORST WEEK OF REPORTING A LONE OUTLET CAN HAVE:

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has been so incensed over the faulty coverage that he called a press conference this morning specifically to deliver a scalding rebuke of the media. It can be debated whether this is a worthy use of his time, but at the same time, he said a few things about the press that were more than valid. Clearly, Hegseth is enraged that internal forces are still in place, working with the press and against the intentions of the DoD.

Natasha Bertrand has shown herself over the years to be a dutiful tool for the activists inside the Pentagon, her career being what it is because she is a willing mynah bird for their talking points. From the Steele dossier and Russian collusion stories, to decrying the Hunter Biden laptop and serving as the initial source of the farcical intelligence letter with 51 operatives calling the computer a Russian psy-op campaign, she is their willful plant in the press. She was the source they used to say that the Chinese spy balloon was no big deal by insisting no real intelligence had been gathered, while at the same time declaring they had no way of knowing what had been gathered. She is simply that inept of a loyal mouthpiece.

* * * * * * * * *

This network has been generating so many unforced errors in a matter of days. There was Kaitlan Collins disputing the White House claims of a ceasefire, only to be immediately shamed with a breaking report mid-sentence confirming it to be true. Brian Stelter was flummoxed as to why a secret classified mission has not delivered telegenic video clips for the press. Erin Burnett tried to sell the concept that Iranians chanted “death to America” in a warm and friendly manner.

Things are so bad for CNN right now that they should just back down and run Hollywood fluff pieces for a few days until they get their feet back underneath them.

To be fair, Bertrand has one friend left in the media: Colbert Dances After CNN Article Casts Doubt On Success Of Iran Strikes.

Colbert responded by referencing the CNN article, “Okay, that’s one less problem in the world. Except for one small problem: today we learned that U.S. intelligence has determined Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium was not destroyed, and their centrifuges are largely intact. Oopsa nukey. So, less Operation Midnight Hammer and more Operation MC Hammer. In that Iran’s nuclear scientists just sent this message about their centrifuges.”

After brief snippet of MC Hammer’s “U Can’t Touch This” music video, Colbert copied the dance.

Given that network late night shows have for the past decade leaned hard on leftist politics to hang onto what’s left of an increasingly atomized audience, we’ve long referred to their hosts as the “palace guard media.” But I wasn’t expecting Colbert to be a member of the Khamenei Palace Guard. (It’s a particularly unexpected flex during Pride Month.)

But then, as Glenn wrote during the president’s first term, “Trump’s greatest gift is getting various institutions to make clear in obvious ways that they’re as corrupt as he says they are.”

Finally, talk about a weapon of mass destruction — MOAB simultaneously takes out Iran’s nuclear program, Natasha Bertrand, and Stephen Colbert!

Posted at 1:35 pm by Ed Driscoll