Free Republic

CNN's Chris Cillizza has been laid off, according to Variety

News media has faced heightened criticism from right-leaning politicians as a trucker convoy rolls into Ottawa, but one former conservative strategist says it’s an example of a long-standing tactic. Tim Powers, the chair of Summa Strategies, told Global News that criticizing the media is “part of normal strategic practice” for conservative politicians, particularly when they feel like they’re in trouble. Powers said the practice in Canada dates back to the Brian Mulroney era and was a successful tool for Stephen Harper.

CNN’s Jim Acosta said Sunday on “Reliable Sources” that many within the news media were dealing with “post-Trump stress disorder” in the aftermath of Donald Trump’s presidency. Anchor Brian Stelter said, “Do you feel like you are rundown, your lineup is really different than it would have been in the Trump years?” Acosta said, “When you asked me if I was rundown, I was wondering if you were asking me how I felt during the Trump era. I think we’re all dealing with some post-Trump stress disorder.” He continued, “There are questions about why aren’t Republicans getting on board with...

WASHINGTON - Health care was already a vulnerability for President Donald Trump before the coronavirus pandemic hit. Now his lack of a plan to fix the system is coming under a new microscope as the crisis costs many Americans their coverage and overwhelms providers. The clarity in Trump's health care vision begins and ends with repealing the Affordable Care Act, or ACA, also known as Obamacare. His budget proposals would strip away funding for the law, and he has endorsed a lawsuit to wipe it off the books. But the president hasn't thrown his weight behind a replacement bill or...

WASHINGTON - As the first alarms sounded in early January that an outbreak of a novel coronavirus in China might ignite a global pandemic, the Trump administration squandered nearly two months that could have been used to bolster the federal stockpile of critically needed medical supplies and equipment. A review of federal purchasing contracts by The Associated Press shows federal agencies waited until mid-March to begin placing bulk orders of N95 respirator masks, mechanical ventilators and other equipment needed by front-line health care workers. Now, three months into the crisis, that stockpile is nearly drained just as the numbers of...

“How would you describe the job President Trump is doing behind the scenes and in front of the cameras during these daily briefings that we’re seeing?” a Christian Broadcasting Network reporter asked. “What’s been your perspective, Dr. Birx?” “He’s been so attentive to the scientific literature and the details and the data,” Birx replied. “And I think his ability to analyze and integrate data that comes out of his long history in business has really been a real benefit during these discussions about medical issues,” she added. “That was translated from the original North Korean,” Williams announced with authority as...

he United States reached two grim milestones on Thursday: Fatalities from covid-19 topped 1,000, and it became the country with the most confirmed cases of coronavirus, surpassing China with more than 82,000. (Keep in mind, there is reason to doubt that China’s tally is accurate, absent a free media or independent verification from an international organization.) We are only at the beginning of the deadly pandemic that President Trump once promised would “completely disappear.” Trump once promised that 15 initial cases would go down to zero but, of course, that was either a deliberate untruth or ignorance magnified by denial....

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump has a new daily ritual now that the pandemic has put the kibosh on the signature campaign rallies that helped him get elected four years ago: the coronavirus briefing. The updates are far more staid than his raucous rallies and lack the adoring crowds and “Lock her up!” chants of the political gatherings. But they include many of the same features as his now-on-ice mass rallies: plenty of self-congratulation and airing of grievances, press bashing, tirades against his critics and an ample dose of misleading information. That, combined with measured updates from public health officials,...

The powers that be at CNN were in full outrage mode yesterday after Republican Sen. Martha McSally called Manu Raju, one of their congressional correspondents, a “liberal hack,” and refused to answer his questions. After the incident, much of the minimal airtime left over from trashing Donald Trump all day was expended in defense of Raju and the network, which they clearly feel, has been unfairly besmirched. I’ve got two words for them: toughen up. A statement from their PR department said, “It is extremely unbecoming for a U.S. Senator to sink to this level and treat a member of...

CNN debate moderator Abby Phillip asked Bernie Sanders in the Tuesday debate in Des Moines: “CNN reported yesterday — and Senator Sanders, Senator Warren confirmed in a statement — that, in 2018, you told her you did not believe that a woman could win the election. Why did you say that?” Not “did you say that,” but “why did you say that?” Sanders denied it, then listed the many reasons the story makes no sense: He urged Warren herself to run in 2016, campaigned for a female candidate who won the popular vote by 3 million votes, and has been...

CNN had its lowest primetime weekly ratings overall and in the key age demographic last week, according to Nielsen Media Research. ... CNN finished 15th, behind networks like Discovery Channel, Food Network, TLC and A&E Network.

CNN host Don Lemon on Tuesday evening ripped the Covington Catholic High School chaperones for not educating the students about why Make America Great Again baseball caps trigger “marginalized people.” “OK. The MAGA hat, the MAGA hat carries a certain connotation that provokes a conditioned reaction from many people. Especially from marginalized people,” Lemon said. “For example, Pocahontas, right? This was a Native American. Their chaperone should be keenly aware of that. Those kids should know that. And let’s say that the kids didn’t know that because they are kids. Their chaperones should be responsible enough to educate them. After...

Netflix has inked a multiyear deal with the Obamas for original programming — but the content from the former First Couple will not have any political bias, according to chief content officer Ted Sarandos. “This is not The Obama Network,” said Sarandos, speaking Tuesday at the Paley Center for Media in New York. “There’s no political slant to the programming.” Sarandos was interviewed journalist Ken Auletta at the event. Noting that the Netflix exec is a Democrat, Auletta asked what he would say to Republicans about Netflix’s seeming push to the political left — including the appointment of former Obama...

While Fox News and MSNBC are more or less holding steady this week when compared to the full month of May last year, the far-left CNN is already in a total ratings freefall by 20 percent and more. With three weeks of May still remaining, the Stormy Daniels Network might be able to mount (if you’ll pardon the expression) a comeback, but as of right now the month is looking like it could be a serious humiliation for CNN—and not just in total viewers but the advertiser-coveted 25-54 age demo, as well. Primetime Hours During primetime hours throughout May of...

CNN anchor Don Lemon revealed that his network will limit the amount of time it devotes to airing President Donald Trump’s 2020 rallies unfiltered. “There will be no rallies that run in real time,” Lemon said at a Variety event on Friday. “There will not be so much space for candidates to let them ramble on. The American people will demand that. We will expect more truth from our candidates.”