Why Has the Media Stopped Fighting Trump’s Lies? - Bulwark Takes

Summary

Bulwark Takes: Detailed Summary of "Why Has the Media Stopped Fighting Trump’s Lies?"

Release Date: August 6, 2025

In this episode of Bulwark Takes, host Will Saletan delves into the persistent issue of former President Donald Trump's unfounded claims about a rigged 2020 election and the broader implications for American politics and media. The discussion meticulously examines how Trump's repetitive lies have been emboldened by both Republican supporters and a media landscape that has seemingly grown weary of challenging these falsehoods.

1. The Genesis of Trump's Election Rigging Claims

Will Saletan begins by contextualizing Trump's accusations regarding the 2020 election:

[00:26] "Donald Trump has launched an all-out assault on our country's job numbers, our employment numbers. He says they're rigged and he fired the Commissioner of Labor Statistics."

Saletan traces the origin of this narrative back to the 2020 election, where Trump persistently alleged fraud and deceit without substantive evidence.

2. Republican Alignment and Voter Behavior

The discussion highlights how Republican politicians and a segment of the electorate accommodated Trump's delusions:

[02:15] "Republican politicians and a lot of voters understood that Trump was delusional about the 2020 election. They thought that he could still function rationally as president despite his false claims."

Saletan references the AP VoteCast survey, revealing that:

[02:45] "65% of voters said Joe Biden legitimately won the 2020 election. More than a quarter of those voters still chose Trump in 2024, effectively boosting his influence despite recognizing his dishonesty."

This behavior underscores a significant faction of the electorate willing to overlook Trump's falsehoods in anticipation of future gains.

3. Trump's Reinforcement of His Lies Post-2024 Re-election

Following his re-election, Trump intensified his claims about the election being rigged:

[03:30] "Since Trump returned to the White House, he has repeated his allegation about the rigged election more than 90 times. That is three times a week."

Saletan emphasizes the escalation of these unfounded assertions and their pervasive presence in Trump's rhetoric.

4. Support from Republican Elites and Influential Figures

The episode presents evidence of high-profile Republican figures endorsing Trump's narrative:

At the February CPAC event:

[04:24] "He said that election of 2020 was rigged. And he's more of a believer today than he was even four years ago."
During a May speech in Iowa:

[05:03] "They cheated and rigged the election. They rigged."
At the National Republican Congressional Committee dinner in April:

[05:27] "We had a rigged election. We can say it loud and say it proud because the election was rigged."
At a Kennedy Center board meeting:

[05:53] "It was a rigged election."

Prominent Republicans like Kristi Noem and Ron DeSantis are seen echoing these claims, demonstrating institutional support within the party.

5. Media's Waning Resistance to Trump's Lies

Saletan critiques the media's diminished response to Trump's repeated falsehoods:

[09:00] "The press did challenge it. They debunked it over and over and now they're tired and they want to move on. So they don't even flinch anymore when Trump says it."

He provides specific examples:

Fox News (February): Host Bret Baier smiles without challenging Trump's claims, indicating a lack of pushback.

[09:27] "He just sat there and smiled. That's Fox."
ABC's Terry Moran and Meet the Press's Kristen Welker: Both hosts acknowledge Trump's statements but swiftly move on without substantial refutation.

[10:03] "He just moves on... Let's talk about here and now."
During a CNBC segment:

[11:03] "Watch the host Joe Kernan laugh and roll over when Trump does it again."

These instances illustrate a shift in media strategy from active confrontation to passive acceptance or dismissal of Trump's lies.

6. Implications for Current Political Narratives

Saletan connects Trump's persistent falsehoods about the 2020 election to his current unfounded attacks on job numbers:

[07:27] "Trump is going to be a whack job about everything he touches."

He warns that the media's failure to consistently challenge Trump's lies about the election sets a precedent for accepting subsequent false claims without rigorous scrutiny.

7. Conclusion: The Dangers of Unchecked Political Lies

The episode concludes with Saletan cautioning against the normalization of political deceit:

[12:11] "Trump is a whack job and he's going to be a whack job about everything he touches."

He underscores the broader threat to democratic discourse and integrity when influential figures propagate unchallenged falsehoods.

Key Takeaways

Entrenched Delusions: Trump's belief in a rigged election is so pervasive that it influences his stance on other issues, demonstrating a pattern of irrationality.
Republican Complicity: Significant support from within the Republican Party and its base enables the perpetuation of these false narratives.
Media Fatigue: The press's reduced resistance to Trump's lies reflects a troubling shift in journalistic standards, potentially emboldening politicians to spread misinformation unchecked.
Democratic Risks: The normalization of baseless claims undermines public trust and poses a serious threat to democratic institutions and processes.

This comprehensive analysis by Will Saletan sheds light on the complex interplay between political figures, their supporters, and the media, raising critical questions about accountability and the future of political integrity in the United States.

Transcript

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Unnamed Political Commentator (1:42)

So as you probably heard by now, Donald Trump has launched an all out assault on our country's job numbers, our employment numbers. He says they're rigged and he fired the Commissioner of Labor Statistics. And the whole Republican Party is falling in line behind this lie. What I want to show you today is how we got here. We got here because Republican politicians and a lot of voters understood that Trump was delusional about the 2020 election. He said it was rigged and stolen and they thought that that delusion could be compartmentalized, meaning it was a one off, it didn't really matter and that he could still function rationally as president. And they were wrong. A man who is delusional about a rigged election is also going to be delusional about everything else being rigged. Let me take you back to last year. Throughout the 2024 campaign, Trump insisted that that the 2020 election was rigged and stolen and a Lot of voters decided that this delusion about the stolen election didn't really matter. Let me show you what I mean. This is the AP VoteCast survey of people who actually voted in 2024. It's like an exit poll. 65% of voters said Joe Biden legitimately won the 2020 election. Which means they knew that when Trump said the election was rigged, he was wrong. But more than a quarter of those voters voted for Trump anyway in 2024. They knew that he was lying or deluded, but they thought that was okay. So those voters, that quarter of the 65%, basically 1/6 of the electorate, made the difference in 2024. They were betting that Trump's crazy talk about the rigged election was just a one off. So those voters put Trump back, back in the White House. And maybe they thought he'd leave his fantasy about the rigged election in the past. He did not. In fact, he took his reelection in 2024 as confirmation that he was right about the rigged election in 2020. And he became even more obsessed. Since Trump returned to the White House, he has repeated his allegation about the rigged election more than 90 times. That is three times a week. And he's not getting shot down when he says it. He's getting support. Check out this video of Trump speaking at cpac, the Conservative Political Action Conference, in February. He's talking here about Mike Lindell, the number one proponent of the rigged election lie. Listen to the applause.