Trump's doubling down on his long-time crusade against truth in reporting has been getting assistance from Pentagon Pete since the illegal war was started.
Hegseth's chest-thumping claims on the Iran war paint a different image of the scenes on the ground.
Data from the U.S. military show that the pace of operations in Iran has been fluctuating since Trump declared war, contrary to Hegseth's bombastic claims of "more and larger" waves of strikes.
Thanks to the U.S. Central Command we have data that shows the average number of strikes per day. Despite Hegseth's lies, the strikes have risen and fallen over time, even as Hegseth claims we're hitting them harder every day.
Meanwhile Trump told reporters recently that the U.S. has obliterated (he loves that word) Iran's defenses. The fact is Iran has been hitting key bases in the Middle East even as Hegseth claims he destroyed their fighting ability.
The good news is the news media has pushed back on Hegseth's Pentagon policy restricting press access.
The judge, Paul Friedman, ruled the policy - which forced journalists to sign agreements not to solicit unapproved information - was unconstitutionally vague and amounted to viewpoint discrimination.
Outcome: the court ordered the reinstatement of credentials for journalists. The Pentagon filed an immediate appeal, but I don't see it going anywhere.
The Committee to protect Journalists published a special report by Leonard Downie Jr. titled "The Trump Administration and the Media." The report stated: Trump has habitually attacked the news media in rallies, responses to reporter's questions, and many hundreds of tweets.
From funding cuts and executive orders to billion-dollar lawsuits, the Trump regime has mounted an historic assault on independent journalists and press freedom.
History tells us dictators always try to intimidate the free press or outright shut it down if they can. See Nazi Germany.
As it Stands, press protections are integral to the First Amendment, including the right to report without fear of government interference.
No comments:
Post a Comment