From biased headlines to selective reporting, today’s media landscape is shaped more by agendas than facts — and the American people are waking up.
In today’s media landscape, the line between fact and fiction is increasingly hard to distinguish. The term fake news—once dismissed as a fringe complaint—has become an everyday reality for millions of Americans who see through the spin and selective storytelling pushed by the press. What used to be a trust between journalists and the public has turned into a battlefield of agendas, half-truths, and flat-out misinformation.
Mainstream media outlets, once respected as watchdogs of democracy, continue to miss the mark—whether through sloppy reporting, rushed narratives, or intentional distortions. From misquoting key figures to burying stories that don’t fit the narrative, the mistakes aren’t just piling up—they’re becoming patterns. And those patterns reveal a disturbing truth: the news isn’t just broken. It’s rigged.
Political bias now runs so deep in the media that many outlets seem to exist solely to boost one party and demonize the other. Instead of informing the public, major networks cater to their ideological base, reinforcing echo chambers rather than challenging them. Journalism is supposed to seek truth. Today, too often, it simply seeks power.
In a blistering rebuke, the Trump team outlined dozens of hoaxes peddled by legacy outlets and left-wing officials during the first 100 days of the administration—claims that were later proven false, exaggerated, or deliberately misleading. The pattern, Trump allies argue, is clear: partisan media working in lockstep with political opponents to mislead the public and undermine the administration’s agenda.
Here are some of the most egregious examples from President Trump’s first 100 days of his second term:
Transgender Mice? Yes, Really.
HOAX: CNN claimed Trump was wrong in stating the Biden administration had spent millions to make mice transgender.
FACT: After ridicule and a failed fact-check, CNN was forced to update the story and admit the claim was accurate.
Colin Powell’s Arlington Honor Intact
HOAX: Reports falsely alleged the Trump administration removed Gen. Colin Powell from a notable Americans list at Arlington Cemetery.
FACT: Powell’s name remains, and no names were removed.
Plane Crash Politics Debunked
HOAX: Rep. Eric Swalwell claimed Trump oversaw more plane crashes than any president in his first month.
FACT: Biden’s first month had more aviation incidents—55 compared to Trump’s 35, per FAA data.
False School “Raid” Sparks Panic
HOAX: Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago officials claimed ICE raided an elementary school.
FACT: It was the Secret Service responding to a non-immigration threat.
Smears Against DOGE and Elon Musk
HOAX: Critics accused the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) of aiming to cut Social Security and being run by amateurs.
FACT: DOGE targets waste, not benefits. It is staffed by respected CEOs and industry professionals.
Manipulated Protests
HOAX: NBC reported Trump’s waste-cutting agenda sparked district outrage.
FACT: The cited protests were organized by far-left special interest groups.
NASA “Stranding” Claims Reversed
HOAX: NPR claimed astronauts weren’t “stranded” on the ISS—despite their own earlier reporting saying the opposite.
FACT: Trump and Elon Musk prioritized their return.
Foreign Leaders “Snubbed”? Nope.
HOAX: European press alleged Trump insulted the British PM.
FACT: Trump merely moved on from a divisive reporter’s question.
RFK Jr. & HHS Nomination Lies
HOAX: Media labeled Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., as “anti-vaccine” and accused him of plotting a national abortion ban.
FACT: Kennedy debunked the vaccine smear in Senate hearings and backed Trump’s states-first abortion stance.
Illegal Immigrant Deportation Deceptions
HOAX: Media painted Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an MS-13-affiliated gang member, as a “Maryland father.”
FACT: He was a violent criminal deported to El Salvador.
Weaponization Task Force Smears
HOAX: Sen. Mazie Hirono claimed a new DOJ task force was “weaponizing” the agency.
FACT: It was created to end weaponization and restore trust.
Fluoride Fear-Mongering
HOAX: The New York Times attacked RFK Jr. for opposing fluoride in water.
FACT: They ignored their own reporting linking fluoride to lowered IQ in children.
From Portraits to Pentagon Myths
HOAX: Critics claimed Trump removed Obama’s White House portrait.
FACT: It was moved a few feet, not removed.
HOAX: CBS reported a “makeup studio” was built for the Defense Secretary.
FACT: A total fabrication.
As the administration settles in, officials warn Americans to stay alert and discerning. “We are fighting not just political opponents but an ecosystem of coordinated falsehoods,” said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. “Thankfully, truth has a way of rising.”
Change is coming and new media outlets like THRIVE! are leading the way into a better and brighter true media future.
