On MSNBC, Maureen Dowd declared, “I think we should get rid of propagandists” in the White House briefing room, mocking Trump, Musk, and Bannon’s “mocktail journalists.” Mike Barnicle called Trump’s Oval Office press conferences “offensive” to the presidency, claiming Trump says “nothing really.” Ari Melber lectured, “I don’t think you have to have some degree or advanced degree to do this work, but if you don’t have the fidelity to checking your sources and checking your facts and only reporting what you found to be true, then you’re just detonating that room.”
Dowd, Barnicle, and Melber whine as Trump shifts “legacy media” like MSNBC back, while reporters tied to Bannon and Lindell replace them. Their self-righteous gripes reek of hypocrisy. These three are the real propagandists who don’t check their facts, spinning narratives for Democrats’ agenda. Trump, Musk, and Bannon keep shattering their monopoly.
Dowd, Barnicle, and Melber are offensive to journalism.
Transcript:
Ari Melber: Do have a fall back on the White House briefing room.
Maureen Dowd: Yes. I think we should get rid of propagandists in the White House briefing room because, uh, Trump and Elon, Elon, uh, tells people on X that they are the media. Legacy media doesn’t exist anymore. And Trump is trying to undermine the media. So they’re taking the medium and taking the um, people who used to be in the front seats, like the New York Times and CNN and MSNBC, and moving them back. And they’re putting in these kind of mocktail journalists.
Ari Melber: WOW.
Maureen Dowd: Ha Ha Ha. Who um, there’s one. Okay, you’re not going to believe this. Well, Steve Bannon has his own White House reporter.
Mike Barnicle: Yeah.
Maureen Dowd: And Mike Lindell, Mr. Pillow has his own White House reporter. So these are the people who are replacing legacy media.
Michael Barnicle: You know, having lived in Washington all your life, you’re a Washington native. Not a lot of people know that. Born and raised in Washington D.C., does it shock you the ease with which each and every day, the president of the United States, Donald Trump, uses the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office for like, just press conferences that are carried live now on television talking about nothing really.
Maureen Dowd: Yes, shocked Mike. Ha Ha Ha.
Mike Barnicle: Yeah. It’s offensive. It’s offensive.
Ari Melber: Yeah.
Mike Barnicle: To the office, to the standing of the presidency.
Maureen Dowd: It’s all offensive, yeah.
Ari Melber: Well, what you say that that needs to fall back is also important because it’s one thing to say we need new and broader media. That’s great. People from all over the country, not just the coasts, people with different life experience. I don’t think you have to have some degree or advanced degree to do this work, but if you don’t have the fidelity to checking your sources and checking your facts and only reporting what you found to be true, then you’re just detonating that room. We always like to and fall back on that kind of sour and depressing note.
Maureen Dowd: Ha Ha Ha Ha.
Ari Melber: Yeah, so you might need a real cocktail.
Mike Barnicle: Instead of a mocktail.
Ari Melber: Yeah. So great to have you both together. Mike and Maureen. Thank you.
Maureen Dowd: Thank you Ari.