Read an article from any mainstream media outlet regarding an even remotely controversial subject broached by President Trump, and it is likely to include the statement, “President Trump claimed, without evidence…”  Use of the phrase is so frequent, it is likely that writers at the New York Times and elsewhere have it pop up in the auto-fill functionality on their laptops.  Type in “President Trump,” and the words “claimed without evidence” automatically appear to the side in opaque font, and all they have to do is hit their arrow key to auto-fill the phrase.

The practice has become so prevalent in the media’s wonderland that they no longer wait to include the phrase in the body of an article, they now put it right in their headlines.  In a recent article from the Washington Post, the headline proclaimed, “Trump without evidence accuses ‘deep state’ at FDA of slow-walking coronavirus vaccines.”  Not to be outdone, the next day CNN followed suit with a similar article featuring the headline, “Trump, without evidence, accuses FDA of delaying coronavirus vaccine trials.”  Demanding supporting facts and insisting upon accuracy is not only a reasonable journalistic practice, it should be standard; for everyone.  But where is the mainstream media’s resolve regarding substantiation when it comes to their cronies on the Left?  It is not just scarce, it is nonexistent.

Prior to the release of the much-anticipated Mueller report in April 2019, the media fed us a steady diet of the Russia Hoax without any of the evidence they are so insistent upon when it comes to President Trump and Republicans.  For two and a half years, they told us “the walls are closing in” on Trump. Every day, it seemed, they had “breaking news” on one “bombshell” after another.  The only “evidence” they had to support their claims during the entire effort to destroy the president was the ridiculously dubious Steele Dossier, reports of a meeting at Trump Tower between Russian diplomats and members of then-candidate Trump’s campaign team, and accusations from various talking heads who claimed to be in-the-know.  They never put forth any evidence because there was no evidence.  After months of not just misleading Americans, but of outright lying to us, the media was exposed when Robert Mueller released his report and explained that his team had found nothing to support the claim of collusion. The media temporarily tried to keep the hoax’s narrative on life support, pinning their hopes on Mueller’s claim that the report did not “exonerate” Trump, but eventually they had to let it drop. Why? Because there was no evidence.

Ignoring a lack of evidence for theories that support the Left’s narratives is not limited to the Russia Hoax, unfortunately.  It applies to virtually any effort or assertion from Democrats.  Governor Andrew Cuomo was outraged recently when the CDC changed their policy on COVID-19 testing.  The CDC was acting as Trump’s “political tool,” Cuomo claimed.  They were engaging in “political propaganda.” What evidence did Cuomo provide for his claims? None.  What pushback did the media give regarding Cuomo’s claims?  None.  

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) recently attacked Trump’s policy on funding for the Postal Service as “a campaign to sabotage the election.”  Pelosi told us that, “lives, livelihoods and the life of our American Democracy are under threat from the president."  One would think that an accusation by a Speaker of the House that the current president was threatening the very existence of our Republic would generate some journalistic curiosity. But did the media ask Pelosi for any proof of her claims? Did any of the stories on the issue include headlines such as, “Pelosi claims, without evidence?”  Of course not. Pelosi does not need to provide evidence when she makes a claim. Neither does Cuomo, Joe Biden, or any other Democrat.  If you are a Democrat, they are going to take your word for it.  But if you are a Republican, well… you had better have your ducks in a row.

Perhaps the most disturbing example of the media’s lack of interest in evidence for leftist positions is what we see regarding the current debate on race relations.  There was never any doubt in the mind of the press that the actions of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd was driven by racism.  It has now been over three months since the incident, and there is still zero evidence that Chauvin’s actions had anything to do with race, but not once has the media even asked the question.  It is the same with the death of Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta, and it is the same with Breonna Taylor’s death in Louisville, and many others.  If a black citizen is killed by a police officer, the press needs no evidence; they were killed because of their race, end of story.

If President Trump makes a statement of which the media is skeptical, they immediately challenge him by asking “where is your evidence, sir?”  If that opportunity is unavailable, the press will pose the same question to White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany, who frequently offers brilliant responses.  But why are there not similar challenges to Democrats?  How is it possible that no one from the media has called out Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) for failing to come through with any evidence for his outrageous claims during the Russia Hoax?  We all know the reason.  Because the double standard the media employs for Democrats compared to Republicans has become absurd.  

Most Americans do not trust the media, with over two-thirds expressing a concern over bias, and we need not wonder why.  We have seen examples of such bias for decades.  When Dan Rather was caught ginning up a fake document to influence the 2004 election in favor of John Kerry, many pundits lamented the “death of journalism.”  How were they to know that journalism had only become terminally ill, and still had a long way to go before it truly kicked the bucket?  Perhaps the next time President Trump is asked for evidence while interacting with the press he should cite “anonymous sources.”  If it works for the media, maybe it should work for the president.  The press has often been called “the fourth branch of government.”  Our democracy needs a credible and trusted media; perhaps someday soon we will have one.

PF Whalen is a conservative blogger at www.TheBlueStateConservative.com. Follow him on Twitter @pf_whalen.

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