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An Easter Weekend Filled With Manufactured Scandals From the Floppy-eared Media

Brad Slager
Brad Slager  |  Apr 21, 2025
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Both Kinds of Standards – VARIOUS OUTLETS

  • This is positively unthinkable behavior! (When Republicans do it…)

Another week means another rash of kicking off new manufactured scandals. Given it was Easter weekend, you knew some form of theistic controversy had to be mined, and VP JD provided the content. The Vance family visited the Vatican for the Easter holiday and they visited the Sistine Chapel, with Vice President Vance getting a nice image of him beholding the work with his son.

This gracious image was met with a firestorm of backlash, as many a critic afflicted with derangement felt the need to bark about the policy inside the chapel that no photography can take place. Yet as they were accusing the VP of violating the ordinance, you will note that Vance has his back to the camera and his hands rather full with his son. This is because the photo was taken by the official White House photographer – who was clearly part of the group given the exclusive tour and clearly present to those organizing the event.

But there is, of course, rather noted silence when other political leaders from a different party have been photographed at the very same location.

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Stealth Story Evolution – THE DAILY BEAST

  • Well, one of these slams against Vance is bound to be accurate!

With his visit to the Vatican under way, The Daily Beast staffers were sharpening their knives while Air Force 2 was in the air. So, on Saturday, when Vance spoke with Vatican officials, it delivered a hit job report about the Pope refusing to meet with Vance over policy issues. Then it was caught with its drawers on the ground as the Pope did, in fact, meet with VP Vance. Not to be ones to correct its error, this was simply a “Plan B” scenario, with yet another way to slam Vance, for no reason whatsoever.

Matching Media Memorandum – VARIOUS OUTLETS

  • Well, the last time this story had no effect, but THIS TIME it will bring him down!

Another cooked-up controversy broke over the weekend, where reports from a number of outlets all delivered the same hit on Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Originating with The New York Times, it was said another Signal scandal was discovered, this time with Hegseth supposedly sharing classified intel on the Houthis strikes with his wife and brother as they were included in the Signal chat room. There is some unique synchronicity as multiple outlets all reported on the similar details with their own sourcing.

THE NEW YORK TIMES – The Defense Secretary sent sensitive information about strikes in Yemen to an encrypted group that included his wife and brother.

CNN – A second Signal group chat, this one on his personal phone and including his wife, lawyer and brother, three people familiar with the chat told CNN.

NBC NEWS – Two sources confirmed that the defense secretary used his personal phone to send information about U.S. military operations in Yemen to a 13-person group chat.

REUTERS – U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared details of a March attack on Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis in a message group that included his wife, brother and personal lawyer, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Sunday.    

We’re sorry. It strikes us as slightly hard to swallow that all these outlets managed to come up with the same story, confirmed by their own sourcing, yet they all managed to confirm the exact same details…on the same day, using anonymous sources.

The best is The New York Times details that the information shared echoed the same from the initial Signal scandal, which was not the fault of Hegseth but Mike Waltz, and that information was not deemed as sensitive as initially reported. But we even need to take that tepid explanation on faith.

We are not shown any definitive pieces of evidence of this text exchange, it is all based on the echoes from these sources – coincidentally coming immediately after four members of Hegseth’s staff have been let go due to leaks to the press.

Artisanally-Crafted Narratives – NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO

  • When one person goes on the record that will set a new record for sourcing.

In the wake of SignalScandal 2.0, now we get NPR rushing in for relevance with the announcement that the White House is beginning to search for a replacement for Pete Hegseth. This is based on a solitary unnamed source from an unattributed position – but that does not stop the media complex from spreading it like wildfire.

President Trump has stated Hegseth is not about to be replaced, and after publication, the piece now reads that Karoline Leavitt has also stated they are not looking to replace Hegseth – on the record.

Gilded Reframe – POLITICO

  • Well, he cannot condemn the arsonist, soooo…

The firebomb attack on the Pennsylvania governor's mansion continues to pose challenges to the press. It was bad enough when the terrorist was shown to be an admitted socialist, but once it became revealed that he stated he did so because he was an ardent Palestinian supporter, well, that meant he could not be referenced any longer. So, since the attacker is not on the right, how can the journalists deflect away from this uncomfortable reality?

Well, Jonathan Martin has a novel approach – let’s turn this onto President Trump…somehow.

Ah HA! How about that he did not call Governor Shapiro in a timely fashion! That surely has to be considered worse…than…the guy who tried burning down the home with the Shapiro family inside!

Pulitzer Prize Nomination (Photojournalism) – ASSOCIATED PRESS

  • We see what you did there.

Honestly, we can hardly blame the AP for stooping to this level. The ongoing squabble between the White House and the press syndicate has hit the “petty” note a few times, on both sides, and that said, the framing of this photo from the White House Easter Egg Hunt is something you can tell the AP delighted in capturing.