BROADCAST BIAS: Network gold meddling proves there’s no thrill of victory for leftists

One of the feel-good moments of the State of the Union code this week was President Donald Trump recognizing America’s golden medal-winning men’s hockey team. This should person been a large unifying and patriotic moment, but our elitist media ne'er privation immoderate moments of unity nether Trump. They had to marque it astir however the hockey squad became his mascots.

One of the annoying trends of the Olympics was witnessing sports reporters – whether American oregon European – asking questions to our Olympians astir however they could correspond America with this horrible president astatine the helm and his immigration-enforcement actions. Does anyone callback these reporters bothering athletes astir however they could correspond America erstwhile Barack Obama oregon Joe Biden were president? Of people not.

On "CBS Evening News" connected Wednesday, Feb. 25, newsman Jonah Kaplan pushed astir USA hockey goalie Jeremy Swayman implicit Trump’s locker-room telephone to the victorious men. The president joked "I indispensable archer you, we’re gonna person to bring the women's team, You bash cognize that." The men laughed astatine the joke, and the near treated that arsenic immoderate benignant of human-rights violation.

Kaplan urged Swayman to confess the misdeed successful the laughter: "Yep, we should person reacted differently. We cognize that. We are truthful excited for the women's team, we person truthful overmuch respect for the women's team." Then women’s hockey subordinate Kelly Panek agreed that the teams had communal admiration. But the media wanted to abstracted them and villainize the men. Once again, CBS doesn’t look similar it’s go "MAGA-coded" nether Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss, arsenic the property claims.

Jack Hughes of Team United States celebrates aft their gold-medal triumph during the Men's Gold Medal lucifer betwixt Canada and the United States connected time 16 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games astatine Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena connected Feb. 22, 2026 successful Milan, Italy. (Elsa/Getty Images)

On Thursday’s "Good Morning America" connected ABC, Co-host Michael Strahan asked Olympic women’s hockey squad skipper Hilary Knight partway done the interview: "But Hilary, determination has been a batch of speech astir that telephone the president made to the men’s hockey team. Will the women’s squad beryllium accepting his connection to travel to the White House?"

Knight made it look similar it won’t happen: "I’m not sure. I’m truly not definite wherever that stands. There was an announcement the different day. As acold arsenic my knowledge, like, I person not seen anything."

She past took her swipe astatine Trump: "I thought the telephone successful itself was distasteful and an awesome learning infinitesimal to refocus the communicative and recognize our words matter, and however we talk astir women matters."

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Co-host Robin Roberts reacted arsenic though Knight and the squad had been subjected to immoderate tremendous misogyny: "Well, I anticipation that you — and you’ve handled it — everyone — with specified — with specified grace and strength."

It was the aforesaid connected Thursday’s "CBS Mornings," arsenic Co-host Vladimir Duthiers underlined "the men are taking immoderate vigor for laughing on with the president astatine that gag [at] the disbursal of the women’s hockey team."    

CBS aired a clip of Knight from ESPN: "There’s a genuine level of enactment determination and respect. I deliberation that's being overshadowed by a speedy lapse. I deliberation the guys were successful a pugnacious spot, truthful I deliberation it's a shame this storyline and communicative has benignant of blown up and overshadowing that transportation and genuine involvement successful 1 different and cheering each different on."

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On Thursday night’s "World News Tonight," ABC newsman Will Reeve ran Swayman’s confession alongside chap men’s Olympian Charlie McAvoy taking his spot successful the enactment of regrets: "Certainly atrocious for however we responded to it. And if you cognize the men's squad and if you cognize the relationships that we have, the magnitude of clip that we've spent, you know, with the women's squad and however we've supported them, it's surely not reflective of however we feel." Reeve besides repeated Knight’s scolding reply astir Trump’s "distasteful" telephone telephone to the men’s team.

President Donald Trump talks to members of the United States men's hockey squad astatine the White House successful Washington, D.C., connected Feb. 24, 2026. (Dan Scavino via X)

The Big Three broadcast networks besides played up the contention implicit FBI Director Kash Patel showing up to the men’s hockey triumph solemnisation successful the locker country and drinking beers with them. From Feb. 23 done the evening of Feb. 27 determination were 5 mentions of Patel hanging retired with Team USA for a full of 215 seconds aired connected ABC (129 seconds), CBS (52 seconds), and NBC (34 seconds) oregon much than 3 and a fractional minutes’ worth.

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The women’s hockey squad declined a White House invite, citing "previously scheduled world and nonrecreational commitments." But the networks wanted a "snub" narrative. NPR ran this online header astir a ’90s rapper from the radical Public Enemy: "Flavor Flav is among women's hockey squad fans outraged by statesmanlike snub." Cultural newsman Neda Ulaby quoted the rapper offering an alternate solemnisation connected his Instagram channel: "If the USA Women's Hockey Team wants a existent solemnisation and invite… I'll big them successful Las Vegas." Ulaby included a leftist professional trashing "anti-trans" conservatives who assertion to enactment women’s sports.

Other leftist media commentators trashed the men’s hockey squad aft the State of the Union, calling them "lickspittles" and "self-absorbed scumbag misogynists." Nothing tin beryllium an juncture for unity erstwhile Trump brings champions to the White House oregon the State of the Union. It was ne'er an juncture for broadcast web muckraking oregon mud-throwing erstwhile Obama oregon Biden did it. The media are world-class competitors successful partisanship. 

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