117 Comments
User's avatar
Lark Leonard's avatar

This is the very heart of what needs to happen, right now. Thank you, Jen. The public, the larger public, needs to see - with no veils - the deterioration of our leadership.

Daniel Solomon's avatar

The lead media story today is the revelation that the Epstein noose was not tested for DNA for the autopsy.

Want to expose the tyrant? Say the majic word: EPSTEIN.

Hiro's avatar

"Now, more than ever, the press must rigorously expose Trump’s delusions, lies, and blunders while they spotlight the victims and consequences of Trump’s reign of chaos. We should applaud journalists who do just that — and admonish those who need to do better." This is just the matter of economy. Unless reporters are reporting the truth, papers lose their values and hence subscriptions. In reporting truth, they have economic values. Or they are out in the street.

Hal's avatar

"The public, the larger public, needs to see - with no veils - the deterioration of our leadership."

Totally agree that the media needs to hold our government leaders accountable, but where was Jen and the rest of the media during Biden's obvious cognitive decline while in office?

patricia's avatar

which they voted for

Nanny C's avatar

Thank goodness for truth seeking and reporting journalists! Appreciate you ☺️

Steve 218's avatar

"TRUMP: Because I just don’t know enough about it."

This is more evidence that the man does not know what he is doing. He started a war of diversion, which to date is the most damaging to us, the law, the Constitution, and to that region of the world. There was no imminent danger. This war will not make us safer or more secure. We have seen no strategy, no plan, and no endgame exit policy. This is the most irresponsible performance of this man yet. Thanks to honest and unrelenting journalists who expose his lies, we are getting more truth - finally. Please keep it up.

Steven Branch's avatar

Yes, Steve, Drumpf's comment you quoted is probably the closest he has come to telling the truth in years. Of course, he could also be vomiting out yet another one of his thousands of lies (shocking, I know). If he really IS telling the truth, it is just another example the emperor having no clothes, a disgusting visual image that. He is too stupid to come up with 99% of this shit he's doing on his own.

A short list of his puppet masters are Herr Stephen "Adolf Eichman" Miller, co-secretary of war Bibi "War Criminal" Netanyahu, Russell "Project 2025" Vought to name just 3.

Yep, Drumpf was right in saying "I just don't know enough about it" but that could apply to just about anything. That's because he's too distracted by other important projects such as destroying the Kennedy Center, razing the East Wing of the WH to clear the way for his unlawful gaudy ballroom, denying healthcare to millions while giving tax cuts to his billionaire bros and having campaign-style rallies right in the middle of an unnecessary war that he started to name a few. Oh, and let's not forget napping during cabinet secretary meetings.

Steve 218's avatar

You also forgot the Arch de Trump that he wants to stick at the end of Arlington Memorial Bridge. In spite of everything else, he's still dodging the Epstein files.

Steven Branch's avatar

Thank you for pointing out that glaring omission.

Someone recently referred to the current war as Operation Epstein Fury...

Steve 218's avatar

The new GED - Gross Epstein Distraction.

Richard Brody's avatar

He's distracted so much that he's now distracting from the many distractions he's conjured up. How many Pinocchio's will it take for folks to realize this?

Steven Branch's avatar

Richard, for some in our country known as hardcore MAGAts, he could have a Pinocchio nose as long as the distance from Earth to Mars and they would still buy into the the lying bullshit. They suffer from an incurable disease: Trump Sycophancy Syndrome. They're hopeless cases.

Purobi Phillips's avatar

Now if they can show a fraction of this newly rediscovered, fundamental journalistic moto for Epstein victims the entire world will cheer. We sank so low that now we have to clap when journalists behave like journalists. Never thought I would live to see this fiasco. Thanks Ms. Rubin for a job always well done.

Richard Yore's avatar

And I applaud you for your continuing to hold ALL of this administration accountable through your reporting; and, likewise, Heather Cox Richardson, Paul Krugman, and the balance of The Contrarian writers! TY!

Robin Brenner's avatar

I'm waiting for a trusted journalist to finally ask trump when he says "I don't know much about that", why don't you know? You're the President, right? How about you find out the answer and then get back to me. trump uses this tactic constantly to shut reporters' questions down. It's not good enough. If he doesn't know what's going on in his own administration he should step down. If he does know and is lying, well.....call him on it.

Joan (CA)'s avatar

Just what I was thinking. Thank you for saying it.

Richard Brody's avatar

Just another distraction!

Mary Anglin's avatar

Well-stated. Using examples drawn from recent news accounts and then providing the lessons learned- perhaps a bit obvious for other historical moments but much-needed now. This is why we need & rely on independent journalism. Thank you!

Janet Mallon's avatar

EXCELLENT Article! I hope journalists who question Trump continue the focused follow up questioning. And you are correct, that journalists should support each other and refuse to allow Trump (or anyone else like “BS Barbie” Leavitt) demean one of them without push back.

Carmie Callobre's avatar

Yes, I agree. ANY time a journalist is insulted by this regime, other reporters need to step up immediately, call out the insults to their colleague, and continue to press on with questions. Like Jeff Tiedrich says, the first journo who says "what the hell is wrong with you?" gets the Noble Prize

Robert Manz's avatar

Articulate. As Always. 🙏

Lauchlin Hines's avatar

What really bothers me is when 💩Trump demeans a female reporter and the rest of the press remains silent like a bunch of cowards.

The Contrarian's avatar

And noticing how Trump responds to male reporters asking tough questions...hmm...

Hal's avatar
3hEdited

At least Trump does press conferences and answers questions during his regular Cabinet meetings, unlike his predecessor...hmm...

Hal's avatar
2hEdited

"What really bothers me is when 💩Trump demeans a female reporter and the rest of the press remains silent like a bunch of cowards."

Agreed. Trump really hates to be held to account for anything except for his successes. It's one of his most irritating traits.

But the press also remained "silent like a bunch of cowards" during Biden's term when it was obvious that he was suffering from cognitive decline. They remained silent about Minnesota's social services fraud until a YouTuber with an iPhone exposed it. And now most of the press' coverage of our war with Iran is negative.

Milford Sprecher's avatar

Thanks for pointing this out. Unfortunately, the press corps has long acted similarly. I remember thinking back in the Nixon years that the press corps should ask follow up questions based upon what an earlier questioner had asked. They all want to ask their question, not work together to get better answers for the greater good.

BosPhotoGuy's avatar

I think one recent story has not gotten the press it deserves. The Trump administration (Republican party) removed oil sanctions on Russia (supposedly temporarily). This is a huge policy change and once again Trump/Republican policies benefit Putin. Of course anything that benefits Putin is to the detriment of Ukraine, Russia and global democracy. Perhaps the sanctions relief is simply a knee jerk response to the spike in oil prices due to the Republican party's illegal, immoral war against Iran, but I think it's a good bet the sanctions will never be put back in place and Trump and the Republican party will continue to support the Putin regime as it tries to emulate Putin's authoritarian rule.

I think this story should be worthy of a banner headline, don't you?

Ivan Tufaart's avatar

With any luck, the sanctions will return on January 20, 2029 when a Democratic President takes the oath of office. (From my keyboard to The Lord's eyes)

Victoria Guilbert's avatar

Depleting our defensive weapon stockpiles waging this war of choice also benefits Putin to the detriment of Ukraine and gives the regime more reason to covet Greenland’s resources.

Monica P.'s avatar

Oh, but don-old calls it an excursion.

donna woodward's avatar

Yes. Germany just criticized this and said that Europe would find other ways to penalize Russia.

Science Curmudgeon's avatar

Too few reporters understood the quality of Hillary Clinton's cross examination discection of tRump during her debate. Master surgery is often underappreciated. It is foolish to play poker with a magician.

The quality of ideas is the foundation of true authority.

Denis Pombriant's avatar

This is how Watergate came crashing down on Nixon. Sure, there were big things but it was the preponderance of evidence that brought him down. That’s the technique now emerging.

Merrill's avatar

Since Trump 1, The Donald has been sitting on top of a flag pole greased with lies upon lies. It's the same tactic he's used throughout his +60 years of self promotion.

His current approval rating indicates he's quickly slipping down the grease of his lies. If the press keeps up the search for truth rather than swallowing Trump's propaganda, it would greatly help the US return to reality.

Kwaipoh's avatar

Jennifer Rubin remains a pillar of honorable and ethical reporting in these crazy times.

I am happy to support her, The Contrarian, Ann Telnaes, Andy Borowitz, Meidas Touch, The Democracy Docker, and other brave champions of truth-telling, with the money I used to send to Bezos' Washington Post, Bezos' Amazon, and Murdoch's WSJ.

Robert Lastick's avatar

Thank you, patriot!

Hal's avatar
3hEdited

"Jennifer Rubin remains a pillar of honorable and ethical reporting in these crazy times."

There was a time when Jen held Democrats accountable, especially during the Obama administration. That is no longer the case. Now Jen has become just another partisan hack and totally in the anti-Trump camp. That's a far cry from "honorable and ethical reporting".

"I am happy to support her, The Contrarian, Ann Telnaes, Andy Borowitz, Meidas Touch, The Democracy Docker..."

If all of your favorite sources of information share the same ideological bent, you're not getting all the information you need to make informed decisions.