It’s time to find out who had the Worst Media Quote of the Week. This interactive series is where you — our loyal NewsBusters visitors and MRC supporters — get to vote on which leftist journalist or celebrity had the worst media quote of the week.   Much appreciation to all who voted last week via NewsBusters and the MRC’s various social media sites (Facebook, Instagram and X.com).   The results of the Worst Media Quote of the Week are in and the winner is… Robert De Niro! The leftist actor won with 48 percent of the vote! De Niro took first place for yelling from the Rise Up, Sign Out concert stage: “I can’t love a country led by a racist, misogynist, xenophobic tyrant!” ABC’s The View co-host Sunny Hostin came in second place with 34 percent. Former CNN correspondent Jim Acosta finished last with 18 percent.  Check out the following clip (via the MRC Video team) to see the nominees in action:     Watch the Worst Media Quotes from @TheView, @Acosta and Robert De Niro pic.twitter.com/8HRGmEfnRY — Media Research Center (@theMRC) June 18, 2026   WINNER (48 percent of the vote)   Robert De Niro: “I Can’t Love a Country Led by a Racist, Misogynist, Xenophobic Tyrant” “I can’t love a country that sends out masked militias to shoot citizens in the streets, torture our neighbors and separate families. I can’t love a country that’s led by a racist, misogynist, xenophobic tyrant. And let me just say it: I can’t love the country that’s led by Donald Trump and a sycophant Congress.”— Actor Robert De Niro at Rise Up, Sign Out: A Concert for the First Amendment, June 14.   SECOND PLACE (34 percent of the vote)   Sunny Hostin to Vice President Vance: Your Administration is Erasing Black People “I’m talking about a host of things. I’m talking about black history getting erased from public spaces. Black voter districts are being dismantled. Black leaders are being sidelined from our ranks. Where do Americans of color fit in this vision?! Because it doesn’t seem like we fit!”— Co-host Sunny Hostin to Vice President J.D. Vance on ABC’s The View, June 16.   THIRD PLACE (18 percent of the vote)   Jim Acosta: Trump’s Name Being Removed from Kennedy Center is Like Fall of Berlin Wall “This is a giant waste of time, and it’s a sign of what a petulant man-child he [Donald Trump] can be. But as we’ve been saying all night long and all day long, for that matter, this is very much like watching the Berlin Wall coming down. It is a sign that mankind, that humankind can stand up against tyranny.”— Former CNN correspondent Jim Acosta live-streaming on his podcast The Jim Acosta Show, June 13.   Thanks again to all who participated!    Sponsored by James P. Jimirro

MRC Watchdogs churn out breaking news on a daily basis. Don't miss Today's Highlights, where you can keep up with the top MRC content, whether it's the latest study on media bias, a glaring omission from the elitist media, or how the Big Tech companies are serving up the same leftist spin as the media.  Top Stories: MRC Uncovers Broadcast Networks Hiding Illegal Immigrant Status of Foiled UFC Drone Terrorist MRC Exposes Morning Joe Fawning Over Obama Center Opening MRC Flashback Highlights Media Overwhelmingly Celebrating Anthony Fauci Despite New Pandemic Evidence MRC Exposes American Media Blackout on Mass Abuse Report Involving British Girls   MRC Uncovers Broadcast Networks Hiding Illegal Immigrant Status of Foiled UFC Drone Terrorist Research conducted by MRC reveals that major broadcast networks including ABC, CBS, and NBC completely omitted critical immigration details regarding a foiled terrorist plot. While the Department of Homeland Security confirmed that the suspected ringleader of the attempted attack on a UFC event at the White House was an illegal immigrant who overstayed a visitor visa and received DACA status in 2014, the evening and morning newscasts chose to keep viewers in the dark. MRC exposed a severe distortion of news priorities by tracking how the networks allocated their airtime. Instead of reporting on a significant national security threat and the immigration status of the suspect, ABC, CBS, and NBC spent over 13 minutes obsessing over minor aesthetic setbacks regarding President Trump's renovation of the National Mall reflecting pool, prioritizing political trolling over a threat to the president's life. An analysis by MRC highlights the hypocrisy of this news blackout, noting that the immigration revelation directly ties back to the Obama administration's DACA policies. This omission occurred at the exact same time network journalists were heavily praising former President Obama during the opening of his presidential center, demonstrating a protective pattern of coverage. MRC Exposes Morning Joe Fawning Over Obama Center Opening MRC documented how liberal media figures openly fawned over the opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago. On MS NOW's Morning Joe, a reporter went so far as to claim he was personally heartbroken because tickets to the museum were sold out through November, transforming what should have been objective reporting into blatant admiration for the former president. According to findings by MRC, network commentators actively utilized the event to launch highly partisan attacks against the current administration. Program hosts and guests praised Obama for an absence of grievances and petty insults during his speech, directly contrasting his demeanor with President Trump and claiming that American institutions have felt under attack during the current era. MRC highlighted a highly controversial comparison made on air where a prominent guest linked the celebration of Juneteenth to the political fight against Donald Trump. By framing the monument built in Obama's name as a tool to confront and refuse to be bullied by conservative leadership, the network completely shifted the historic meaning of the holiday into a modern progressive rallying cry. MRC Flashback Highlights Media Overwhelmingly Celebrating Anthony Fauci Despite New Pandemic Evidence Following a massive declassification of documents by the Director of National Intelligence regarding the origins of the COVID 19 pandemic, MRC compiled a flashback demonstrating how the corporate media spent years blindly defending Dr. Anthony Fauci. The newly released papers suggest Fauci may have actively funded gain of function research in Wuhan and suppressed the laboratory leak theory, completely contradicting the narrative built by major networks. MRC caught multiple high profile anchors on tape aggressively running public relations campaigns for the former health official. Network hosts on MSNBC and CNN were shown aggressively pushing back against congressional oversight, demanding that the public always say thank you to Fauci and lashing out because a national hero had been turned into a political villain by half the country. MRC analysts specifically exposed how journalists like Joe Scarborough used their platforms to smugly mock the lab leak theory in defense of Fauci. The media repeatedly threw their unwavering support behind a highly questionable bureaucratic figure simply because he acted as a constant thorn in the side of Donald Trump, a bias that has blown up in their faces in light of official government intelligence updates. MRC Exposes American Media Blackout on Mass Abuse Report Involving British Girls A disturbing investigation by MRC confirms that the American corporate news media has completely censored a horrific international scandal regarding mass sexual abuse in the United Kingdom. A comprehensive 219 page independent report documented decades of systematic trafficking and abuse perpetrated against roughly 250,000 underage British girls, a massive modern atrocity that has failed to receive a single second of airtime in America. MRC monitored left leaning cable and broadcast networks including CNN, MS NOW, ABC, CBS, NBC, and PBS, finding zero on air mentions of the report days after its initial publication. This total blackout occurred despite the fact that these same networks routinely cover British politics and even featured lengthy interviews with British journalists who completely avoided discussing the quarter of a million victims in their own country. According to MRC, the driving force behind this severe media censorship is political protectionism. Outlets are intentionally burying the massive human rights crisis out of a deep fear that coverage would fuel anti immigration sentiment and open borders criticism within the United States, thereby prioritizing partisan border agendas over the safety and suffering of hundreds of thousands of children.  

On Saturday's edition of The Weekend: Primetime on MS NOW, contributor Dean Obeidallah delivered yet another unhinged smear, branding Vice President JD Vance the "nice, warm, softer side of fascism." Notably, none of the hosts pushed back on the outrageous accusation. The segment began with a discussion of supposed Democrat messaging problems on inflation. After playing a clip of Vance on The View, Obeidallah pounced: "Can I just say it's nice seeing JD Vance on The View -- it's like seeing the nice, soft, softer, warm side of fascism. I think it's kind of nice to have him out there, the authoritarianism. I'm gonna make it nice, I'm gonna laugh at your jokes and stuff like that. I'm gonna mansplain to you and say what Donald Trump said." The hosts let Obeidallah's fascism accusation go entirely unchallenged. No need for "fact checking in real time." While noting that midterms are typically referendums on the president, Obeidallah recommended that instead of just attacking Trump and Vance, Democrats should get "bold": "Democrats, be bold. Don't be timid. This is your time to lean in. Start laying the groundwork for 2028 [at] this time. I give the example of Zohran Mamdani in New York being specific on policy where people go, if that gets enacted, that will make my and my family's life better." But whereas Obeidallah recommended that Democrats not focus on the "Trump is terrible" angle and instead talk about what they're going to do [like Mamdani!] to improve people's lives, host Ayman Mohyeldin couldn't stay away from the Trump-bashing, wanting to talk about his "grift." Obeidallah piled on: "This is very much like an emperor or a king completely detached from the people. I don't think he views Americans as citizens, he views us as subjects and servants." Dean Obeidallah Calls JD Vance the 'Nice, Warm, Softer Side of Fascism' — No MS NOW Pushback pic.twitter.com/XxVmYFSNqc — Mark Finkelstein (@markfinkelstein) June 21, 2026 This is par for the course for Obeidallah. He previously called ICE raids "fascist spectacles" like those of Hitler and Mussolini. He labeled Project 2025 the GOP's version of Mein Kampf — except worse because it's longer. And in 2021, he compared then-President Trump to Osama bin Laden while calling Fox News "the Al Jazeera of America." For a self-styled comedian on MS NOW, Obeidallah repeatedly reaches for Nazi analogies, terrorism parallels, and monarchial insults against conservatives.  Meanwhile, his call for Democrats to follow Mamdani's "bold" lead risks delivering more failed big-government experiments. By 2028, those failures — not Vance soundbites — may prove the real gift -- to Republican messaging. Obeidallah and company seem convinced the Trump administration is gift-wrapping attack ads for the left. In reality, their reflexive "fascism" and "emperor" rhetoric — tossed out without a hint of pushback — reveals only the depths of MS NOW's derangement and detachment from reality. Here's the transcript. MS NOW The Weekend: Primetime 6/20/26 6:47 pm EDT CATHERINE RAMPELL: Dean, I want to return to something you said a few minutes ago, where you were talking about how Democrats don't have great messaging chops.  So clearly, messaging challenge. However, it kinda feels like this administration is doing the messaging for them. I wanna play something that JD Vance said recently. ANA NAVARRO [On The View]: You just said he loves the inflation.  JD VANCE: What he said, Ana, what he said, is that he loves the fact that the inflation is gonna come down when this war is over. That's what he said.  JOY BEHAR: That's not what he said. That wasn't a direct quote. Are you his interpreter or are you his vice president? Come on. [JD chuckles.] RAMPELL: It does sort of feel like this administration has been gift wrapping attack ads. Like you can imagine the footage of the grocery aisles with the numbers going up for all the price tags, and then you hear a voiceover of Donald Trump saying, "I love the inflation," and you hear something like that from JD Vance. Does any of that actually stick before the election? DEAN OBEDEILLAH: It does. Can I just say, to see JD Vance in The View is like seeing the nice, softer, warm side of fascism. I think it's kind of nice to have him out there, the authoritarianism. I'm gonna make it nice, I'm gonna laugh at your jokes and stuff like that. I'm gonna mansplain to you and say what Donald Trump said. He said, "I love the inflation." Exact quote, "I love the inflation." That's what Donald Trump said.  Yes, Democrats are helped by that. And to be honest, most midterms are a referendum on the president. That's generally how it goes, right? So Democrats could run the clock out. Give people a reason to vote for Democrats. Not just because Trump is terrible. But what we're going to do to make your life better. I give the example of Zohran Mamdani in New York being specific on policy where people go, if that gets enacted, that will make my and my family's life better. Democrats, be bold. Do not be timid. This is your time to lean in. Start laying the groundwork for 2028 this time. AYMAN MOHYELDIN: The other side to that coin is, while Americans are struggling, the accusations against President Trump and his grift continue to grow. They continue to grow. You just had him announce his jet that he received from the Qatari government that is going to be the new Air Force One.  Despite these ethics concerns, is that something that actually matters to Americans? Do they see this? Do they see what is happening in places like Albania? Do they see what is happening with crypto and all these other allegations, the ballroom, and say, "This has got to stop." CALEB SILVER: I think they're used to it. I think we've become desensitized to it because it's in our face all the time. . . .  OBEIDALLAH: And look at the quick thing, the split screen there. People are struggling to pay credit card, car payments. Trump's talking about a ballroom, the reflecting pool, his brand new jet. This is a different world.  MOHYELDIN: The Arc de Triumph. OBEIDALLAH: This is very much like an emperor or a king completely detached from the people. I don't think he views Americans as citizens. He views us as subjects and servants. And I don't think people are gonna stand for that. I think the midterm is going to be like 2006. Democrats win the House and the Senate. At least, that's what I hope. RAMPELL: I think one thing that really does break through about all of the stories about corruption is, those in contrast with what's going on with regular Americans.

The Obama Presidential Center opened to much fanfare and media coverage last week. The Elitist Media devoted significant chunks of time to covering the new shrine built to their god-king. This devoted coverage spilled over to the Sunday shows. Watch as CBS’s Margaret Brennan recapped the grand opening on Face the Nation: CBS’s @MargBrennan delivered a very generous look back at opening of the Obama Presidential Center “to honor and celebrate the legacy of the nation’s first black President” where Barack Obama “spoke of America’s resilience and urged them to reject division and recommit to each… pic.twitter.com/SxHVKbuecB — Brent Baker

There is an ongoing Democrat civil war underway in New York City, as Mayor Zohran Mamdani attempts to install several fellow Democratic Socialists in Congress- going so far as to support the primary opponent of an incumbent in good standing and not mired in scandal of any kind. But the Elitist Media are outright omitting this from their midterm primary coverage. Watch this panel exchange on ABC’s This Week, as aired on Sunday, June 21st, 2026: DOWNPLAY: Watch this ABC panel on Mamdani's attempted DSA hijacking of the NYC congressional delegation, which makes no mention of his endorsement against a sitting incumbent. JON KARL: All right, the roundtable is back. Uh. So Faiz, let me ask you about what we just heard… pic.twitter.com/zpGC8QOFCX — Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) June 21, 2026 JON KARL: All right, the roundtable is back. Uh. So Faiz, let me ask you about what we just heard before the break. Uh, from Mayor Mamdani, uh, saying that basically the Democratic Party needs backbone. Is the Democratic Party heading in his direction? Democratic socialists of America? I mean, we saw another DSA candidate win the primary here in DC. They got to the run off in Los Angeles. Is that where the energy in the party is now? FAIZ SHAKIR: Yeah. And populist left candidates Graham Platner, Abdullah el-Sayed, a bunch of people who are doing very well right now. And the reason- well, you have to ask why, why are they doing so well? And part of the reason, what Mayor Mamdani is saying is you have to have an agenda. So we're living in a period of scarcity. Donald Trump is saying $132 billion for Iran. That's great. We should spend that. Instead, we can't have Medicare for All. We can't have- we have to cut Medicaid. We can't have affordable child care in this country, got to cut food stamps, can't do anything about, um, decency of raising the minimum wage to a living wage. No, none of those things are possible, according to Trump. And according to most conservative, you know, center left and center right politicians- status quo-ism. And here you have a movement that is building support because saying, “here's an affirmative agenda of a vision that is improving the lives of working class people in this country.” KARL: But, Donna, can that agenda win nationally? DONNA BRAZILE: Look, the affordability agenda has many voices. And at a time when the Democratic Party is still searching its way out of the 2024 campaign, I feel like every week we're in the coroner's office reviewing another autopsy. It's not just about your spine and your brain and your heart. It's about making sure that you have an agenda that inspires the American people. Whether you live in Washington, D.C., Seattle, New York, that, yeah, they may be moving in that direction, but most Democrats are pragmatic. They're centrist. They're also bold in their solution. They understand that Progressives want a voice within the party. But I don't believe that this- this so-called energy is is going to carry us forward unless we can build coalitions and coalitions that can earn us the votes of the American people. KARL: Chris? CHRIS CHRISTIE: Um, look, this is fine. You know, in this post, uh, 2024 period, um, for the rise of folks like Mamdani, they have to show they can actually do the job. He's in the easy part right now. He gets to give speeches, he gets to wear a Knicks jersey. He gets to, you know, run a parade, which I was there, it was sketchy. Um, in terms of the way the city helped to run that. KARL: He's off to a pretty good start, though, isn't he? CHRISTIE: But Jon. KARL: I mean, even… CHRISTIE: He's off to a pretty good start. What does that mean? He has not yet accomplished any of what he talked about in his campaign.. KARL: Well,he’s been in office.. SHAKIR: Well, child care…  CHRISTIE: …how do we.. how do we... SHAKIR: Child care expansion has occurred. Potholes are being fixed. Snow shoveling occurred. CHRISTIE: Oh, really? You’ve driven in New York? Potholes have been fixed? I know. of course,  SHAKIR: I did. I did- just went there yesterday.  CHRISTIE: Of course you haven’t. And that's why, you know, you want to believe the rhetoric the Mamdani people put out they’re fixing things. He hasn't done anything yet. I'm not saying he can't. He has not. So to say he's off to a good start means he hasn't thrown up on his shoes. Well, congratulations. That's a great thing. And he can run a rally for a team that wins the NBA championship. Great job. What he's saying right now is all rhetoric and no accomplishment. And I think what Democrats have to show, especially if they get Congress back this fall, is that they can accomplish some things. And the Sanders wing of the party has never shown that they can accomplish anything. Big speeches, no accomplishments. SHAKIR: There's a finger wag here going on of elites who say, “hey, look at these dumb people. Look at this. Mayor Mamdani not doing anything.” Look at the people of New York. What are they saying? His unpopularity has been increasing. Why? Just be curious about it. Why do regular working class new yorkers, some people who voted against him are saying, hey, I like this guy. What's he doing? He wakes up every day with a sense of integrity, of saying, I'm going to improve your life. I'm focused on you. Yeah, I could be worried about Ken Griffin. I could be worried about private equity. I could be worried about Michael Bloomberg. But I'm worried about you. And I'm going to try to work on things. And you, you and I know like you've had a tough job as Mayor or Governor of New Jersey. It is hard to be a person in charge. And yet, while he does it with integrity, a desire to improve working class people, he's focused on the underdogs. And it’s working for him. In one particular race, Mamdani has endorsed a DSA organizer with a history of wild tweets who led anti-Israel protests at Columbia University as far back as October 8th, 2023- the day after the horrific Hamas attack against Israel. Per The New York Post: Scandal-plagued far-left congressional hopeful Darializa Avila Chevalier attended an anti-Israeli rally in the Big Apple one day after Hamas’ horrific Oct. 7 massacre in Israel, according to reports. The 32-year-old radical with a twisted history of bashing Israel joined a hateful Times Square mob on Oct. 8, 2023, that torched the Israeli flag and flashed swastikas after hundreds of Jews were slaughtered by Islamic terrorists in a surprise attack on the Jewish state. Chevalier, who is gunning for Democratic Rep. Adriano Espaillat’s seat in New York’s 13th House District, justified her attendance by declaring she is simply a lifelong advocate of Palestine. Chevalier is so far left that she’s been critical of Bernie Sanders’ “liberal Zionism”, bragged about wiping her hand with the American flag, and tweeted “F- Kamala Harris.” But you haven’t heard a peep about her on national media. This is in and of itself a raging double standard because the Elitist Media ALWAYS cover New York stories as national stories. This story is inconvenient, though. By keeping the discussion non-specific, Jon Karl let the debate veer to whether New York City socialists can resonate nationally. There was no discussion about the fragility of Hakeem Jeffries’ coalition (as is often the case when discussing Republican primaries), and no mention of the insane dynamics of the primary in the 13th District (and the 7th, to a lesser extent).  In the interest of protecting Democrats nationally and Mamdani in New York, you just saw a 4-minute panel discussion talk about nothing. Just the way the Elitist Media loves it when it comes to inconvenient stories.