Social media often exposes leftists as hateful people who wish the worst on their enemies. That’s even true for the supposedly educational/inspirational stations of PBS. This week, Libs of TikTok exposed Bob Greene, who chairs the board of Rocky Mountain Public Media (the organization behind Rocky Mountain PBS), for some mean-spirited comments about President Trump. Republicans Against Trump  joke-tweeted: “Donald Trump turns 80 today. Any birthday wishes?” Greene shot back: “A nice stroke that turns him into a drooling, pooping blob in a wheelchair unable to speak.” Libs of TikTok asked PBS for comment.  UPDATE: @PBS Board Chair who wished for Trump to get a stroke leaving him permanently disabled deleted his account https://t.co/y74DRH5Npn pic.twitter.com/AH82hWH11w — Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) June 15, 2026 Then LoTT added: “@PBS confirms to me that Board Chair Bob Greene violated their social media guidelines when he wished for Trump to get an illness with a permanent disability.” The message was signed by marketing executive Christina “Chris” Dayyani and included She/Her/Hers gender pronouns in the signature. The statement did not mention any disciplinary action. It further stated that “this level of discourse is never constructive to our collective efforts to strengthen the civic fabric of Colorado.” By Tuesday afternoon, Greene's “Big Vongo” X account had been deactivated. By Wednesday morning, Greene's personal page on Rocky Mountain PBS was gone. Visitors instead encountered the message "Oops.. it looks like you got lost" and that the page no longer existed or had been removed. 

The media’s attempts to suck the fun out of the World Cup are not confined to television. They extend to the local papers of the host cities as well. On Thursday, the day before the U.S. defeated Australia in Seattle, Seattle Times reporter Daniel Beekman took it upon himself to highlight certain locals who either refuse to root for Team USA or feel conflicted about the matter because of their dislike of President Trump or, in one case, the country more broadly. In a widely mocked X post, The Times wrote, “Some Seattle soccer fans have mixed feelings about patriotically backing the U.S. team during the FIFA Men's World Cup, given the actions of President Donald Trump.” As for the actual article, Beekman began by highlighting a conversation with Carey Lefkowitz, who “thinks Trump is tarnishing what it means to be American on the global stage.”   Meanwhile, Seattle…. Our media sucks. https://t.co/IeLYGGCs1i pic.twitter.com/MyEnLjpSxP — Buzz Patterson (@BuzzPatterson) June 19, 2026   Beekman then quotes Lefkowitz, “I still want the U.S. team to win, but everything that goes with that? I’m conflicted.” He then opined, “These are questions that many people are pondering in Seattle, an internationally oriented, soccer-impassioned city dominated by Democrats who vehemently disagree with how the Trump administration is running the U.S. and hosting the World Cup.” As it turned out, “many” was a vast overstatement. The crowds both inside and outside the stadium showed up in what colleague Mike Vorel was later forced to concede was a display of “pure, uncomplicated patriotism.” He even recalled how one fan gave him a yellow card for not wearing Team USA apparel. As for Beekman, he was also forced to concede that his efforts to make the World Cup about Trump were not so easy, “Some local soccer fans say current affairs actually won’t affect their approach to this summer’s tournament at all.”   Counterpoint: pic.twitter.com/PpOaWeQoOF https://t.co/dua6ELOD0n — Siraj Hashmi (@SirajAHashmi) June 19, 2026   However, that did not stop him from continuing to try, “But it’s not surprising that many other fans are dealing with complex emotions around the World Cup, said Sebastian Mayer, a University of Washington politics lecturer who teaches a class on sports and politics.” Beekman continued to cite Mayer, who compared Trump’s America to previous World Cup hosts, “Since the World Cup began almost 100 years ago, many host-country leaders have used it to promote their political agendas and ‘sportswash’ their reputations, said Mayer, 33, mentioning tournaments hosted by Argentina’s brutal military junta in 1978 and Qatar’s repressive regime in 2022.”   THE GOAL IS GIVEN AND THE BUILDING SHAKES IN SEATTLE

Cuba has been back in the news, with President Trump imposing an oil blockade in January. The fabled island a mere 90 miles from Florida has, often enough in American history, grabbed the media spotlight in decidedly serious fashion. In 1959, a Communist revolutionary named Fidel Castro led a rebellion that  ousted the Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista. And with that the stage was set for what certainly seemed like endless military confrontations between Cuba and the United States over the decades. Cubans who had fled their native country for America clustered in Florida and resolved to re-group and invade their homeland. The invasion took place in April of 1961 at what was known as the “Bay of Pigs.” The invaders, not well supported by the U.S. military,  got clobbered, and it created such an international incident that the newly inaugurated administration of President John F. Kennedy was left red-faced, sending a signal of weakness to Cuba’s major sponsor, the Communist Soviet Union. So badly was JFK seen in the day by the Russians that the Soviets decided to quietly go about the business of installing nuclear missiles in Cuba, threatening a considerable portion of the U.S. East Coast with nuclear attack. JFK would not stand for this.  And as those alive (ahem!) in the day, even as children it was understood that when the President came on national television and told the Russians to get their missiles out of Cuba - or else! - things were getting seriously out of hand. So much so that kids in school were instructed to practice diving under their desks to practice safety in case the missiles started to fly. This time JFK was taken seriously by the Russians. The missiles were removed. But for the rest of time over the years Cuba became a center for Communist revolution, aiding and abetting anti-US military activities throughout Central and South America. What does any of this ancient history have to do with current events in the media? Here’s a Fox News opinion piece from Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vermont) from this very week:  Trump is leading us into another unnecessary war. This time it’s Cuba  With a carrier battle group in the Caribbean and Raúl Castro indicted, the White House wants to justify regime change This is the usual Democrat line, where any misery in Cuba can't be blamed on communist rule: “The writing on the wall is unmistakable: President Donald Trump is leading us into another reckless war, this time with Cuba. Since the capture of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, the White House has been tightening the screws on Cuba in the hope that Cuba’s leaders will either capitulate or the Cuban people will rise up and overthrow them. Three months ago, Trump said Cuba 'is going to fall pretty soon … they want to make a deal so badly … and we’ll see how that works out.' Like the president’s many mistaken predictions, there’s no sign of a deal and Cuba hasn’t fallen. Instead, the U.S. oil blockade has paralyzed Cuba’s economy and plunged the Cuban people into darkness and misery. If the tables were turned, we would denounce the blockade as an illegal act of war.  On May 20, the Justice Department announced the indictment of former Cuban President Raúl Castro, who is 95 years old, and that same day another U.S. aircraft carrier battle group arrived in the Caribbean Sea. It is very safe to say that a form of hysteria is being stirred by the media - and no small thing that would be the Trump-hating media. Here’s a sampling of Trump-Cuba headlines from the media: The New York Times:  As Trump Toughens Rules on Cuba’s Economy, Hotel Chains Pull Out  The Trump administration’s efforts to tighten the economic noose on Cuba appear to be working, as more international firms announced they would leave the island. The Washington Post:  Fidel Castro’s daughter, in Miami, waits for her father’s revolution to end  Longtime regime critic Alina Fernández Revuelta and other exiles in Miami are anxiously noting the island’s instability and watching for Trump’s next move. CNN:  ‘We can’t take it anymore’: How Trump is pushing Cuba to the brink  The CNN story begins thusly:  Havana, Cuba —  The Cuban man sidled up next to me on the street whispering as if he were sharing a long-held secret. 'Let the Americans come, let Trump come, it’s time to get this over with,' he said in a barely audible voice. This is dangerous talk in Cuba — and especially at a time when a US president is threatening Cuba in a way we have not seen since the Cold War.  I looked around to see if anyone else was listening to these incendiary comments and if my cameraman, who was shooting a story with me on the ongoing transportation crisis, was nearby to record what the man – a bicycle-taxi driver – was telling me. 'We can’t take it anymore,' he continued. 'People can’t feed their families.' To say the least, there are stories like these all over the American media.  And make no mistake they will have an effect. To wit: having the American media lay the groundwork for a U.S. government move somewhere down the road to invade Cuba. Effectively ending, one can believe the stories will go, the Communist rule of Cuba that began with the rise of Fidel Castro all the way back there in the late 1950’s. How long will this take?  Who knows. The real question is will, and when, the mind of the American people be changed by the media about Cuba. And will President Trump come to believe there is enough support in the American media to finally put an end to this seemingly endless chapter in American-Cuban relations. Stay tuned. 

Despite having been out of office for a decade, the media was still more than happy to turn all cameras towards former President Barack Obama once more. The grand opening of his new presidential center in Chicago brought myriad news companies to the site. On Friday’s Today, a segment on the Obama Presidential Center included a gooey interview between the former president and NBC co-anchor Craig Melvin. Melvin would open the discussion by giving Obama an open ended question to pontificate about how profound visiting the Center would be for the public: MELVIN: When the Obama Presidential Center opens, those first ticket holders who come into this space, what are you going to be feeling in that moment? OBAMA: So I'll feel a lot of gratitude, the degree to which people invested in Michelle and me and what we are trying to do. But I really am hoping that it's less an act of nostalgia and that it's more an inspiration for us moving forward. To get a sense of, all right, this was a small chapter in America's ongoing journey to perfect this union. Obama says he wants the "Obamalisk" to be more than just a place of nostalgia, that he wants to inspire future generations. They then proceed to spend the rest of the interview reveling in the nostalgia of the Obama era. Ironic. pic.twitter.com/bz8FgxbHJr — James Waterman (@jwatermaniv) June 19, 2026 Sounding very much like a real estate or travel agent, Melvin rattled off what visitors could experience: “It features a 225-foot-tall tower housing the Obama presidential museum, a public forum, a vegetable garden, plus green spaces and a branch of the Chicago public library where we spoke.” The NBC journalist made sure to share with the former president how impressed he was with the facility: MELVIN: I've walked the property, walked the space, six or seven stories, like, 19 acres south side of Chicago, more than $108 million. There are presidential libraries and then there's this. OBAMA: I didn't want to build -- I didn't want to build a mausoleum. I'm too young for that. I really did want to think of this as a center, a hub, for the next generation being inspired, motivated, but also getting help and getting resources to carry that baton further. In a twist of irony, immediately after Obama expressed his fears of the center becoming a nostalgic pilgrimage site, Craig Melvin begins to reminisce about the “good old days” during the Obama administration. Falling into the very trap Obama hoped to avoid the two began to discuss the political sphere during the Obama days, Michelle Obama’s role during his presidency, and eventually, Obama’s love of sports: Something else near and dear to the former president's heart, sports. One of his favorite exhibits includes the unique memorabilia he's collected over the years. He actually had custom high tops that he wore while he played basketball at the White House. Obama can say this facility is not about nostalgia, but the liberal news networks can't help but cling to their pre-Trump memories when he was president. The transcript is below. Click "expand" to view. NBC Today June 19, 2026 07:31:32 AM Eastern (...) CRAIG MELVIN: When the Obama Presidential Center opens, those first ticket holders who come into this space, what are you going to be feeling in that moment? BARACK OBAMA: So, I'll feel a lot of gratitude, the degree to which people invested in Michelle and me and what we are trying to do. But I really am hoping that it's less an act of nostalgia and that it's more an inspiration for us moving forward. To get a sense of, all right, this was a small chapter in America's ongoing journey to perfect this union. MELVIN: The Obama Presidential Center sprawls across Jackson Park on Chicago's south side just blocks from where Michelle Obama grew up in the city where Barack Obama's political career was born. It features a 225-foot-tall tower housing the Obama Presidential Museum, a public forum, a vegetable garden, plus green spaces and a branch of the Chicago Public Library where we spoke.  I've walked the property, walked the space, six or seven stories, like, 19 acres south side of Chicago— OBAMA: Right. MELVIN: —more than $108 million. There are presidential libraries and then there's this. OBAMA: I didn't want to build—I didn't want to build a mausoleum. MELVIN: Yeah. OBAMA: I'm too young for that. I really did want to think of this as a center, a hub, for the next generation being inspired, motivated, but also getting help and getting resources to carry that baton further. 07:38:14 AM MELVIN: Something else near and dear to the former president's heart: sports. One of his favorite exhibits includes the unique memorabilia he's collected over the years. He actually had custom high tops that he wore while he played basketball at the White House. Known to shoot a few hoops himself during his time in office, his center even includes an NBA regulation-size basketball court, so it was no surprise to hear he was glued to the recent NBA Finals.

On Thursday, the Department of Homeland Security released a statement that claimed the alleged ringleader of the foiled terrorist attack on the UFC fight at the White House the previous Sunday is an illegal immigrant. Since then, ABC’s Good Morning America and World News Tonight, NBC’s Nightly News and Today, and CBS’s Evening News and CBS Mornings have not disclosed this new information to the viewers of their morning and evening newscasts. By contrast, the networks have continued to obsess over the latest setbacks in President Trump’s efforts to renovate the reflecting pool on the National Mall by spending 13 minutes and 18 seconds on the subject. On June 18, DHS claimed “the suspected ringleader of the failed terrorist plot against UFC Freedom 250 is a Mexican illegal alien who overstayed a B2 visitor visa” and “[Abraham Hermosillo] Alvarez entered the United States on a B2 visitor visa and failed to depart before it expired in December 2001. The Obama Administration granted him Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) in 2014.”  This is not to say the networks have had a total blackout on the foiled drone and sniper plot. All three covered the initial story and World News Tonight highlighted video of one of the other suspects’ arrest on Thursday, but there has been nothing on the new information about Alvarez. Meanwhile, beginning on Thursday’s evening newscasts and continuing through Saturday morning’s shows, the broadcast networks have given 13 minutes and 18 seconds to algae turning the reflecting pool water green and the new blue paint already beginning to peel.  Allegedly MAGA-coded CBS was the leader by far with 7 minutes and 18 seconds of pool coverage and was the only one to focus on the pool during each of the four episodes analyzed. ABC came in second with 4 minutes and 14 seconds. NBC came in third with 1 minute and 46 seconds, although Friday’s Nightly News did not air due to U.S. Open golf coverage while Saturday’s Today was preempted by horse racing. Ultimately, the nation’s immigration policies are more important than any misadventures surrounding the reflecting pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial. A threat to the president’s life is more important than trolling him over his exterior decorating. It’s also a bit ironic that the DACA revelation comes as the media fawns over former President Obama and the opening of the Obama Presidential Center. The networks, and especially CBS, are still a long way from the caricature painted by Bari Weiss’s critics.