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.

The liberal media has gone blue in the face calling Donald Trump a Nazi, worse than Hitler, and a dictator nonstop for over 10 years now. You’d think that maybe they would’ve stopped after several assassination attempts against the President, but instead of toning it down, CNN cranked it right back up on Thursday’s broadcast of Erin Burnett OutFront, even suggesting Trump sees himself as such a figure. Burnett hosted fellow CNN commentator S.E. Cupp along with former Congressman and fire alarm enthusiast Jamaal Bowman to air out grievances against Trump. “I think Trump would rather be compared to [Hitler, Stalin, and Napoleon] than, like, a Lincoln or a Churchill,” Cupp said. “And I think that's very revealing about the kind of power, the kind of leader he wishes he could be.”     According to Cupp, a self-proclaimed conservative, Trump “wishes he were President of Russia, or Hungary, or North Korea, where he had unlimited powers and he wasn't hemmed in by the constrictions of, like, the Constitution.” There is no evidence that Trump would rather be the leader of any other country besides America, but Cupp and everyone else who entertains these kinds of comparisons need no evidence. Just saying it is enough, or they can cite long-debunked hoaxes, like the one Burnett brought up a second later: BURNETT: Well, it's - the time when they were talking about Hitler's generals-- CUPP: Yes. BURNETT: --and how they listened to Hitler. The “Hitler’s generals” hoax was disproven by several people who were in the room with Trump when that comment was allegedly made. It turned out to be completely made up by a disgruntled former advisor. But even though it proved false, it still remains in the Democratic media’s hands as a weapon to smear the President.  Trump, in an interview with New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, allegedly implied that he was more powerful than these dictators who “maintained power through fear.” The comments reportedly came while reading from correspondence from an associate. Bowman took that statement a mile further than Trump meant, drawing this conclusion about the President: I mean, this is Donald Trump, who, at the end of his first presidency, when he lost, pushed forward a big lie to the point where he incited an insurrection, an attack on the Capitol that I believe he wished was way more violent so that he could remain in power, and just completely besmirch and step on the Constitution and the norms in this country so he can actually lead as a dictator. The Democrats tried to prosecute Trump for inciting insurrection. They still cite January 6th, 2021 as one of the worst days in American history, far outpacing the violence of the BLM riots, the murder of Charlie Kirk, and all the other examples of recent left-wing political violence. And here, Bowman insists that Trump wished it “was way more violent so that he could remain in power.” With this kind of rhetoric coming from the majority of the mainstream media outlets every day, comparing Trump to the worst dictators in history and ascribing sinister motivations to him, it’s no surprise that several leftists have attempted to assassinate Trump over the past two years. And they’re probably not going to stop anytime soon. The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read: CNN's Erin Burnett OutFront 6/18/26 7:21:23 p.m. Eastern (...) ERIN BURNETT: So, S.E., what do you make of the fact that Trump was in multiple ways comparing himself to these leaders? He wanted their names out there and was saying that he's more powerful. S.E. CUPP: Well, Trump is not - Trump is a lot of things, he's not a student of history. Students of history would not want to be compared to these guys. These were the bad guys in all of the history books, right? Hitler killed himself in a bunker rather than face the tribunal that awaited him. Stalin was poisoned by his own members of his own inner circle. Napoleon died in exile. Like, you don't want to be these guys.  But I think Trump would rather be compared to these guys than like a Lincoln or a Churchill. And I think that's very revealing about the kind of power, the kind of leader he wishes he could be.  I don't think he wants to be President of this country. I think he wishes he were President of Russia, or Hungary, or North Korea, where he had unlimited powers, and he wasn't hemmed in by the constrictions of like - the Constitution. BURNETT: Well, it's - the time when they were talking about Hitler's generals-- CUPP: Yes. BURNETT: --and how they listened to Hitler. CUPP: Did anything - and he had a propaganda arm, I mean, all the things that Trump seems to want. BURNETT: I mean, Jamal, the authors write that Trump said that the leaders, quote, "Maintained power through fear" and that Trump then says to Maggie and Jonathan in an interview, 'Who would ever do a thing like that, right?'  I mean, what does this tell you about Trump? Again, the specific thing he brings up, right, that they maintain power through fear. JAMAAL BOWMAN: Yeah. I mean, this is Donald Trump, who, at the end of his first presidency, when he lost, pushed forward a big lie to the point where he incited an insurrection, an attack on the Capitol that I believe he wished was way more violent so that he could remain in power, and just completely besmirch and step on the Constitution and the norms in this country so he can actually lead as a dictator. He has always uplifted Putin, he has always uplifted dictators, both today and historical.  And so this is who he wants to be, but history will never remember him as powerfully as he wants history to remember him as. (..)  

MS NOW aired a two-hour special hosted by Michele Norris with the presumptuous title of Hope Comes Home, which featured a tour of the new Obama Presidential Center and interviews with Barack and Michelle. During the show, Norris would suggest that if there was any real criticism to be made of Obama, it was that he was not left-wing enough, but the good news is that the American people “have inherited what President Obama likes to call the work.” She would also gush over Michelle’s “star power” and insist she is not merely “a style icon.” During one segment, Norris directed viewers towards one particular item on display, “The first thing you may notice about this piece of paper is how tidy and neat the handwriting is. Around 2015, President Obama reached for his yellow legal pad to sketch out his to-do list, his policy roadmap for the remaining two years of his presidency.”   During a two-hour special on the opening up of the Obama Presidential Center, the closest thing host Michele Norris got to criticism is that Obama wasn't left enough, "there are the more ambitious goals criminal justice reform, close the gun show loophole. Voting rights… pic.twitter.com/eJcWelZr5p — Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) June 20, 2026   After highlighting some “obvious stuff,” Norris moved on to “the more ambitious goals: criminal justice reform, close the gun show loophole. Voting rights legislation. Looking back at it now, that list is stunning in its ambition. For all he got done over eight years in office, President Obama did not get as far as he wanted on criminal justice reform or gun safety. He did not get to sign new voting rights legislation.” Norris then claimed, “His list, on its face, might seem like a counterintuitive choice to be displayed in a presidential museum. A big, yellow, neatly scrawled reminder to the country of all the ways his administration came up short.” After a quick Obama clip from 2015, Norris continued, “But for President Obama, that reminder is intentional. The unfinished business of his administration is part of the story that he wanted to tell. Displaying the list of priorities is a deliberate way of reminding Americans that governing is difficult, that friction is the price we pay for pushing toward change, and that progress is now up to the American people. They have inherited what President Obama likes to call the work. That remains at a time when this country is wrestling with deep questions about citizenship, democracy, and America's place in the world.” Later in the program, it was time for Norris to fawn over Michelle, “The former first lady has star power of her own, and her emergence on the global stage is also captured in the museum. The display of some of her standout dresses and gowns has already become a favorite with visitors.”   When it came time for the Michelle hype, Norris claimed, "The former first lady has star power of her own, and her emergence on the global stage is also captured in the museum...But let's be clear Michelle Obama was more than a style icon, more than a best-selling author, more… pic.twitter.com/hj72jNcemL — Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) June 20, 2026   She then hyped, “But let's be clear: Michelle Obama was more than a style icon, more than a best-selling author, more than just Barack Obama's wife. She was an integral part of the Obama White House with her own initiatives, her own fans, and her own critics. Her presence at this museum is not an afterthought. Her memorabilia is not pushed into a corner of the museum somewhere. Her role in the White House is woven throughout the larger story. All over the campus, you will hear her voice and her most famous speeches as you walk through the museum.” Norris then gushed over “her gardening glove from her days planting fruits and vegetables on the White House grounds” and “a miniature recreation of the time she hosted a Girl Scout camp on the South Lawn...Above all, the Obama Presidential Center examines the former first lady as an intellectual partner with an interior life and a legacy worth preserving because Michelle Obama is no one's second fiddle.” The media treating the Obama Presidential Center as if it were some sort of holy shrine is simply the latest chapter in their history of Obama adoration. So much for speaking truth to power. Here is a transcript for the June 19 show: MS NOW Hope Comes Home: Inside the Obama Presidential Center 6/19/2026 9:44 PM ET MICHELE NORRIS: The first thing you may notice about this piece of paper is how tidy and neat the handwriting is. Around 2015, President Obama reached for his yellow legal pad to sketch out his to-do list, his policy roadmap for the remaining two years of his presidency. The header up top, underlined in ink, says “domestic agenda.” He ticks through the obvious stuff: negotiate the budget, take care of open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act, known as the ACA. Finish implementing the Dodd-Frank Act, the landmark Wall Street reform bill. And then there are the more ambitious goals: criminal justice reform, close the gun show loophole. Voting rights legislation. Looking back at it now, that list is stunning in its ambition. For all he got done over eight years in office, President Obama did not get as far as he wanted on criminal justice reform or gun safety. He did not get to sign new voting rights legislation. His list, on its face, might seem like a counterintuitive choice to be displayed in a presidential museum. A big, yellow, neatly scrawled reminder to the country of all the ways his administration came up short. BARACK OBAMA [DECEMBER 18, 2015]: For all the very real progress America has made over the past seven years, we still have some unfinished business. NORRIS: But for President Obama, that reminder is intentional. The unfinished business of his administration is part of the story that he wanted to tell. Displaying the list of priorities is a deliberate way of reminding Americans that governing is difficult, that friction is the price we pay for pushing toward change, and that progress is now up to the American people. They have inherited what President Obama likes to call the work. That remains at a time when this country is wrestling with deep questions about citizenship, democracy, and America's place in the world. … 10:17 PM ET NORRIS: The former first lady has star power of her own, and her emergence on the global stage is also captured in the museum. The display of some of her standout dresses and gowns has already become a favorite with visitors. TOUR GUIDE: So here is what President Obama refers to as the exhibit that everybody wants to see. NORRIS: But let's be clear: Michelle Obama was more than a style icon, more than a best-selling author, more than just Barack Obama's wife. She was an integral part of the Obama White House with her own initiatives, her own fans, and her own critics. Her presence at this museum is not an afterthought. Her memorabilia is not pushed into a corner of the museum somewhere. Her role in the White House is woven throughout the larger story. All over the campus, you will hear her voice and her most famous speeches as you walk through the museum. MICHELLE OBAMA [AUGUST 25, 2008]: That the American dream endures. NORRIS: You can see her gardening glove from her days planting fruits and vegetables on the White House grounds, a miniature recreation of the time she hosted a Girl Scout camp on the South Lawn. The museum explores her upbringing on the south side and her accomplishments at Princeton and Harvard. At the restaurant on campus, you can order the red rice that's based on her mother's recipe. The sledding hill, that was the First Lady's idea, she insisted. So south side kids today could fulfill one of her girlhood dreams. She had always wished that the pancake-flat prairie terrain of Chicago had hills for sledding during those long Chicago winters. Above all, the Obama Presidential Center examines the former first lady as an intellectual partner with an interior life and a legacy worth preserving because Michelle Obama is no one's second fiddle.