It’s easy to get lost in the political froth, especially when our consolidating constellation of corporate cable networks continues to focus on the spectacle of Trumpism instead of the substance. Scan the Sunday morning political chat shows and you’ll find Democrats and Republicans eagerly performing as if the looming threat to our democracy is normal—if the networks bother to mention it at all.
With the public interest at heart, let’s do a little footwork to hold the cable news media accountable. This round-up captures all of the big stories you might have missed over the weekend, mainly because CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, and the other legacy networks decided you didn’t need to know about them.
Donald Trump’s government of sex pests
Add another dubious record to Trump’s book of disgraces, because the president-elect has now nominated more Cabinet officials accused of sex crimes than any other commander in chief in history. Many of those disgraceful nominees also have close relationships with cable news executives, meaning real coverage has been scant.
Worse still, most of those candidates are floating above serious criticism. Most of the Beltway media focused their fire on former Rep. Matt Gaetz, who has been credibly accused of paying minors for sex and consuming illegal drugs. Gaetz ultimately couldn’t stand the heat, withdrawing his name from consideration for attorney general last week. Other Trump nominees seem to have even less shame than Gaetz—somehow.
Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth has already admitted to paying off a woman who accused him of drunkenly sexually assaulting her in a hotel room. Hegseth argued the incident was consensual, but the police report paints a damning picture of a drunk, aggressive man using verbal and physical force to obtain sexual gratification. Even more galling is that the alleged sexual assault occurred shortly after Hegseth’s mistress-turned-wife gave birth. So much for those Christian values.
Education Secretary nominee Linda McMahon isn’t much better. Not only is McMahon facing accusations that she turned a blind eye to her husband Vince’s alleged sex trafficking during his time leading World Wrestling Entertainment, McMahon also faces accusations that knew about the sexual abuse of teenage WWE workers and chose to do nothing.
And then there’s Bobby. Health and Human Services nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has already admitted to groping a former weekend nanny he employed, while at the same time dismissing it as standard guy stuff. “I am who I am,” Kennedy said when asked if he felt bad about abusing the 23-year-old.
What did we expect from a president-elect who was found liable for raping writer E. Jean Carroll?
Vice President Musk
Another big topic missing from the media conversation? Elon Musk, who has now appeared by Trump’s side at nearly every single public event since Election Day. Over the weekend, Sen. Joni Ernst provided more evidence of Musk’s growing influence by posting a bizarre picture that showed the world’s richest man once again playing the role of “unofficial vice president.”
That’s also raising questions about whether Musk is secretly financing Trump’s presidential transition with a tidal wave of secret money. Trump recently declined to sign a transparency agreement that would have provided his team $7.2 million in federal public funds for transition expenses. Instead, Trump has opted to go the dark money route, which allows him to raise unlimited sums for delightfully vague “transition services.”
Adding to the air of corruption, Trump’s transition team leaders are Linda McMahon and Howard Lutnick, both of whom were rewarded last week with plum Cabinet appointments. And Lutnick won his nomination as Commerce secretary thanks to his friend Musk, who personally pressured Trump for weeks to make the pick.
Musk’s presence has been so constant that even some Republicans are starting to worry about how it looks to voters. Meanwhile, actual Vice President-elect JD Vance has been practically invisible on Capitol Hill, where he outraged fellow Republicans by missing several key votes last week. It’s a taste of the same kind of treatment Trump gave former Vice President Mike Pence, who spent most of his term as the butt of Trump’s jokes. You can’t say Vance wasn’t warned.
The cable news media may think stories about Democrats in disarray draw more eyes than the actual news, but don’t worry—Daily Kos has your back. Let me know what you’d like to see added to next week’s weekend highlights by sharing a comment below or dropping me a line on X. (Yeah, I’m still on X. Forgive me.)
Until next Monday, keep your eyes and ears open and remember to always dig deeper than the corporate media headlines.
