Margaret Sullivan argues that the mainstream media has largely normalized Donald Trump's second presidency, treating his constant lies, self-dealing, and apparent cognitive decline as just 'Trump being Trump.' Despite a series of shocking outrages—including the creation of a $1.8 billion 'anti-weaponization fund' to compensate his allies, the ruination of the Kennedy Center, and the Supreme Court's assault on Black voting rights—corporate news outlets have failed to provide sustained coverage. Sullivan notes that the media's attention span is short, with each new scandal quickly forgotten as the next one emerges. She highlights that independent voices, like former ABC News correspondent Terry Moran, are left to call out the corruption plainly, while mainstream outlets rely on 'weasel words' and move on. The article criticizes the media for not applying the same scrutiny to Trump as they did to Biden, and suggests that the 'flood the zone' strategy has been highly effective in overwhelming the public and the press.
