CNN reports that “voters” want to keep Trump off the 2024 ballot in Massachusetts and Illinois, but by using the vague term “electors” they are actually obscuring one of the most important aspects of the story. How many “voters” are talking about him?
It's a classic trick used by the media to promote a story they like. Make it look like the issue has majority support by burying the actual numbers somewhere in the report.
Voters in Illinois and Massachusetts seek to remove Donald Trump from 2024 primary ballot based on 'insurrection clause' https://t.co/GZtiMawQBJ
– CNN breaking news (@cnnbrk) January 4, 2024
The Associated Press got this too.
Voters file objection to Trump's name on ballot in Illinois https://t.co/zs0hJxlPYL
– Associated Press (@AP) January 5, 2024
Years ago, this kind of deception might have worked occasionally, but people resort to it these days.
Troubled reports:
The media's latest attempt to “make yellow journalism great again” comes thanks to CNN, which attempted to report a story about two more states as they try to remove Donald Trump from the 2024 ballot. You know, to “protect” democracy.
Looking at the headline in this tweet, you might think that people all over Illinois and Massachusetts are rising up against the bad orange guy.
Except… yeah, not much.
Just a quick check of the facts here shows that the petitions in both states are not a grassroots voter movement, but instead a coordinated attack from a far-left activist group, Free Speech for the People (yes, we laughed at the irony of the group's name too).
But it gets better. The “voter groups” that CNN refers to in Illinois? It was five people. Not 5000. Not 500. Not even 50.
five.
Five voters.
Saved you with one click. https://t.co/SlPdldc7Ls
– TheFOO (@PolitiBunny) January 5, 2024
CNN and the Associated Press could have said “five anti-Trump activists” but called them “voters” instead because that sounds like more than five people. It also sounds like they are people in general, rather than activists with a specific agenda.
No matter how much you despise the media, it's not enough.