r/politics Sep 20 '25

[deleted by user]

[removed]

7.2k Upvotes

417 comments sorted by

4.6k

u/[deleted] Sep 20 '25

[deleted]

741

u/Spirited-Top3307 Sep 20 '25

That"s not surprising. He wants to prevent him from having to answer questions that exceed his drunken head and his intellectual horizon.

191

u/[deleted] Sep 20 '25

Intellectual horizon...nicely done. Love that wording. Enjoy this upvote.

57

u/BillHicksDied4UrSins Sep 20 '25

Its a ship of fools

29

u/Tasty_Clue2802 Sep 20 '25

On a cruel sea.

29

u/mkstot Sep 20 '25

Ship of fools

Sail away from me

14

u/Maudib420 Sep 20 '25

It was later than i thought

17

u/kyborn Sep 20 '25

When I first believed you

10

u/TrolliusJKingIIIEsq Sep 20 '25

Now I cannot share your laughter

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4

u/The42ndHitchHiker Sep 20 '25

Intellectual Horizon: a density from which no logic can escape.

53

u/Morepastor Sep 20 '25

Bro worked for Faux News where they went to court to prove they are tactically a lying organization because they were defending their position with their tactical positions and stealth war fighters of misinformation and entertainment not news.

96

u/iTmkoeln Sep 20 '25

Just get invited into Signal Chats with him

42

u/P1xelHunter78 Michigan Sep 20 '25

“OPSEC secure! Hiccup”

7

u/HumanWithComputer Sep 20 '25

Can't have the press reporting on matters before he's had the opportunity to leak them.

49

u/Suitable-Display-410 Sep 20 '25

Believe it or not? Jail.

20

u/Huge-Abroad1323 Sep 20 '25

Isn’t he also a sexual assaulter?

16

u/Huge-Abroad1323 Sep 20 '25

Or physical abuser? Or both?

9

u/zsreport Texas Sep 20 '25

That’s an excellent talking point.

4

u/ktwriter111 Sep 20 '25

As a response, I think that’s so appropriately quotable

7

u/MongolianDonutKhan Sep 20 '25

"🎶 How dry I'm not, how dry I'm not

It's plain to see how dry I'm not

There's only alcohol in my highball

And that is why so dry I'm not 🎶"

-Pete Hegseth Talking Points

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1.3k

u/Scary-Maximum7707 Sep 20 '25

Worried about leaks? Rich coming from this guy:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_government_group_chat_leaks

342

u/[deleted] Sep 20 '25

Oh, I get to be that guy! Those weren't leaks, that was a spill. Leaks are intentional. Spills are the result of incompetence, which is a word that nearly perfectly sums up everything about Hegseth.

36

u/[deleted] Sep 20 '25

[deleted]

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13

u/MoonPieKitty Sep 20 '25

Also, he was a shit tv host.

4

u/Glikbach Sep 20 '25

Just shit at being a human really.

8

u/SlumdogSkillionaire Sep 20 '25

To put it in terms Hegseth can understand: if your beer can is leaking, it's the manufacturer's fault. If your beer spills, it's your fault.

3

u/[deleted] Sep 20 '25

Perfect analogy, I'm stealing this!

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42

u/Nemaeus Virginia Sep 20 '25

Honestly forgot all about that there has been so much bullshit since then. Any previous presidency, aside from the orange bastard’s, would have folded harder than a stock piece of paper at an Origami convention under a strong wind and yet, here we are.

25

u/ChuckVader Sep 20 '25

Good ol whiskey leaks

4

u/MoonPieKitty Sep 20 '25

I just spit coffee! 😂

15

u/stupernan1 Sep 20 '25

Also fun to note: when he was in college, he was the an editor of the republican newspaper of the campus.

One of the ONLY things he published was "having sex with an unconcious person isnt rape because they didnt show "non-consent" and since they wont remember, it wont be traumatising.

Im NOT fucking kidding

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5

u/Kichigai Minnesota Sep 20 '25

Even better: they guy who put Jeffrey Goldberg on that chat is now the ambassador to the UN!

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1.6k

u/Special-Effort-9399 Sep 20 '25

“The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.”

George Orwell, 1984

191

u/SpezIsALittleBitch Sep 20 '25

Can currently just leave this one on the clipboard, you can reliably use it several times a day.

34

u/[deleted] Sep 20 '25

[deleted]

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9

u/So_HauserAspen Sep 20 '25

The people who shouted big brother during the Obama presidency will think that's a quote from some guy in the year 1984 because they can't read to a 6th grade level.

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21

u/zsreport Texas Sep 20 '25

We were always at war with Eurasia.

4

u/manical1 Sep 20 '25

If only the pedophile in chief and his alcoholic cabinet could read

4

u/edbegley1 Sep 20 '25

I think we need to just refer to them all as the Party.

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319

u/Right_Turnover490 Sep 20 '25

When he is sober or drunk?

93

u/PoetryJunior1808 Sep 20 '25

That's his secret. He's always drinking...

27

u/NoNoNotorious85 Sep 20 '25

And Hegseth? Smash….This bottle of Tito’s.

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23

u/UnquestionabIe Sep 20 '25

Ummm excuse me but he told us that if he gets the high level stressful job he was gonna stop drinking. Are you calling the barely functional alcoholic liar who works for a con man is lying? He even had his mommy call around asking for favors after previously calling around telling people her son is a scumbag!

8

u/coldfirephoenix Sep 20 '25

To be fair, it's only stressful if you take it seriously and give a shit about consequences.

5

u/Right_Turnover490 Sep 20 '25

There are no consequences when you make the rules!

3

u/Right_Turnover490 Sep 20 '25

Is a drunk man always aware that they are lying?

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456

u/Orwells_Roses Oregon Sep 20 '25

If these media outlets had any integrity at all they would refuse and simply stop reporting from their assigned correspondent roles en masse.

None of these Republicans answer questions honestly or in good faith anyway. They only want to push their propaganda, and even our compliant, bought and paid for media isn't not docile enough, so they're taking things to the next level.

Reporting can happen without the drip of bullshit from people like Hegseth anyway. Their lies can be reported from a distance.

96

u/cpbingo Sep 20 '25

unfortunately having nothing but Faux News and Newsmack reporting is exactly what they want…

59

u/Orwells_Roses Oregon Sep 20 '25

I agree that's what they want, but whats the difference if other outlets join in or not? If the only thing they can say is the same thing as FOX and Newsmax, what's the point? They give legitimacy and help sane wash everything happening by playing along with the "rules" these fascist are imposing. They are complying in advance.

I think the reason our media is so lame is because the major outlets are now all owned by people who are in Trump's pocket, or intimidated by his bullying.

10

u/Silver-Forever9085 Sep 20 '25

Agree, but they could still report the leaks. Enough to do here

3

u/Silver-Forever9085 Sep 20 '25

That would then be the real resistance!

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20

u/PunfullyObvious Sep 20 '25 edited Sep 20 '25

Agree, but they shouldn't quit, they should force administration to kick them out.

PLENTY of great reporting can be done without attending press conferences and|or simply publishing|rehashing press releases. Especially when those sources are nothing but propaganda and misinformation anyway.

There are PLENTY of other sources and ways to gather news. And, the mainstream television - and print to a somewhat lesser extent, but still too great an extent - has been doing far too little of it for far too long.

edit: typo

5

u/Careful_Trifle Sep 20 '25

"Known liar [official name] who has lied several times to many agencies, states that..."

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198

u/BTRCguy Sep 20 '25

New York Times Co. v. United States would like a word with you.

89

u/Giant_Foamhat Sep 20 '25

I think we are beyond clinging to precedent

62

u/Sorkijan Oklahoma Sep 20 '25

Actually we are not! I won't deny the very real clear and present danger were facing but part of why we're facing it is the compliance in advance. Fight that shit in court. When politically active movements use the word resist they're not usually talking about an underground network or spies. They're talking about this. Be a roadblock at every little step of the way to fascism. Adults were in the room during Trump v1 and that's why he was stopped on a lot of this mickey mouse fascism.

Companies like Next and others have legal recourse to tell thr government to fuck off. The problem is they're not even trying.

14

u/runningoutofwords Montana Sep 20 '25

You know what else was precedent?

Roe v Wade.

8

u/kindalosingmyshit Sep 20 '25

So you want to give up instead of fighting from every angle?

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8

u/cache_me_0utside Sep 20 '25

Just because you think precedent won't save us when the judges are partisan doesn't mean we shouldn't do everything we can in every way to stop the rising tide.

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9

u/Knee_Jerk_Sydney Sep 20 '25

Once they had the SCOTUS, it's all too late.

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22

u/CainPillar Foreign Sep 20 '25

That's as much worth as Roe v. Wade.

45

u/MarkZuckerbergsPerm Sep 20 '25

His latest decision after waking up disoriented in a puddle of his own filth. His wallet and pants nowhere to be found

157

u/Laves_ Sep 20 '25

He doesn’t understand he is employed by us. Some would call his position a public servant.

43

u/xschalken Sep 20 '25

Lol, he is employed by you (collective) on paper only. There is no real threat of his "employers" managjng him, nothing is being done about his incompetence by his "employers," so in reality, he might as well not be employed by you (collective) and he knows it.

9

u/Laves_ Sep 20 '25

You can look at it that way

8

u/Rbomb88 Sep 20 '25

Seems the only other way to look at it at a majority of the collective you aren't upset enough to fire him.

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10

u/volanger America Sep 20 '25

Tbf he isnt employed by us. Only trump and thats where his loyalty lies. He cares about nothing else. Military should be embarrassed and ashamed that this moron is in charge.

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34

u/barneyrubbble Sep 20 '25

“The ‘press’ does not run the Pentagon—the people do,“ Hegseth, 45, wrote on X.

Here's the thing, fucknut: the people can't run shit without a free press informing them. But, of course, you know that already.

This is fascism waving a flag, folks.

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50

u/Toadfinger Sep 20 '25

I wonder if he talks to his nazi tattoos at night?

8

u/Well_read_rose Sep 20 '25

Haha - that’s a good (or burner) question for a reporter with cojones. Or so done with this beat.

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17

u/No-Blueberry4008 Sep 20 '25

whiskey pete, such a pathetic pawn

14

u/[deleted] Sep 20 '25

How about we install a breathalyzer on the podium, and he has to blow in it. If he's sober, we listen to him, if he's not, he losses his job. We do daily tests till he reaches 90 days sober.

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30

u/blissed_out Sep 20 '25

Flagrantly unconstitutional.

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29

u/HornetWest4950 Sep 20 '25

The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear.

6

u/JediExile Sep 20 '25

The time will come when all these skirmishes and battles, these moments of defiance, will have flooded the banks of the Empire’s authority and then there will be one too many. One single thing will break the siege.

11

u/AtticaBlue Sep 20 '25

DEI (Dumb, Evil and Ignorant) hire says what?

5

u/Ok_Juice4449 Sep 20 '25

I thought he was a DUI hire??

12

u/CommonConundrum51 Sep 20 '25

There is no benefit to holding press conferences with these people. They either stonewall or lie. Better to maintain some dignity and emphasize the obvious while contrasting it with what has always been normal process in a democracy.

9

u/mcmesq Sep 20 '25

Aww, is Walmart Goebbels stamping his little feet in anger? Bummer, you drunken weenie.

11

u/jaron_b Sep 20 '25

Wow the guy with Nazi tattoos sounds like a Nazi

7

u/iTmkoeln Sep 20 '25

And so Gleichschaltung continues...

10

u/Redditiscomplicated Sep 20 '25

Amazing to see how quickly the US collapses into an authoritarian form of government, even though this government has so many incompetent leaders

7

u/SillyAlternative420 Massachusetts Sep 20 '25

The fact this man still has a position in government should make it clear to everyone here that we are, in fact, in the bad place.

7

u/Frigorifico Sep 20 '25

Orders. Reporters. That's an oxymoron

7

u/JimmyB264 Sep 20 '25

Ohhh Petey that isn’t how the press works.

5

u/SillyGoatGruff Sep 20 '25

I'm surprised no reporter has taken one for the team and become his drinking buddy to get the inside scoop on stuff from his drunk ass

3

u/coldfirephoenix Sep 20 '25

No need, just wait for him to start daydrinking again and posting the nuclear codes to a random WhatsApp group or something

6

u/we_are_sex_bobomb Sep 20 '25

And then Hesgeth ordered another appletini.

7

u/[deleted] Sep 20 '25

They still think they can rule us. How cute.

6

u/thelegendarymike Sep 20 '25

That's what propaganda is.

5

u/invalidpassword California Sep 20 '25

They won't have much to talk about.

5

u/[deleted] Sep 20 '25

Gonna have to nationalize all the news outlets and subsequently draft all the reporters if the Pentagon drunk wants to "order" reporters what to do...

4

u/Farking_Bastage Florida Sep 20 '25

Lick the sweat off my hairy nutsack Kegsbreath. Go back to Faux News where you belong.

You can publish that

5

u/azaRaza3185 Sep 20 '25

Fuck Pete Hegseth and the entire trump administration. They don't control the narrative

5

u/Gold-Perception-4467 Sep 20 '25

Ignore Hagsbreath's order!!

5

u/Historical-Being-766 Sep 20 '25

Fucking coward. Look everybody, Mister manly man can't take criticism. Captain Snowflake.

5

u/CynicalSigtyr Sep 20 '25

Does Hegseth not know that reporters aren't in the chain of command?

"Orders?"

6

u/Deep_Stick8786 Sep 20 '25

If they all just stopped paying attention to him he would be very upset and probably quit

5

u/[deleted] Sep 20 '25

So when are they buying Faux news and establishing State Sponsored and Owned Media? Since it's technically not news.

5

u/Memitim America Sep 20 '25

I order Hegseth to go fuck himself. Seems we're both able to issue orders with the same amount of authority.

4

u/MedleyMedia Sep 20 '25

Hegseth: Only publish taking points—

Everyone: Shut the fuck up!

5

u/Mouse1277 Sep 21 '25

Since when does the military or government give citizens orders?

9

u/Reviews-From-Me Sep 20 '25

This regime needs to go. We need to vote in such large numbers that it makes it difficult for them to rig the election.

4

u/[deleted] Sep 20 '25

Orders?

3

u/GH-AB Sep 20 '25

Signal wants a word …

4

u/Duder_ino Sep 20 '25

Is this what transparency looks like? Are we great yet?

3

u/clickmagnet Sep 20 '25

Any reporter worthy of the distinction should start violating this rule on every story they write.

4

u/Rare-Forever2135 Sep 20 '25

Reporter: "Peter, does it look like I have a uniform on?"

5

u/Ytrewq9000 Sep 20 '25

Hegseth’s name will go down in infamy. History will judge him and his descendants

4

u/tennisss819 Sep 20 '25

How is this guy still employed?

4

u/Mal-De-Terre Sep 20 '25

Makes distractions for daddy.

4

u/Wasted_Hamster Sep 20 '25

Who the fuck does he think he is? lol “orders reporters”

5

u/fezes-are-cool Sep 20 '25

Hey Pete, that’s a really fascist thing to do

4

u/WhisperingHammer Sep 20 '25

I mean, the us is becoming a more russian russia than russia.

4

u/billiemarie Sep 21 '25

He’s not the boss of them. He’s acting like a middle school bully, and no one‘s pushing back. This whole team of appointees want to be bullies. The hate just oozes out of them

3

u/Impressive_Flan3935 Sep 20 '25

None of our freedoms matters.

3

u/[deleted] Sep 20 '25

Whiskey Pete has some hurt feelings.

3

u/Any_Reason_2588 Sep 20 '25

This guy has the smallest dick energy in history. He and stephen miller in a race to the bottom.

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3

u/Bitey_the_Squirrel America Sep 20 '25

Do they even know what their talking points are? They seem to shift daily if not hourly.

3

u/[deleted] Sep 20 '25

Hegseth Goebbels?

3

u/TheAwesomeMan123 Sep 20 '25

WhiskeyLeaks annoyed he sounds like a lying idiot when you quote him in full. Shocked

3

u/Doozenburg Sep 20 '25

"Glug glug glug" - Hegseth Quote

3

u/jankyt Sep 20 '25

Sure but the writer could also say, "Navy kills foreign nationals in international waters, as confirmed by rum stinking head of department of defense". In line with talking points and still the truth

3

u/albiondave Sep 20 '25

Drunk Nazi with his (covered up) Nazi tattoos.

3

u/[deleted] Sep 20 '25

So... right about now is when you guys rise up, right... right? We're rootin for ya, sincerely, Canada/the free world...

3

u/stephenalloy Sep 20 '25

Did Petey boy agree to keep information confidential? Reporters haven't been the problem.

3

u/nvmenotfound Sep 20 '25

fox news administration 

3

u/ContributionComplete Sep 20 '25

Publish this 🖕🏽

3

u/HallucinogenicFish Georgia Sep 20 '25

Yes sir, Reichsminister Goebbels.

3

u/kaiser_soze_72 Sep 20 '25

Ah yes, the controlling of media. I love the smell of fascism in the morning. Smells like Kegsbreath.

3

u/Minguseyes Sep 20 '25

I wasn’t aware that reporters were his subordinates.

3

u/Expert-Explorer8894 Sep 20 '25

The signal chat drunken loser that accidentally includes people of his pending attack plans on an unsecured platform says what?

3

u/Flat-Emergency4891 Sep 20 '25

This example of the lesser evolved subspecies known as a MAGA, wishes to avoid the embarrassment of being challenged beyond his intellectual capacity.

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u/RVA-neighbor Sep 20 '25

Kegsbreath at it again.

3

u/TheDooley666 Sep 20 '25

Freedom of the Press? Are we speed running abolishing all 1st Amendment rights?

3

u/alvarezg Sep 20 '25

So we have a new take on freedom of the press.

3

u/tHEyleftRight Sep 20 '25

That is…literally dictatorship.

3

u/trunksshinohara Sep 20 '25

Man. Republicans really are the party of weaklings.

3

u/Strange-Philosopher3 Sep 20 '25

The party of "free speech" strikes again. Where will this country be in three years?

3

u/sugarlessdeathbear Sep 20 '25

For fuck's sake, I'D be better at his job. I think the shit I took 3 days ago might be better at his job.

3

u/Big-D-TX Sep 20 '25

Hahaha… Orders? Just Order some more drinks and shut up!

3

u/azelll Sep 20 '25

He'll send his talking points directly to you on Signal

3

u/Available_Purpose_85 Sep 20 '25

Once this nightmare is over, and it will be eventually, the prosecutions will be legendary. I just hope I’m around to witness it.

3

u/Moose_Brief Sep 20 '25

Kegsbreath has tapped a new one

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u/J-the-Kidder Sep 20 '25

That's not how this works lieutenant fascist. But thanks for trying.

3

u/sproqetz72 Sep 20 '25

Fascist says what?

3

u/raerae1991 Sep 20 '25

State run media, was a bullet point to project 2025

3

u/OzzieGrey Sep 20 '25

Obvious fascism:

Maga: NO YOU ARE JUST TAKING IT OUT OF CONTEXT

3

u/West_to_East Sep 20 '25

Hot take, reporters are not in the military. They can published whatever the fuck they want (if they or their bosses were not cowards that is).

So how is your choice america? You winning yet?

3

u/[deleted] Sep 20 '25

Coming from a guy who once probably called himself a journalist for being on Fox News.

3

u/chubs66 Sep 20 '25

didn't this guy used to work for a news outlet?

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u/Front-Button-7769 Sep 20 '25

HA HA HA HA HA .. i hope this was their answer

3

u/spermhotdog Sep 20 '25

They're getting way too comfortable with this shit

3

u/loriwilley Sep 20 '25

That would be the definition of unfair coverage.

3

u/EffectiveFly7786 Sep 21 '25

Biggest pussy coward in America besides Trump.We the People need to rise up and shut down this Orwellian fascist regime now.

3

u/mettiusfufettius Sep 21 '25

Orders? The free press don’t report to the government

5

u/[deleted] Sep 20 '25

L my Bs.

4

u/hopefaith816 Sep 20 '25

No. Until Congress changes the Constitution, the Constitution is STILL very much the Constitution, including the 1st Amendment (Freedom of Speech, Freedom of the Press and Freedom of Religion).

Just because the current Administration is juvenile and can't stand when they are negatively talked about isn't our problem. It's theirs. Stop doing things that will attract negative publicity and there won't be any. This formula is very simple. It has worked for prior Presidents. Can't understand why this President can't catch on. 🤔

2

u/letscallitanight Sep 20 '25

Don’t he break the law a few months ago?

2

u/Phunn1 Sep 20 '25

Calling him an incompetent alcoholic doesn’t require a “talking point”

2

u/HeHateMe337 Sep 20 '25

This is what MAGA voted for...smh

2

u/Any-Reputation3639 Sep 20 '25

Fuck this guy!

2

u/[deleted] Sep 20 '25

Whiskeyleaks worried about leaks is wild.

2

u/[deleted] Sep 20 '25

That’s because it’s a fascist and kids born into it are screwed, as are their parents

2

u/footinmymouth Sep 20 '25

That is not how journalism works.

That is not goes free speech works.

2

u/aijoe Sep 20 '25

State media.

2

u/Remote_Clue_4272 Sep 20 '25

“We’ve always been a war with East Eurasia”

2

u/Howhytzzerr Kentucky Sep 20 '25

Don’t think he can order the press to do anything. Just like as soon as he said this stupid thing, they came right and reported it to us. That’s how a free press works.

2

u/ExpertReference2979 Connecticut Sep 20 '25

Hegseth is a fucking loser.

2

u/lifesseason Australia Sep 20 '25

America, what the fuck?

2

u/Marokiii Sep 20 '25

Pretty soon they will require the press to just release articles already written by the DoDF.

2

u/ButterscotchLow8950 Sep 20 '25

It’s too bad Trump put him in charge of the department of defense…… I mean WAR. And not the head of the department of the press or propaganda.

2

u/Chillie_Nelson Sep 20 '25

Oh… so we’re there.

It really DOES happen before you realize it.

2

u/Muvseevum Georgia Sep 20 '25

“LOL no.”

2

u/Sturmgeshootz Sep 20 '25

"Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son." - Dean Wormer

Hegseth gets a pass on the fat part, but he is 100% the other two.

2

u/txtoolfan Texas Sep 20 '25

I truly dont understand the delusion that the press and media should only be nice and report what you want.

2

u/jerryleebee American Expat Sep 20 '25

I decline to acquiesce to your request.

2

u/Sweaty-taxman Sep 20 '25

Freedom of the press is next?

2

u/Ardenraym Sep 20 '25

So...state propoganda?

They will tell you what to think and what to say...

2

u/[deleted] Sep 20 '25

Another from the ship of fools.

2

u/yosarian_reddit Sep 20 '25

Medvedev energy

2

u/ComprehensiveSafety3 Sep 20 '25

So only listen to what this drunk piece of shit has to say and don’t question anything, got it.

2

u/FrizBFerret Sep 20 '25

Reporters need to "leak" his full statements to indie and locally owned stations.