By Philip T. Pearson

“The problem remains the same…” Tweeted former Tea Party Congressman turned vocal Trump critic Joe Walsh Tuesday morning (12/14/21), referring to the previous day’s “bombshell” revelation that (gasp!) many in the ultra-powerful Conservative Media apparatus have been lying all along about believing the Jan. 6 Capitol Riots were carried out by any other group than Trump loyalists. 

Because in case anyone’s forgotten, here’s Laura Ingraham, on live TV Jan. 6th claiming that the rioters were Antifa. And, here’s Sean Hannity, implying the same. 

Or how about Tucker Carlson’s far more recent claim that Jan. 6 was actually a false flag operation? 

Well, just before Monday’s vote to hold former Trump Administration Chief of Staff Mark Meadows in contempt, Congresswoman Liz Cheney of Wyoming read aloud a series of text messages that Meadows received the afternoon of the 6th, imploring him to do something, anything, to get Trump to call off the rioters at the Capitol. Among them, to the surprise of many, (and, understandably, the cynical non-surprise of many more), were texts from Trump’s own children, as well as Fox News hosts Brian Kilmeade, Laura Ingraham, and Sean Hannity. 

“He’s got to condemn this s*** Asap. The Capitol Police tweet is not enough.” Donald Trump, Jr. texted.

“Can he make a statement?…Ask people to leave the Capitol.” Sean Hannity urged.

“Please get him on tv. Destroying everything you have accomplished.” Brian Kilmeade wrote.

“Hey Mark, the president needs to tell people in the Capitol to go home…this is hurting all of us…he is destroying his legacy.” Laura Ingraham wrote.

Now, why would a person who sincerely believed the Capitol rioters to be Antifa, or, even more ridiculous, that the whole riot was an FBI conspiracy, feel that Trump was “destroying his legacy” by not condemning it? Or believe that Meadows, who willfully formed a diligent army of influential Congresspeople to undermine the legitimacy of the 2020 election, should intervene with the President to stop it?

And, what, if anything, should that information mean with regard to the Jan. 6 commission?

What should be done about this betrayal of public trust?

What?

Unfortunately, those kinds of questions are beside the point. Because it goes without saying that Fox News Hosts and the Conservative Media apparatus as a whole is massively disingenuous–part of a willful and intentional Propaganda Feedback Loop intended to part well-meaning and sincerely patriotic American-rubes from their money. And, since the only opinions that are of any actual importance to the Right-Wing media are those of the very rubes they intend to defraud, what is their playbook? Deflect and distract. 

Here, The New York Times discusses how “Fox News Hosts Take the Offensive About Texts to Meadows.” And here’s The Federalist, a noted Right-Wing mouthpiece, laughably working to convince its readers that paraphrasing is equivalent to “doctoring text messages.”

And then there’s the distractions. 

Ohio Republican Jim Jordan Tweeting about “Defund the Police.”

Arkansas Republican Steve Womack Tweeting about how Biden’s at fault for inflation that began under Trump. 

Texas’s Ted Cruz, complaining about vaccines.

Arizona Republican Andy Biggs Tweeting about Biden’s infringement on religious liberty. 

Or, Dinesh D’Souza, Matt Gaetz, and others Tweeting about “Critical Race Theory.”

Yes, as Joe Walsh Tweeted, “The problem remains the same: The people who need to be told the truth about these January 6th texts never will be told the truth.”