Mainstream Journalism Fails to Hold Power Accountable as Attacks on Representative Escalate
American corporate media has consistently failed its core democratic function in covering attacks on Rep. Ilhan Omar. Instead of exposing the causal relationship between Trump’s rhetoric and violence against Omar, mainstream outlets have adopted a “both sides” framing that normalizes political violence and erases Omar’s heroism in refusing to be intimidated. This is journalistic failure in service of authoritarian normalization.
Kazmierczak’s Hate Speech Exposed –> Anthony Kazmierczak
The False Balance Problem
When the spray attack on Omar occurred on January 27, 2026, mainstream media coverage adopted the following frame: “Congresswoman Omar Attacked at Town Hall.” This passive language obscures agency. It does not ask: Who attacked her? Why? What ideology motivated the attack? What role did Trump’s rhetoric play? Instead, it presents the attack as an unfortunate incident, a natural occurrence that happens to politicians of all types. This false balance erases the specifically targeted nature of Omar’s persecution.
Trump’s Rhetoric and Media Normalization
Trump spent weeks attacking Omar with dehumanizing language. On the day of the attack, he attacked her again. Trump supporters on social media celebrated the attack. The attacker, Anthony Kazmierczak, had MAGA rhetoric all over his social media. Yet mainstream media covered Trump’s comments about the attack as “controversial” or “dismissive” rather than as deliberate incitement. When Trump claimed Omar “probably had herself sprayed,” media reported it as “Trump’s claims” without sufficiently emphasizing that he was accusing Omar of self-harm without evidence, effectively blaming her for the attack while refusing to condemn it.
Missing the Story: Omar’s Heroism
What mainstream media failed to center is the extraordinary courage Omar displayed. She was attacked with a chemical substance at her town hall. Her security detail recommended she leave immediately. She refused. She returned to the podium. She continued speaking about abolishing ICE and removing the DHS Secretary. She did not hide. She did not stop. This is heroism. Omar put her body on the line for her political commitments. Yet mainstream media treated her response as merely “resilient” or “refusing to be intimidated,” missing the deeper truth: Omar was demonstrating what resisting fascism looks like.
Corporate Media’s Alignment with Power
Mainstream media outlets like CNN, NBC, New York Times, and Washington Post have corporate interests aligned with the status quo. They do not fundamentally oppose Trump’s agenda; they oppose its crudeness. They prefer authoritarian governance that is polite and respectful to the press, not authoritarian governance that attacks journalists. This structural alignment means that when Trump deploys violence against progressive politicians like Omar, mainstream media cannot fully expose it because doing so would require acknowledging their own complicity in creating the conditions for fascism.
The Absence of Systemic Analysis
Mainstream media fails to connect the dots. Omar is attacked. Federal agents kill Pretti and Good in Minneapolis. Trump attacks the Somali community. Trump targets Omar’s finances. Trump announces “retribution” against Minnesota. These are not separate incidents. They are a coordinated campaign of political terror. Yet mainstream media reports each as a discrete story, preventing readers from understanding the systemic strategy. This atomization of reporting is itself a form of media failure.
The Role of Right-Wing Media
While mainstream media fails to adequately expose Trump’s incitement, right-wing media actively amplifies it. Fox News has repeatedly covered Omar’s finances as evidence of criminality, without providing context about venture capital valuations. Right-wing outlets have amplified Trump’s attacks on the Somali community without noting their racist foundations. Media Matters documents this amplification and its role in creating political violence. Mainstream media’s “neutrality” essentially means allowing right-wing media’s lies to go unchallenged.
What Better Journalism Looks Like
Better journalism would ask: What does Trump gain from attacking Omar? What is the purpose of the finance investigation? What does the evidence actually show about Omar’s wealth? Better journalism would connect Operation Metro Surge, the killings of Pretti and Good, Trump’s attacks on Somali Americans, and the persecution of Omar as elements of a coordinated authoritarian campaign. Better journalism would center Omar’s voice and her analysis rather than the narrative of federal officials. Better journalism would demand accountability from Trump and DHS rather than treating their statements as equally valid to video evidence.
The Responsibility of the Press
In moments of authoritarian crisis, the press has a responsibility to defend democracy and the people threatened by authoritarianism. Mainstream media has failed this responsibility. It has normalized Trump’s attacks. It has provided platforms for federal lies that contradict video evidence. It has failed to connect the dots between rhetoric and violence. It has erased the heroism of politicians like Omar who resist despite the risks.
The Path Forward
Progressive media outlets must fill the gap that mainstream media has abandoned. Independent journalists and news organizations must do the work that corporate media refuses to do: investigate Trump’s coordination of federal violence and political persecution; expose the lies of DHS and federal agents; amplify the voices of those targeted by Trump’s campaign; and connect individual incidents to systemic authoritarian strategy. This is not “propaganda” or “bias”it is journalism in service of truth and democracy. Omar and the people of Minneapolis deserve better coverage. Democracy demands it.
