• Fox’s Greg Gutfeld compared being called a Nazi to being called “the n-word.” 
• Newsmax's Greg Kelly: “Watergate was a CIA operation designed to take [Richard Nixon] out.”
• Fox Noticias guest: “Most of these feminists are not mothers. Most are either lesbians or have been rejected by a man and haven’t been able to get over it.”

• Mike Davis: “I hope President Trump said f you to Judge Boasberg.” 
• War Room host Steve Bannon said regarding mass deportations to El Salvador: “If there’s some innocent gardeners in there? Hey, tough break for a swell guy.” 
• Fox’s Jason Chaffetz called for arrests over DEI at universities. 
• Fox’s Jesse Watters attacked the family of a judge who ruled against Trump on deportation flights.

• The Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh said the poem on the Statue of Liberty “in no way represents any kind of core American value.” 
• Newsmax host Rob Finnerty said Trump “absolutely could run again for a third term.”

Last week, we told you about Media Matters’ new study documenting that the most popular online shows and streamers are overwhelmingly right-leaning. The findings are startling, and I invite you to read the study here. This week, we wanted to discuss more about the implications of this study, so I spoke to its author, Kayla Gogarty, and asked for her insight. 

What were the conclusions of your study and what, if anything, surprised you? 

Our study reveals the right is dominating the online media ecosystem — the extent of which was even surprising to me. The right has substantially larger audiences and is more prominently seeping into nonpolitical spaces. 

First, we found that right-leaning shows had at least 480.6 million total followers and subscribers across streaming and social media platforms — nearly five times more than left-leaning shows. And 9 out of the 10 online shows with the largest followings across platforms were right-leaning. 

Second, the study shows how the right has expanded its reach across a variety of genres — like sports, entertainment, and comedy. The analysis found over a third of the online shows in the study self-identify as comedy, sports, and other supposedly nonpolitical categories. Nearly three-quarters of those shows were right-leaning. 

How do you think the right gained such dominance in the world of online shows? 

Right-wing figures and politicians have spent decades building up a massive ecosystem to spread their narratives. They’re better than progressives at evolving to reach Americans wherever they get their news, expanding beyond print and television media into talk radio, social media, and now online shows. 

The right has also exploited social media platforms, using outrage and fearmongering — which gets more clicks and is more likely to be boosted by algorithms than dry facts and statistics. 

The left needs better storytelling that invokes emotion, not only to change hearts and minds but also to be spread by algorithms. Until progressives adapt and find ways to engage Americans, their content will continue to struggle to break through. 

What do you think people should do when they're consuming online shows? 

My personal rule is to take news and hot takes with a grain of salt and verify news with at least two reputable mainstream sources before sharing it with others. Our findings underscore the right’s disproportionate reach to a wide variety of audiences — and a media environment that allows the right to shape political discourse and public perception, more easily spread misinformation, and drown out the truth. This makes it even more important for us to be cautious about the information and news we consume and share. 

Progressives should support and listen to progressive creators and engage with their content. 

If you would like to hear more from Kayla, I recommend you check out her interview on The New Abnormal.

In letters to the editor in papers across several red states, readers who identified themselves as Republicans or veterans have expressed frustration with the Trump administration. Complaints have covered a variety of issues, including the administration’s treatment of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, cuts by the Trump administration, and the decision to allow unvaccinated soldiers back into the military. 

• A Trump voter in Arkansas wrote to criticize Trump’s Ukraine stance, saying, “Someone needs to remind him that America does not side with bully nations against weaker neighbors.” 
• A person claimed they “had hoped to be a lifelong Republican” wrote in to criticize the Trump administration for “blindly firing 200,000 employees.” 
• A “Republican for 50 years” wrote to the Miami Herald to call the confirmation of former Fox News host Pete Hegseth as secretary of defense “the last straw.” 
• An Army veteran wrote in to express dismay over the sudden firing of top military lawyers.

Right-wing media have continued their crusade against judges who challenge President Donald Trump and his administration, attacking a federal judge who issued an order to halt the deportation of approximately 250 suspected gang members. After the administration failed to stop the flight, Judge James Boasberg demanded details on the Department of Justice's “possible defiance” of the order. 

Mainstream right-wing and far-right media figures called the judge a “lawless clown,” urged the administration to “impeach and prosecute” him, baselessly claimed his order “risked putting American lives in danger,” and targeted the judge’s family. 

Attacking judges who rule against Trump and prosecutors who have attempted to hold him accountable is standard practice in right-wing media. We can assume that the attacks will only get more extreme and dangerous.

• In the past couple months, right-wing radio shows have been receiving calls from audience members who are unhappy with the Trump administration’s policies. 
• Fox News declares war on the judiciary over rulings against the Trump administration. 
• Fox News has vociferously defended Trump for deporting some 250 people to El Salvador. Meanwhile, the network’s sister outlets The Wall Street Journal and New York Post have published strong op-eds supporting the role of the judiciary. 
• The Heritage Foundation and MAGA media laid the groundwork for Donald Trump’s unprecedented and lawless claim that he is invalidating the pardons President Joe Biden issues to the January 6 House select committee. 
• As the Trump administration orders mass layoffs and cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, local meteorologists and influencer storm chasers are speaking out in support of federal employees and the essential information provided by the agency. 
• Fox’s Dana Perino suggested ending government unions. 
• Fox’s Sean Hannity called for an American-led military attack on Iran.
• Media Matters’ Matt Gertz explained how Trump’s tariff policies are driving a wedge within MAGA media.