Spin Cycle: Fear is Your New Companion

For those who don’t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week’s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.

Sunday’s media spin took aim at the 2024 presidential election — which is looming ever closer as the Memorial Day weekend will kick off a summer replete with campaign events, major party conventions, and more. And based on the tone of the Sunday political shows, the narrative the mainstream media networks plan to carry into the election season is a simple one: Be afraid. Be very afraid.

For former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, the message on her MSNBC show “Inside with Jen Psaki” centered around former Governor Nikki Haley (R-SC) and her decision to endorse Donald Trump after months of criticizing him and even running a campaign against him that lasted through Super Tuesday.

Psaki compared Haley to other Republicans who had chosen to turn on Trump, saying that she had “seen this movie” before — and that she had come to expect Republicans to “fall in line” even after the former president attacked them because they feared being ousted from the party altogether.

“Republican speaks the truth about Donald Trump… Trump smears, attacks, and belittles them… Republican falls in line rather than face excommunication from the party. How many times have we seen this movie?” she said.

.@jrpsaki: “Republican speaks the truth about Donald Trump… Trump smears, attacks, and belittles them… Republican falls in line rather than face excommunication from the party. How many times have we seen this movie?” pic.twitter.com/Ob6tr2oCZl

— Inside with Jen Psaki (@InsideWithPsaki) May 26, 2024

Psaki’s guest Sarah Matthews took it a step further, arguing that in Haley’s case, the former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. was also likely forfeiting any leadership role in the Republican Party once Trump was no longer leading it.

“She could’ve – maybe in a post-Trump Republican party – been the leader. Instead, she chooses to bend the knee, kiss the ring,” she said.

“She could’ve – maybe in a post-Trump Republican party – been the leader. Instead, she chooses to bend the knee, kiss the ring.”@SarahAMatthews1 on what Nikki Haley gives up by supporting Trump. pic.twitter.com/YS8ooiBwxJ

— Inside with Jen Psaki (@InsideWithPsaki) May 26, 2024

On NBC’s “Meet the Press,” anchor Kristen raised the specter of Americans refusing to accept election outcomes when she sat down with four secretaries of state and asked whether any of them had been threatened simply for attempting to do their jobs.

“It has impacted not just us, but also our families,” Secretary of State Adrian Fontes (D-AZ) said.

WATCH: @kwelkernbc asked four secretaries of state to raise their hands if they’ve received threats for doing their jobs.

They all did.

Arizona Sec. @Adrian_Fontes: “It has impacted not just us, but also our families.” pic.twitter.com/8RxZ0qMC5a

— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) May 26, 2024

Fontes added, “Threats against elections officials in the United States … is domestic terrorism … We’re working with law enforcement across the country to really start to address these things. It’s not too little too late.”

WATCH: Arizona Secretary of State @Adrian_Fontes (D) says “threats against elections officials in the United States … is domestic terrorism.”

“We’re working with law enforcement across the country to really start to address these things. It’s not too little too late.” pic.twitter.com/tO5plcKtgZ

— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) May 26, 2024

Welker framed the conversation — with Fontes and three others — around the upcoming election and polls that suggest a majority of Americans believe that “democracy in the U.S. is under threat.”

Good Sunday morning —

In just over five months, voters will pick 11 governors, 34 U.S. senators, 435 members of the House and choose thousands of local and statewide officials.

It comes as more than 80% of voters say democracy in the U.S. is under threat. pic.twitter.com/rPUnQI6NK7

— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) May 26, 2024

What Welker did not mention was that the same Georgetown University poll that revealed 81% believed democracy was in danger — and 51% thought Trump posed a risk — also stated that 47% believed the mainstream media was a threat to democracy.

ON CNN’s “State of the Union,” anchor Dana Bash fomented fear of another January 6th when she continued to beat the same dead horse so many network hosts trot out every time they interview a Republican senator: “Will you vote to certify the election no matter who wins?”

Senator Tim Scott was on the receiving end of that question on Sunday, and his answer was simple: “Well, certainly, we expect a fair and honest election. And as a result of that expectation, we will certify the election and certify President Donald Trump as our 47th president.”

BASH: “Will you vote to certify the election no matter who wins?”

SCOTT: “Well, certainly, we expect a fair and honest election. And as a result of that expectation, we will certify the election and certify President Donald Trump as our 47th president.” pic.twitter.com/x43PncK8uu

— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) May 26, 2024

As the election draws closer — and it becomes clearer that the multiple court cases against Trump have either failed to sideline him or won’t be decided prior to the election — media appears ready to pull out all the stops to make sure they keep telling people to be afraid of the former president.

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