If you’re not familiar with National Review’s Jim Geraghty and his Morning Jolt, do yourselves a favor and rectify that ASAP. Because you’ve been missing out.
But the fun part of today’s Morning Jolt is going back two years at a series of “Unsolved Mysteries” in the news in early 2019.https://t.co/WeViHsQakqhttps://t.co/ywzCZzOKWi
— Jim Geraghty (@jimgeraghty) February 5, 2021
In today’s Jolt, Geraghty takes a look back at some of the media’s biggest bombshell scoops that just sort of disappeared without so much as a halfhearted goodbye. Where are they now?
Hilarious thread —> https://t.co/8VybAuioyO
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) February 5, 2021
It really is. But see for yourselves:
For example, remember that that January 2019 BuzzFeed story claiming that President Trump “directed his longtime attorney Michael Cohen to lie to Congress about negotiations to build a Trump Tower in Moscow”?https://t.co/ywzCZzOKWi pic.twitter.com/YjOVPwKXZR
— Jim Geraghty (@jimgeraghty) February 5, 2021
Turns out it wasn’t true! The Meuller report, out a few months later, declared “the evidence to us does not establish the president directed or aided Cohen’s false testimony.”https://t.co/ywzCZzOKWi
— Jim Geraghty (@jimgeraghty) February 5, 2021
Remember that McClatchy wire-service story that the Justice Department special counsel had evidence that Michael Cohen secretly made a late-summer trip to Prague during the 2016 presidential campaign?https://t.co/ywzCZzOKWi pic.twitter.com/pn56idCu13
— Jim Geraghty (@jimgeraghty) February 5, 2021
Turns out that wasn’t true, either! The Mueller report dispelled the claim, but in an all-time “just take the L already” champion, McClatchy somehow still insists their reporting is accurate and that Cohen’s phone went to Prague but he didn’t.https://t.co/ywzCZzOKWi
— Jim Geraghty (@jimgeraghty) February 5, 2021
The follow-up on Jessie Smollett’s implausible claims was better covered. But you may not know Smollett’s argument of double jeopardy was rejected and he’s due back in court in March. https://t.co/ywzCZzOKWi
— Jim Geraghty (@jimgeraghty) February 5, 2021
On number 4, not only did Joy Reid never catch the hacker, subsequent reporting suggested other portions of Reid’s response were untruthful. She’ll be teaching journalism at Howard University this spring.https://t.co/ywzCZzOKWi
— Jim Geraghty (@jimgeraghty) February 5, 2021
On number 5, not only did Julie Swetnick never provide any corroborating witnesses for her tale of weekly Georgetown rape parties, it is as if she’s been airbrushed out of history since 2018.https://t.co/ywzCZzOKWi
— Jim Geraghty (@jimgeraghty) February 5, 2021
On number 6, maybe the most surprising update of all: Al Sharpton has paid back $2.1 million of the $2.8 million in taxes he owes.https://t.co/ywzCZzOKWi
— Jim Geraghty (@jimgeraghty) February 5, 2021
On number 7, no one ever identified who threatened Stormy Daniels, despite many jokes that the perpetrator will be starting at quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Super Bowl on Sunday.https://t.co/ywzCZzOKWi pic.twitter.com/Irsz0CfWdJ
— Jim Geraghty (@jimgeraghty) February 5, 2021
On number 8, Roy Moore never raised anywhere near the $1 million or more needed for the recount. His Senate website is no longer online. The most recent item on Moore’s personal website is from April 2020. https://t.co/ywzCZzOKWi
— Jim Geraghty (@jimgeraghty) February 5, 2021
On number 9, Jamal Khashoggi’s relationship with the Qatar Foundation International and talks with the Saudi government about establishing a think tank garnered almost no attention beyond that brief mention in a Post story two years ago.https://t.co/ywzCZzOKWi
— Jim Geraghty (@jimgeraghty) February 5, 2021
Finally, on Number 10, In August 2019, about half a year after Gillette’s controversial “men need to do better” web ad, Procter and Gamble announced that Gillette had declined in value by $8 billion over 14 years.https://t.co/ywzCZzOKWi
— Jim Geraghty (@jimgeraghty) February 5, 2021
It can’t be easy keeping track of all the instances of media malpractice, but kudos to Jim Geraghty for giving it his all.
This morning's Jolt is worth a read. To the extent that the media can be held "accountable," @jimgeraghty is the guy to do it. https://t.co/3x0ID2uRPI
— Mike Hassinger (@MikeHassinger) February 5, 2021