There’s no time to lose

We’ve gotten an enthusiastic response this week, but we need to keep the momentum going.   [Mother Jones]( MoJo Reader, As you know, there’s too much at stake right now, and I’m angered by the way many in the media have been covering this critical presidential election. I’ve seen far too much credulous coverage that normalizes Donald Trump and treats him as a regular candidate. Our democracy can’t afford to have the media make the same mistakes they did in 2016 and 2020. That’s why the $50,000 digital matching gift I wrote you about on Monday is such good news. It means [any gift you make online this month]( will be matched dollar-for-dollar. Your contribution of $25 will count for $50, and your gift of $50 will be worth $100. It’s distressingly clear that much of media hasn’t figured out how to deal with the threat that Trumpism represents, and I wonder if the recent debate between Kamala Harris and Trump will change anything. But here’s what I do know: With your support, Mother Jones will keep producing the fearless, kickass, truth-telling reporting that Americans need in this all-important election season. Eight years ago, the allure of gaining profitable ratings from Trump’s rallies was catnip for the media—and provided him a goldmine of free media. Whatever after-the-fact fact-checking that occurred could never catch up to the flood of falsehoods he flung, and no post-rally “analysis” or “contextualization” could effectively counter the hateful rhetoric he spewed. My Mother Jones colleagues and I reported on Trump’s conflicts of interest, his organized crime ties, his many misdeeds, but we were constantly amazed at how often these stories went unreported elsewhere. Fast forward to 2024: At a recent Mar-a-Lago press conference, we heard Trump declare there was a peaceful transfer of power after the 2020 election. The reporters present at his club should have pounced on Trump for such a brazen lie about January 6. That didn’t happen. Throughout the event, Trump lied repeatedly, and only days afterward was there any fact-checking. NPR reported that Trump spewed 162 “lies and distortions.” But the New York Times’ overarching piece on the press conference approached it not as more evidence of how unhinged the former president has become, but as the latest development in the political horse-race. Overall, this sort of treatment casts Trump as an ordinary candidate doing regular things, when that is not the real story. If Trump can still readily use the national media platform to make dumb, false, or hateful assertions, he has a decent shot at rousing enough voters in the swing states to squeak by. Here’s one small example: We saw the media give coverage to Trump’s fact-bending attempt to Swift Boat Tim Walz on his National Guard service without noting his own dodge of the Vietnam draft. And now Trump and his running-mate, JD Vance, are spewing disinformation about immigrants stealing and eating pets to juice up the hatred and division that they believe helps their campaign. [Donate Now]( It’s like I said in my email on Monday: Without greater media attention devoted to Trump’s lies, his attempted 2020 coup, and the danger he currently presents to our constitutional republic, MAGA Republicans are better situated to overthrow democracy this time. At this week’s debate—where Trump once again refused to acknowledge he lost the last election and said he had no regrets about January 6—Trump hurled three dozen lies at Harris. The ABC News moderators fact-checked about three. That was a good start, but it showed that more fierce and forceful journalism is needed to combat Trump’s unrelenting campaign of propaganda and disinformation—which still has a good chance of returning him to the White House. If you agree with me, will you please help us make the most of this $50,000 matching gift? [No matter what amount you send](—$10, $100, or $1,000—it becomes twice as much. With your help, MoJo can show the rest of the media how to deal with the peril at hand. As always, thank you for having our back and joining us in this critical mission to protect our democracy and the nation’s future. [David Corn] [David Corn] David Corn Washington DC, Bureau Chief P.S. I always feel a little odd asking for your hard-earned money, but I do it because meeting our fundraising goals is key to helping us do all we can in the coming weeks before Election Day. Thanks in advance for whatever you can give. [Donate Now](   [Mother Jones]( [Donate]( [Donate Monthly]( [Subscribe]( This message was sent to {EMAIL}. To change the messages you receive from us, you can [edit your email preferences]( or [unsubscribe from all mailings.]( For advertising opportunities see our online [media kit.]( Were you forwarded this email? [Sign up for Mother Jones' newsletters today.]( [www.MotherJones.com]( PO Box 8539, Big Sandy, TX 75755