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White House Media Attack Falls Apart After It Calls Fox ‘Woke’
Let’s dive right into this whole situation, shall we? It seems the White House decided to launch a little media offensive, specifically targeting news outlets that aren’t exactly showering the current administration with praise. They even set up a “Hall of Shame,” which, well, didn’t quite go as planned. It’s hard to ignore how “woke” has become the far right’s go-to insult, much like “Ok, Boomer” used to be. The irony is thick, especially when you consider that this administration seems to have made “woke” a dirty word.
The core of the issue stems from the White House’s decision to label Fox News as “woke.” Now, the very act of branding Fox as such is where things started to fall apart. Fox News, despite its well-known conservative leanings, is a major player in the media landscape. Calling them “woke” just doesn’t make sense, and it’s a strategic misstep that reveals a deep misunderstanding of their audience. This kind of rhetoric is more likely to resonate with a small, extremely right-wing subset of the population, missing the broader target entirely.
The strategy of the White House seems counterproductive, as it directly attacks one of the very things that previously helped to prop them up. It’s almost like a snake eating its own tail. The hardcore loyalists that are not watching Fox any longer are probably much more tuned into outlets like Newsmax. It’s also interesting to see how Fox itself reacted, which was to defend themselves, showing the weakness of the White House’s strategy. There was a time when the Obama administration tried to ban Fox News from the White House press room and other news organizations threw a fit.
Now, let’s talk about the word “woke.” It seems to have lost all meaning, doesn’t it? It’s been twisted and contorted so much that it now seems to be a catch-all term for anything the right doesn’t like. It has come to represent everything from social progress to, well, just about anything that doesn’t fit a very specific, and often outdated, worldview. When you hear the word “woke” unironically, you know that the person you are hearing it from is a piece of work.
It raises the question: who is this attack even for? Is it for the base that’s already in the fold? In a way, these types of actions are successful for Trump in that they keep his base happy. It’s a closed loop, where the headlines are created to confirm the reader’s existing opinions and emotions.
The whole thing smacks of desperation. It’s a sign that they’re struggling, that they’re not in control, and that they’re resorting to tactics that are ultimately self-defeating. When you have to smear your friends to try and score political points, you know you are in trouble. This administration seems to be in a constant state of turmoil, and this media attack is just another example of their own clumsiness.
What’s also concerning is the potential for the weaponization of words and the way language is actively used to divide and conquer. The use of terms like “woke” and “anti-DEI” (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) as coded language for “white power” is a dangerous and deliberate tactic. This kind of rhetoric is designed to play on fear and prejudice and to rally support by stoking division.
The whole situation surrounding the White House’s media attack is a clear example of how not to do things. The attempt to paint Fox News as “woke” failed because it just did not reflect reality. The irony is, however, that these clumsy, tone deaf blunders seem to work with a certain subset. Perhaps the administration should consider getting their own official media outlet?