Sometimes in days gone by Republicans would make stupid arguments in policy debates and you would say "this is a bad argument for XYZ reasons" but this isn't that, he's just lying

Trump could have Chuck Schumer executed for selling secrets to China and the media would be scared to call it authoritarianism because that would contradict Trump and seem biased. "Critics call it an overstep" is the best you'd get

The American media's only weakness: transparent pretexts and obvious lies, which it can't refute without feeling partisan