A Washington Post columnist has admitted that mainstream media never proved allegations of Trump-Russia collusion despite years of coverage, cautioning journalists against repeating such mistakes with new Trump-related stories.
Key Facts:
- Perry Bacon Jr., a Washington Post columnist, spoke on “The Don Lemon Show” podcast.
- Bacon acknowledged that in 2017–2018, journalists never proved claims of collusion between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.
- He warned the media not to overstate allegations linking Trump to Jeffrey Epstein.
- Bacon compared the current Epstein coverage to the years-long Russiagate narrative that produced no smoking gun.
- The Russia investigation relied on controversial sources like the Steele dossier and led to heavy criticism of media handling.
The Rest of The Story:
During a discussion on “The Don Lemon Show” podcast, Perry Bacon Jr. reflected on his and Don Lemon’s extensive coverage of the Trump-Russia story during 2017 and 2018. Bacon admitted that while it seemed obvious Putin wanted Trump to win, “we never really proved the thing we were sort of hinting at.”
The conversation shifted to Trump’s alleged ties to Jeffrey Epstein. Lemon noted that mainstream outlets, once largely uninterested, were now pressing Trump on the subject. Bacon urged caution, warning against making the Epstein coverage an all-consuming narrative like Russiagate, which ultimately produced no definitive proof of collusion.
The Russia investigation had dominated headlines for years, fueled by contested sources such as the Steele dossier. Later revelations about the Clinton campaign’s role in promoting the Russia narrative fueled public distrust in the media’s handling of the matter. Bacon suggested aggressive but measured reporting on new Trump-related allegations to avoid similar pitfalls.
Commentary:
Bacon’s admission is the kind of truth many knew but never expected to hear from a mainstream journalist: the media never had proof of Trump-Russia collusion. For years, the press pounded away at a narrative they couldn’t substantiate, shaping public opinion with insinuations instead of facts.
The Russia story was not merely a bad lead—it became an obsession. Networks built ratings on it. Entire news cycles revolved around the idea of Trump as a Kremlin asset, yet even after exhaustive investigations, no “smoking gun” emerged. That didn’t stop them from acting as if one was just around the corner.
Now, with Trump-Epstein stories starting to circulate, Bacon’s warning is essentially a confession. He admits the media’s role in promoting a storyline that never held up under scrutiny. For years, journalists acted less like watchdogs and more like political operatives chasing a narrative.
This wasn’t just a mistake—it was a deliberate choice to present unproven speculation as if it were established truth. It was about damaging a political figure they disliked, no matter the evidence. The public was misled, and the press’s credibility took another massive hit.
If the Department of Justice is serious about investigating misinformation and abuse of power, they should also be looking at how the media operated during Russiagate. The damage done to public trust is incalculable, and no newsroom has been held accountable.
Trump should consider taking legal action against those who spent years reporting as fact what they now admit they couldn’t prove. That’s not journalism—that’s defamation dressed up as investigative reporting.
The people who pushed this hoax are the same ones now telling you what to think about Epstein and Trump. They have shown themselves to be willing to distort the truth for political gain. They should never be trusted again.
The Bottom Line:
Perry Bacon Jr.’s remarks confirm what critics have argued for years—the media never had definitive proof of Trump-Russia collusion, yet ran with the narrative anyway. His warning over Epstein coverage is a thinly veiled acknowledgment of past overreach. The lesson is clear: when the press abandons evidence for political narratives, public trust collapses.
The same institutions that misled the public before are asking for trust again, and the public should be wary.
