On April 24, 2025, three federal district judges issued sweeping nationwide injunctions to block executive actions taken by Trump. This coordinated display of judicial activism is squarely aimed at conservative policy and overriding the will of the American people. As Frank Miele, writing for RealClearPolitics recently noted, judges appear more focused on safeguarding liberal ideology than upholding the Constitution. But these judges don’t operate alone. They are empowered by a mainstream media that has abandoned true journalism in favor of the narrative.

This crisis is not just about judicial overreach; it’s the complete lack of accountability that now defines both the bench and the press. Congress and our state legislatures answer to the people. Lawmakers stand for election, listen to constituents, and submit to public scrutiny. But federal judges are protected from accountability by lifetime appointments and institutional collusion. Even local judges, once elected or appointed, rarely face consequences for their rulings. They do not defend their decisions before the public and do not host town halls or issue press releases. They are simply unaccountable.

The Founders knew unchecked judicial power was dangerous. And they expected the press to serve as a check to inform the people and shine a light on all branches of government. But instead of watchdogs, today’s “fourth estate” are political enablers of the judiciary. They amplify rulings that support their agenda, suppress those that do not, and spin every story to protect their ideological allies on the bench.

We don’t need to guess where the mainstream media stands. Their bias seems seared into the system. A recent Pew study shows 62% of coverage, during President Trump’s first two months in office, was negative – compared to just 20 percent for President Obama. That is not balanced reporting. That is a political campaign masquerading as journalism. Jay Caspian Kang, writing in The New Yorker, admitted he never met a Trump supporter during 15 years in the industry. When an entire profession thinks, votes, and talks the same, where is the room left for discussion and dissent or even truth.

Look at the coverage from April 24. One judge blocked funding cuts to sanctuary cities that openly defy federal immigration law and the press called it a win for “immigrant rights.” What are immigration rights under our Constitution? Another judge halted a voter ID initiative designed to safeguard elections. Headlines framed that one as a victory for “voting access,” ignoring the fact that most Americans support voter ID. The rulings defending DEI programs in D.C., Maryland, and New Hampshire were applauded by the media rather than them asking questions about the legality or value of these programs. Not progress.

This is not journalism; it is cheerleading. And worse, it gives activist judges cover. These judges know they will not face criticism. They will not be investigated. Their decisions will be celebrated, not scrutinized. The media is no longer interested in speaking truth to power, they are only interested in preserving the small piece of truth that suits their politics.

The danger runs deep. The media refuses to report on the full scope of President Trump’s policies, their legal rationale, or even how they relate to his long-held views. They omit the criminal records of illegal immigrants, ignore the success of voter ID laws, and bury any fact that contradicts the left-wing narrative. This keeps the public uninformed, and it gives rogue judges a free pass to impose their will from the bench.

Is it any wonder trust for the MSM is collapsing? Pew Research found only 31% of Republicans believe journalists have strong ethical standards. And who can blame them? One X user I read said, “The propaganda press is, in fact, the enemy of the people. They maliciously lie and invent stories… They cover up important true stories.” That’s not an exaggeration in my opinion it’s a reflection of years of deliberate (re)education and manipulation.

Even international observers see the problem. Reporters-Without-Borders notes that America’s media environment is plagued by polarization and mistrust. Edelman’s 2025 Trust Barometer describes it as a “contested battleground” exploited to divide society and influence politics. One of the basic methods used to inculcate Marxism into a population is to first divide them. The US main-stream-media has become the Marxist machine toppling us to the left. That is not a free press.

Here are the numbers: In just nine weeks of Trump’s second term, judges issued 15 nationwide injunctions. President Bush faced six in the same time span. During Trump’s first term, he faced 64 such rulings with more than 90 percent from Democrat-appointed judges. And through it all, the press has asked zero tough questions. They don’t question whether a single judge in San Francisco or D.C. should be able to override national policy or even re-interpret the constitution. They don’t examine trends in judicial activism or probe for conflicts of interest. Instead, they package these rulings as victories for “democracy,” when they are not.

Even so-called conservative outlets are not immune. Another viral post I read on X criticized The Wall Street Journal, saying, “Once known for financial reporting, the WSJ is now better at spin than substance… 14 reporters allegedly ignored documented judicial corruption to protect Chief Justice.” That’s not journalism, not even close; it is collusion. And it makes judges even bolder in their overreach.

Some critics claim the media censors Trump more than it attacks him, citing coverage gaps around his so-called “vermin” remark. But even in silence, the MSM shapes perception. Whether they are over-reporting, underreporting, or ignoring facts altogether, the goal remains to control the narrative, discredit Trump, and protect their ideology.

The press should have a sacred duty: to hold powerful judges (and others) accountable; to inform the public and to tell the truth without fear or favor. But they have chosen sides. They now serve politics, not principle. They trade facts for spin and truth for ideology. In doing so, they have enabled a judiciary that believes it answers to no one, not even the constitution.

Judges were never meant to act as super-legislators. They were never supposed to craft policy from the bench. And likewise, the press was never intended to be their enabler and partner. Yet here we are.

If we want to restore accountability in our Republic, we must start with the press. Until they return to their proper role, speaking truth to power, the American people will not just be uninformed. They will be betrayed.

Originally published on Substack: https://kevinjmccabe.substack.com/p/the-press-the-courts-and-the-demise