The ones who love him anyway
Brian Beutler on this new “relationship” between Trump and Univison.
If you haven’t read this already, you’ll want to. It’s left Democrats deeply unsettled. They were surprised as everyone to see Univision offer Donald Trump a fawning, hour-long, primetime interview earlier this month, particularly after the abuse he heaped on the network during his presidency and first campaign; they were stunned when Univision summarily canceled ads the Biden campaign had purchased to run during the interview, citing an undisclosed policy the network, by all appearances, adopted special for Trump; they’re aghast that Univision tried to create the false impression that it approached the Biden campaign with the same offer; and now they’re really worried, because they see Univision prevailing on local affiliates to pull popular programming off the air to carry Trump rallies live.
They’re upset, and understandably so, about the effect that transforming the most watched Spanish-language news network into a pro-Trump propaganda outlet will have on the election. It caught my attention because of the role Jared Kushner seems to have played behind the scenes with network executives to land the interview and seemingly draw Univision into a new, pro-MAGA incarnation.
Maybe it all came together through an above-board process of relationship-building and persuasion. But if you’ve followed Kushner’s trajectory through American political life, and then as an international influence merchant, you’ll be highly skeptical. There’s almost certainly something seedy at the heart of this arrangement.
I like to think, though can’t say for certain, that the Washington Post was trying to wink in that direction with these paragraphs.
Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, a friend of one of the executives, helped arrange the interview and was also in the room, according to multiple people familiar with the event.
“All you have to do is look at the owners of Univision. They’re unbelievable entrepreneurial people, and they like me,” Trump said in response to the question about Latino voters.
Entrepreneurial, you say? How so?
There are many possible answers, and I hope reporters seek them out.
But unearthing the secret details of a presumably corrupt bargain between Kushner, Univision, and the Trump campaign will be a tough reporting challenge. The people who really should be seeking them out are the ones with subpoena power. A year ago, after Democrats grew their Senate majority in the 2022 midterms, I did a crossover podcast with my then-colleague Jon Favreau about whether and how they could use their agenda-setting power to neutralize GOP propaganda. I argued they should stage dramatic battles that attract a lot of media attention and (thus, also) reach the swing voters who decide U.S. elections. We closed out that episode in agreement that if House Republicans decided to Benghazify™ Joe Biden, Senate Democrats should match them investigation for investigation, subpoena for subpoena.
I read earlier today that they are going to start carrying Trump’s rallies live.
This is a real thing and I fervently hope that both the press and the Senate get to the bottom of it. It’s fishy as hell.