A Trump-supporting podcaster who was allegedly paid massive sums by Russian state media used his time during Tuesday’s White House press briefing to slam the reporters surrounding him.
Tim Pool, who was added to the press pool late last month and opted to wear his signature beanie and a zip-up hoodie to the exclusive affair, introduced his question with a lengthy rant about a number of right-wing grievances concerning the mainstream media.
“Many of the news organizations that are represented in this room have marched in lockstep on false narratives, such as the ‘very fine people’ hoax, the Covington smear, and now what’s being called the ‘Maryland man’ hoax, where an MS-13 gang member—adjudicated by two different judges, I believe—is just simply being referred to as a ‘Maryland man’ over and over again,” Pool said.
“Now, in an effort from the White House to expand access to new companies, you’ve created this ‘new media’ seat,” he went on.
“So, I’m wondering if you can comment on following this expansion, you’ve had numerous outlets disparage the companies that you’ve had sit here, as well as the reporters,” he said. “I’m wondering if you could comment on that unprofessional behavior as well as elaborate if there’s any plans to expand access to new companies.”
Leavitt replied that Pool is in the briefing room because the administration “welcomes diverse viewpoints.“
“We welcome unbiased journalists who really care about the truth and the facts and the accuracy,” Leavitt insisted.
Leavitt also refused to admit any wrongdoing by the administration regarding the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, even though a Justice Department lawyer admitted in court that his deportation was an “administrative error.”
“The president was always on the right side of this issue to deport this illegal criminal from our community, and it is despicable to see the media continue to refer to this individual as someone who is just a peaceful man living his life in Maryland,” she said. “This is, was, and always has been an illegal criminal, an MS-13 gang member, and a designated foreign terrorist; and the administration maintains our position to deport these individuals from our community.”
“So, thank you for being here, Tim. It’s great to see you. Thank you,” she concluded.
Pool was one of several right-right commentators who worked for Tenet Media, which prosecutors say received $10 million from two Russian media executives. According to The Washington Post, he earned $100,000 per episode for his weekly show. Pool claimed he was unaware of the source of that money, and prosecutors say some employees were misled about the company’s funding.
“Should these allegations prove true, I as well as the other personalities and commentators were deceived and are victims,” Pool wrote last year in a post on X that was later deleted. “The show is produced in its entirety by our local team without input from anyone external to the company.”
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