A Shining Example Of The Trumpification Of The Media

The media has been Trumpified, not just in how they do or don't report the news, but also in the belief that they are the news.

The media hated Joe Biden’s presidency. During Donald Trump’s first administration, the media got to be stars by claiming that they were opposing Trump. The media’s contempt for Biden, because he wouldn’t give them access or cater to them, was evident.

When Biden had a nightmarish debate, the media saw their chance to get rid of him and pounced.

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They keep saying Biden has cognitive issues, yet he was the only candidate smart enough to avoid her

There was no way Nuzzi could have gotten confirmation on her insinuation about Biden’s cognitive abilities, because she admitted to not having access to Biden. Nuzzi blamed Biden, claiming he iced her out as retribution for critical coverage.

In sharp contrast, Nuzzi claimed that Trump still talked to her even after she did multiple profiles of him, which she claims were critical (see also: “Don’t worry, Maggie’s friendly to us” Maggie Haberman ). Trump knows how to give gossip reporters cover with a show that feeds the public the drama that distracts them from the ongoing theft from the middle and lower classes.

In reality, Trump has long history of attacks on the free press, using a variety of methods including verbal insults, social media campaigns, legal action, and attempts to influence government agencies.

He filed numerous lawsuits against media organizations, including CBS, The Des Moines Register, and The New York Times, over coverage or polls he found unflattering. He has revoked press passes for entire outlets based on not liking coverage. He banned the Associated Press (AP) from pooled press events in the Oval Office and on Air Force One in February 2025 because they refused to use his preferred term “Gulf of America”. He took control of the press pool selection and stocked it with conservative influencers and yes people. He called to investigate or revoke broadcast licenses of networks like CNN and NBC. He is known for being petty and vindictive.

Finally, lest anyone be gaslit by yet another personal experience of Olivia Nuzzi being reported as the truth, the U.S. has fallen on the RSF World Press Freedom Index during Trump’s time in and out of office and Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF) say that Trump’s retreat from supporting international media freedom and his use of authoritarian-like tactics embolden repressive regimes worldwide.

Trump was nice to Olivia and gave her access, therefore she likes him and so the country should like him. It’s working for them, so what’s the problem?

Nuzzi’s explanation of why Biden didn’t let her in makes no sense, but her history suggests that the real issue might be Biden was not susceptible to her method of access journalism.

When a person is not corruptible by the corrupt, the corrupt dislike them. There cannot be quid pro quo when one won’t play.

For context, I’m unaware of any other journalists who feels entitled to personal access to presidential candidates, so her framing of being cut off as some kind of punishment reeks of main character syndrome. Biden might simply have not respected her gossip style of reporting, and fair enough as Biden was heavily focused on policy and operated under the sadly untrue notion that good work would tell its own story to the people.

Nuzzi is a product of the Trump era, excelling in calling attention to her personal brand of sexy, available journalist who isn’t like other girls. She wasn’t ever in Biden’s league in terms of political coverage. And to be clear, the issue is not a woman being sexy; it’s a journalist using undisclosed sexual relationships to get access to her subjects.

This latest Nuzzi scandal reveals that Biden’s real crime was failing to give the media what it gets from golden piggy Trump. The media endorsed Nuzzi’s reporting and still to this day stands by her former employer’s claim that they did an independent investigation but found no issues with her reporting.

Still, she was “let go” after the RFK Jr. revelations, and eventually failed up to Vanity Fair (owned by Advanced Publications who also own Vogue, The New Yorker, and Wired) as their West Coast editor.

Trumpism has infected everything.

Actually, Nuzzi is Trumpism

Actually, Nuzzi is Trumpism. It turns out, being the news was Nuzzi’s aspiration.

According to Lizza in Part 2, Nuzzi had written a fantasy article referring to herself as a blonde beauty and one of the most famous political reporters in the country, renown for turning access to “pure journalistic gold”, who was having an affair with Mark Sanford:

Olivia had written a tabloid-style news story about how “sources in Washington, D.C. and Charleston have been buzzing recently about an unexpected romance: Mark Sanford and Olivia Nuzzi,” who was described as “one of the most famous political reporters in America,” a “blonde beauty” who “gained critical acclaim as a skilled profile writer, gaining access to the powerful and the mysterious and turning it into pure journalistic gold.”

The cringe level lack of self-awareness and delusional sense of herself as the unique sexy princess of political writing does track. But as with Keith Olbermann’s constant insertion of himself into this story as her “hero” (read: creepy weirdo), all of these people have an agenda.

Lizza has shared one of his agendas, which is his accusation that Nuzzi and RFK Jr. plotted to destroy him. He also reports Nuzzi saying she is afraid RFK Jr. will kill her.

“If anyone ever finds out,” Olivia told me, “I’m afraid Bobby will kill me.”

All of this is horrifying. It does beg the question, if she was afraid he would kill her if the affair got out, why did she write a book about the affair with “the politician”? It was already out, but surely someone who might kill you if it gets out is going to be even more angry if you write an entire book about it.

It really seems as if she got her wish to become the glamorous blonde affair partner being written about, as the New York Times did their part to rebrand Nuzzi with a glamour spread titled “Olivia Nuzzi Did It All for Love,” which bore little resemblance to her rather obvious leopard print top with thigh high slit red skirt political era.

New Nuzzi is slick and softened. The Art Direction reeked of an obvious attempt at making her this era’s Kennedy mistress à la Marilyn Monroe, as she posed in a black turtleneck and on the beach of Malibu in a cream sweater.

The Marilyn as Editor and Author branding attempt did not go over without criticism, as journalist Jeremy Fassler, who has contributed to the Times previously, called the Times story “an indictment of modern journalism.”

Perhaps that should be the Times new log line, right above a photo of Nuzzi after they hire her as their main White House correspondent because of her “access” to Trump and his officials.

‘Jailbait’ is Too on the Nose

Still, it’s not all pretty pictures and book deals as a reward for having an affair with RFK Jr. for Nuzzi.

Our society loves to hate women. So it’s hard to know what to do with thinly sourced reports that as a teenager Olivia Nuzzi was trying to become a pop star with a song called “Jailbait” which was supposedly shared on her MySpace page. It seems too on the nose to be legitimate.

Rolling Stone is not convinced it’s her, but they do note that “Livvy’s” lyrics are highly prophetic of who Olivia became - including the (torturously cringe) writing in her new book:

“16 will get you 20,” Livvy sings. “A teenage queen right in front of you/Illegal dream, killer to pursue.” She pants about “craving sin,” over the synth-disco beats, boasting, “Bad things happen when you hear my name/Deny your attraction but I’ve got no shame.” In the chorus she belts, “Jailbait! You try too stay away, but you can’t obey!”

“Jailbait” seems to prophesize her future persona, which has been well-documented in the gossip columns… Meanwhile, Nuzzi has her own memoir American Canto, with her poetic musings on their bad romance. “He desired,” she writes. “He desired desiring. He desired being desired. He desired desire itself.” Oh, it goes on.

If this is real, then we have even more soul-searching to do as a nation. I’d like to believe we are already at the bottom, but perhaps there is more to fall. If it’s fake, then Nuzzi has fallen victim to what she has been selling, which will give her white knighting hopefuls another reason to defend her to the detriment of other women — again.

Unfortunately, being too on the nose is also what we see in Nuzzi’s current writing, including painting herself as a critical part of the country’s journey through Trumpism, while completely missing the point that her success is direct descendant of Trump.

“Other Journalistic Transgressions”

Nuzzi has become the sexist trope she called out, but she’s getting book deals and fancy new jobs as a reward. Naturally, it’s other women who will be stuck bearing the burden of her actions.

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