Media top headlines July 6
New York Times getting hit by critics and lawmakers for suggesting U.S. flag is now 'alienating some,' NPR decrying the Declaration of Independence as a document with 'deeply ingrained hypocrisies,' and an NBC News historian fawning over Biden round out today's top media headlines
Democratic lawmakers and their allies in the liberal media had a rough time during Fourth of July celebrations this weekend, seemingly criticizing America at every turn and distancing themselves from Independence Day instead of celebrating it.
"Conservatives have said for years that the left hates America. Now the left comes out and blatantly admits that it does … on July 4 weekend no less," Media Research Center vice president Dan Gainor told Fox News.
As the nation prepared for the fireworks, backyard cookouts, and parades, The New York Times on Saturday published a piece that suggested the American flag has become a symbol of divisiveness. The Washington Post published an opinion piece titled "Remember the Bicentennial? Celebrating might be even harder for America’s 250th birthday," which explored how the U.S. plans to celebrate the 2026 milestone when deep divisions exist within the country.
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Billionaire Jeff Bezos’ paper also published an opinion piece headlined, "The Fourth is for complainers," that claimed "America is a nation founded out of dissent and discontent; the Declaration of Independence is a literal list of complaints." Another Washington Post column knocked the Statue of Liberty's "unstable" meaning and suggested it wasn't representative of all immigrants to the U.S. because of its "complex history."
Not to be outdone, NPR tweeted out a thread of the original Declaration of Independence, ripping it as "a document with flaws and deeply ingrained hypocrisies." It also remarked immediately that the document "says ‘that all men are created equal’ — but women, enslaved people, Indigenous people and many others were not held as equal at the time."
Conservative strategist Chris Barron is baffled at the behavior from the left.
"It is utterly bizarre that the same crowd who yells ‘sedition,’ ‘traitor,’ or ‘treason’ at any Trump supporter is the same crowd that goes to insane lengths to undermine and marginalize anything that celebrates this country," Barron told Fox News.
"The truth is that they are simply saying the quiet part out loud these days," Barron said. "The fundamental ideological underpinnings of left wings politics has always been centered around a belief that the US is an evil place."
Former MSNBC anchor Touré Neblett took the America-bashing even further, tweeting out "F--k Independence Day. Not only were we not free, the whole reason the Colonies wanted independence was because Britain was moving toward abolishing slavery. Why would Black people celebrate a day so wrapped up in our enslavement?"
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Neblett also penned a piece for the website The Grio titled "F--k Fourth of July: The only independence day I recognize is Juneteenth." Actress-turned-activist Alyssa Milano shared a TikTok video of herself reading, "Reminder: The United States was founded on the unjust treatment of Native Americans, Africans and other people of color."
The New York Post took notice of the alarming trend and called out the "America bashfest" that was prominent during the holiday weekend.
"Liberal politicians and commentators took special joy in celebrating July 4th by denouncing America. The Statue of Liberty was not a symbol of freedom but a symbol of hypocrisy. The flag was polarizing. The national anthem doesn’t speak for everyone (or anyone). Even fireworks are racist. Hot dogs are safe for now, but give it time — considering Brandeis University is already banning the word ‘picnic,’" Post editorial board wrote.
"One thing’s for certain: You’re sure to get plenty of clicks for saying everything that used to be patriotic is now proof the United States is bigoted, no matter that we live in one of the most diverse nations on earth," the Post’s editorial board added.
The sharply negative media coverage mirrored several left-wing lawmakers, who also used the Fourth of July to disparage the founding of the United States.
Among them was Democrat Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., who tweeted out, "When they say that the 4th of July is about American freedom, remember this: the freedom they’re referring to is for White people. This land is stolen land and Black people still aren’t free."
Congressional candidate Shahid Buttar agreed and wrote, "It’s almost like our entire country has been brainwashed to ignore our history."
Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., used the Fourth of July to rip the Declaration of Independence as only about "white men."
"This is who they are. They just finally own it," Gainor said. "This crusade to depict America as evil isn’t accidental."
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He said hatred of America is tied to their world view and content such as what he called "the lies of The New York Times’ 1619 Project" that grounds the nation's founding in slavery.
"Instead of reality where our nation was founded in freedom and has spread that freedom to all of its citizens and has lost hundreds of thousands of lives defending freedom around the globe," Gainor said. "The left’s goal has long been to undermine America. They feel they are close enough to success to be honest about it."
Fox News’ Cortney O’Brien, Brandon Gillespie, Lindsay Kornick and Joshua Q. Nelson contributed to this report.