Newsmax Heavily Defended Trump After Mar-a-Lago Search

When the FBI executed a search warrant on Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort looking for classified documents that he refused to return after leaving the presidency, Newsmax — one of his most loyal media supporters — went into freakout mode, cranking out not only Trump’s defense but also defenses of him by other Trumpies and attacking the search itself. First up was an Aug. 8 article by Jack Gournell uncriticially quoting unsupported attacks on the raid from Trump and his attorneys as politically motivated. That was followed the rest of the day by a bunch of articles, mostly based on appearances by Trump supporters and lackeys on Newsmax TV, making similar unsupported attacks:

• Rep. Andy Biggs on Newsmax: This Is ‘an Authoritarian’ Govt
• Rep. Jeff Van Drew to Newsmax: Raid ‘More Like Russian State Than It Is America’
• Rep. Claudia Tenney to Newsmax: This Is a ‘Show,’ ‘Abuse of Power’
• Lara Trump: Raid Aims to Tarnish Trump Ahead of Presidential Run
• Rep. Mullin to Newsmax: FBI ‘Caution Just Thrown Out the Window’
• DeSantis Leaps to Trump Defense, Lambasting FBI Raid
• Alan Dershowitz to Newsmax: FBI ‘Raid Is Supposed to Be a Last Resort’

The day after the raid, on Aug. 9, Newsmax remained on spin patrol with an article by Jeffrey Rodack about a video Trump posted seeking to distract from/capitalize on the attention, which he spun as “a campaign-style ad on social media calling America ‘a nation in decline,’ but vowing it will become great again.” That was joined by an article by the apparently unironically named Charlie McCarthy quoting “two prominent Democrat lawyers” issuing tweets suggesting that the raid “could prevent the former chief executive from holding any political office in the U.S.” Then came the daily avalanche of Trump lackeys and others in full spin mode:

• Rep. Tenney to Newsmax: FBI’s Raid Out of Fear of Trump Reelection
• Dr. Oz: ‘Every Right to be Upset’ About Raid on Trump’s Estate
• Pence Expresses ‘Deep Concern’ About FBI Raid of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago
• Mark Levin: ‘No Justification for Sending 30 Friggin’ FBI Agents’
• Dershowitz to Newsmax: Trump Raid a ‘Sad Day for the Constitution’
• Trump: ‘Biden Knew’ About Raid, Just Like He Knew of ‘Hunter’s Deals’
• Jenna Ellis to Newsmax: Whether Raid Is Justified, Its Aim Is Stifling Trump Run
• Matt Gaetz to Newsmax: ‘Weak Republicans’ Not Taking Stand on Trump Raid
• McConnell Joins Call for Answers on Mar-a-Lago Raid
• Rep. Turner to Newsmax: Voters ‘Want Answers’ About FBI Raid on Trump’s Home
• Watchdog Groups Look for Answers on Trump Raid
• Sen. Hawley: AG Garland ‘Must Resign’ After FBI’s Raid

Newsmax did, however, did attempt a little bit of balance by including points of view that weren’t from Trump lackeys:

• Former N.Y. Democrat Gov. Cuomo Demands DOJ Explain Mar-a-Lago Raid
• Pelosi: There Must Have Been ‘Justification’ for Trump Raid
• FBI Search of Trump’s Florida Home Was ‘by the Book,’ Ex-prosecutors Say (wire article)

But it did go into darker territory by attacking the judge who signed off on the search warrant with an Aug. 9 article by Nicole Wells accusing him of having “ties to convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.” Wells didn’t mention that Trump also had ties to Epstein, as did a key Trump defender Newsmax has been promoting, Alan Dershowitz.

Newsmax’s coverage on Aug. 10 was led by an article by Eric Mack uncritically repeating Trump’s unproven allegation that FBI agents planted evidence during the raid. That was followed by the usual daily parade of Trump lackeys:

• Gov. Abbott: Mar-a-Lago Raid Shows Biden Administration ‘Next-Level Nixonian’
• Eric Trump to Newsmax: Mar-a-Lago Raid ‘Directed by White House’
• Rep. Greg Steube to Newsmax: Biden Raid Has Many ‘Rallying’ Behind Trump
• Former FBI Agent Says Agency’s Political Bias Started Under Mueller
• Kimberly Guilfoyle to Newsmax: FBI May Have Planted ‘Listening Devices’
• Eric Trump Says Dad ‘Shattering All Fundraising Records’ Since Raid
• Trump Attorney to Newsmax: FBI Raided Despite Cooperation
• El Salvador’s President Blasts FBI Raid on Trump
• Trump Lawyer: Raid Focused on Trump’s Bedroom, Office
• Rep. Grothman to Newsmax: FBI Raid ‘Third World’ Tactic

Newsmax did mix in a couple other articles for the illusion of balance, focuing in part on who among the Trump camp might have alerted the FBI to the documents being improperly stored there:

• Judge Orders DOJ to Respond to Request to Unseal Trump Raid Warrant
• Trump Allies Fear FBI Raid Sparked by ‘Flipped’ Aide
• Chris Christie: FBI Raid of Trump’s Home ‘Fair Game’

Still, Newsmax’s bias is all too clear — it loves Trump and it will devote any amount of airtime and website space to defending him no matter what he does.