Big Media’s Defining Double Standard

Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, who immigrated from Somalia and is a Democratic Party firebrand, was reported to have been attacked at a town hall meeting, which she had called to discuss ICE operations in the state.

We detest political violence of all kinds and intensities. However, as we thumbed through a second-by-second review of a C-SPAN clip, it is unclear whether the incident could even be classified as an “attack.”

The Congresswoman refused to listen to her aides and insisted on completing her address. The spray that the attacker used was described as foul-smelling, but it did not deter Omar from continuing her engagement.

The New York Times was especially sympathetic to Omar and found fault with President Trump 1,000 miles away: Attack on Ilhan Omar Follows Years of Trump's Targeting Her, screamed the headline, which dominated the website's homepage. President Trump has spent years demonizing and dehumanizing the Somali-born Democrat from Minnesota, fueling escalating threats against her, said a subhead.

The Times expectedly never discussed how Omar herself has been demonizing and dehumanizing the president of the United States, not once referring to him by his title. We dug into the archives and found these quotes.

1. May 2024, via X: "Yes, Trump, 'I am a hater' of yours. You traffic in hate, have 91 felony charges, and have a history of sexually assaulting women. Miss me with your faux outrage, while I keep delivering for my district.
2. December 2025, via X: Trump's obsession with me is beyond weird. He needs serious help. Since he has no economic policies to tout, he's resorting to regurgitating bigoted lies instead. He continues to be a national embarrassment.

The media coverage of Omar's attack was hypocritical even by their own standards. We decided to replay how the media reacted to assassination attempts against Omar's antagonist, President Trump.

The Butler, PA, incident was a clear political assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump on July 13, 2024, in the same mould as those that targeted JFK and President Reagan.

The attempted assassination triggered an intense and polarized media response that highlighted deep divisions in American journalism and public discourse. Trump’s right ear was grazed by a bullet, causing some bleeding. Appearing unshaken, he raised his fist in defiance as Secret Service agents evacuated him. One attendee, Corey Comperatore, was killed, and two others were injured. The shooter, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was killed by a Secret Service sniper.

After shots were fired from the assassin’s gun, initial media coverage was marked by caution, as was to be expected. Headlines often used neutral language like "loud noises" or "incident," avoiding "assassination attempt" until details solidify. However, as the story evolved, skepticism arose, particularly from left-leaning commentators and social media users, questioning if the event was staged for political gain or if Trump's injury was exaggerated.

Underreporting or Downplaying the Event: CNN's initial headline read: "Secret Service rushes Trump off stage after he falls at rally," implying a mere accident rather than gunfire. The Washington Post reported: "Trump taken away after loud noises at Pa. rally," drawing ire for vagueness. NPR stated: "Trump is fine after apparent gunshots fired at his rally." The Denver Post's front-page "Gunman Dies in Attack" with a small subtext on Trump's injury was especially biased.

ABC News said: "Donald Trump escorted off stage by Secret Service during rally after loud noises ring out in crowd." NBC News: "Secret Service rushes Trump off stage after popping noises heard at his Pennsylvania rally." These were updated later. MSNBC pulled "Morning Joe" the next day to avoid "inappropriate" comments.

Media Skepticism That the Attack Was Staged. While the major outlets debunked staging claims as baseless conspiracies, some left-leaning figures and social media amplified doubts, citing Trump's quick recovery and iconic photo as suspicious.

Actress Amanda Seales posted: "If someone REALLY wanted to take him out, they wouldn't use a BB Gun!!" suggesting staging. MSNBC's Joy Reid questioned Trump's narrative, feeding skepticism. "The View's" Joy Behar and co-hosts implied exaggeration for sympathy.

Omar didn't even get a scratch, and no one else was hurt, even mildly. Thomas Matthew Crooks intended to kill then-candidate Trump and would have succeeded had Trump not turned his head at that split second. Set side by side, the two incidents reveal a profound failure of proportion in modern political coverage. Public trust in traditional media now reflects that failure of proportion. Fewer than half of Americans express a great deal or quite a bit of trust.

Worse, the liberal media wants us all to forget when a rising GOP star was actually killed in cold blood by a sniper's rifle. Charlie Kirk, a powerful face of youth in the MAGA movement and just 31 years old, was mercilessly assassinated in September when he was doing what he loved: speaking to people on a college campus.

There was no comparable outpouring of sustained national media attention. But that they are willing to shed bucketloads of tears on the Omar incident underscores how distorted the modern media’s sense of proportion has become.

👉 Show & Tell 🔥 The Signals

I. Housing Is Now Structurally Unaffordable

Over the past decade, real house prices have risen in nearly every OECD country, climbing by more than one-third on average and by over 50% in the United States. The sharpest gains came after 2020 and have not meaningfully reversed, suggesting housing has shifted from a cyclical market to a structural macro asset—driven by supply shortages, financialization, and demographic pressure rather than short-term booms.

II. Homes Are Far Less Affordable Than a Decade Ago

Since 2015, home prices across most OECD countries have risen much faster than incomes. On average, the price-to-income ratio is up 16%, with sharp deteriorations in countries like Canada, the U.S., Portugal, and Australia. Only a handful—such as Finland, Italy, and Romania—have seen affordability improve, making the global picture one of sustained pressure rather than a temporary housing cycle.

III. Housing Supply Is Finally Rising Across U.S. Cities

Housing inventory surged across most major U.S. metros in 2025, pushing the total number of homes for sale to 1.44 million, the highest level since at least 2017. Many cities saw double-digit year-over-year gains, signaling easing supply constraints even as affordability pressures persist—an early sign that the post-pandemic housing squeeze may be starting to loosen.

1. What’s The Matter With Minnesota?—Michael Barone, The Daily Signal

2. Dem/Left Shields Worst Of Worst Illegal-Alien Rapists, Killers—Deroy Murdock, The Daily Signal

3. They Threatened ICE Online—Then X And Google Got Involved—Fred Lucas, The Daily Signal

4. NOT RIGHT, REVEREND: Bishop Refuses To Condemn Church Invasion—Tyler O'Neil, The Daily Signal

5. Law Students Circulate Petition To Ban ICE From Job Fair—Virginia Allen, The Daily Signal

6. Murder Rates Plummeted Last Year, Yet Media Refuse To Give Trump Credit—Jarrett Stepman, The Daily Signal

7. Could The Senate Trigger Another Shutdown In A Week?—George Caldwell, The Daily Signal

8. Trumponomics Lessons For The Fed And Europe—Lawrence Kudlow, TIPP Insights

9. Is The Climate Scare Narrative Headed For Bankruptcy?—David Blackmon, Daily Caller News Foundation

10. Weak States, Not Limited States: Early Ming Governance And The Illusion Of Proto-Liberalism—Joseph Solis-Mullen, Mises Wire

11. Foreign Aid Bill: Bridge Financing For The Radical Left?—Max Primorac, The Daily Signal

12. Inflation: A Dirty Word For “Accommodation”—George Ford Smith, Mises Wire

13. A Principled View Of States’ Rights—Wanjiru Njoya, Mises Wire

14. It Might Surprise You, But Here’s How Harry Reid Helped End Roe—Rebecca Downs, The Daily Signal

15. ‘BE VIGILANT’: Assistant Health Secretary Warns What Can Happen If Pro-Lifers Don’t Vote—Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell, The Daily Signal

From TIPP Insights News Editor

16. Rubio Asserts Venezuela Operation Was Law Enforcement, Not War

17. EU Foreign Policy Chief Says NATO Must Step Up As Trump Reshapes Ties

18. Report Says Russia’s Ukraine Losses Eclipse All Postwar Conflicts

19. Iranian Witness Says Thousands Killed In Protest Crackdown

20. Treasury Secretary Bessent Warns Canada, Slams EU Over India Trade Deal

21. What Is Driving Amazon’s Latest 16,000 Job Cuts

22. Analysts Say China’s Moonshot AI Is Closing Gap With U.S. Models

23. Trump Warns Iran Of Incoming U.S. Armada, Urges Nuclear Deal

24. JPMorgan Backs 'Trump Accounts' With $1,000 Match For Employees

25. S&P 500 Breaks 7,000 For First Time In History

26. Powell Investigation Continues As Fed Misses Subpoena Compliance: Report

📊 Market Mood — Thursday, January 29, 2026

🟩 Futures Firmer After Fed Pause
U.S. futures edge higher after the Fed held rates steady, offering markets a dose of stability after weeks of policy and geopolitical noise.

🟦 Fed Delivers Calm, Not Clarity
The Fed’s expected pause at 3.50%–3.75% reassured investors, even as officials offered little guidance on when cuts might resume.

🟧 Big Tech Earnings Split the Tape
Meta surges on upbeat ad demand and aggressive AI spending plans, while Microsoft slides amid concerns over Azure growth and rising AI costs.

🟨 Metals & Oil Surge on Iran Fears
Gold, silver, and copper hit fresh records as geopolitical tensions flare, while oil jumps sharply on worries of supply disruption tied to Iran.

🗓️ Key Economic Events — Thursday, January 29, 2026

🟩 08:30 AM — Initial Jobless Claims
A timely snapshot of labor-market conditions, closely watched for signs of softening employment and implications for Fed policy.