December 21, 2025

I’m angry. Actually, that doesn’t properly capture how I’m feeling. I’m furious.

When you or I receive a subpoena, we must comply with it. If we violate federal law, we face stiff penalties. Yet when it comes to Donald Trump and his administration, the corporate-owned legacy media applies a different standard. It is not just that they normalize Trump’s lawlessness; they have now started to celebrate it.

On Friday, the Department of Justice failed to release the Epstein Files as required by federal law. Let’s pause on that for a moment. 

Congress enacted a specific law requiring the release of all Epstein Files by a date certain — within 30 days. It gave explicit instructions about what must be included: “all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials.”

The law made clear that redactions were to be limited to narrow categories, such as protecting Epstein’s victims. It also required that any redactions “must be accompanied by a written justification.”

Most importantly, the law states: “No record shall be withheld, delayed, or redacted on the basis of embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity, including to any government official, public figure, or foreign dignitary.”

The Department of Justice violated nearly every one of those provisions. It released only a fraction of the records required by the statutory deadline. Entire categories of documents appear to be missing. The redactions are a complete joke — sometimes spanning pages at a time — with no justification explaining each redaction.

Conspicuously absent are the volumes of records mentioning Donald Trump, many of which we already know exist from other disclosures. It seems crystal clear that records were withheld, delayed or redacted specifically to prevent his embarrassment.

On Friday, Fox News reported that redactions were applied to “politically exposed individuals and government officials.” By Saturday, it appeared that the Department of Justice had removed some of the files it had already posted because they contained embarrassing photos of Trump.

You might think this failure by the Trump DOJ would set off alarm bells in the legacy media. After all, many of these outlets claim that exposing government cover-ups is central to their mission — and their subscription pitches.

Instead, they turned themselves into cheerleaders for this corrupt process. Even after the DOJ made clear it was not producing all the records, The Washington Post’s first headline read: “Justice Department plans to release huge trove of Epstein files today.”

After the records were released and the redactions and omissions became obvious, the headline was changed to: “Justice Dept. releases trove of Jeffrey Epstein records.” The subheadline noted that more were set for release “in the weeks to come.”

As the facts of the DOJ's gamesmanship became clearer, the Post’s headline got worse. By Saturday, it read: “Huge set of Epstein documents and photos released, with more to come.” The new subheadline stated, in its entirety: “More than 100,000 pages released Friday came just ahead of a deadline to make public a collection of all the records long sought by victims of the deceased financier.”

Let’s be clear: the release was not “huge.” It reflects only a small fraction of the records that should have been released. There is no mention of the extensive redactions. Let’s not sugarcoat it: The DOJ missed the deadline and is therefore in clear violation of the law.

Compare that to Democracy Docket’s pre-release headline: “DOJ Chickens Out on Epstein Files Release in Violation of New Law.” After the files were released, it was changed to: “‘Incomplete Release’: DOJ Chickens Out on Epstein Files in Violation of New Law.”

This problem is not isolated to the Epstein Files. On Thursday, the White House announced it was changing the name of the Kennedy Center to the Donald Trump and John Kennedy Center. This isn’t merely a cosmetic change. In 1964, Congress created the Kennedy Center through federal law. Absent an act of Congress, renaming the center is illegal. Yet once again, the legacy media treated this as business as usual.

We saw the same spineless capitulation with the Department of Defense. As with the Kennedy Center, only Congress has the authority to officially change the name of an executive department. That didn’t stop the media from referring to Pete Hegseth as the “Secretary of War.”

Perhaps the most disgraceful surrender by the legacy media came in response to the Gulf of Mexico. While the AP refused to change the name, other outlets failed to defend their colleagues or follow their guidance. Tech companies similarly capitulated to the president’s egocentric demand, altering the name of the Gulf of Mexico on Google and Apple Maps within the United States.

What is going on here? Where is the outrage and relentless, unflinching coverage the corporate owners of these legacy outlets have promised us?

Unfortunately, the owners of these publications care more about sucking up to Trump than holding him accountable. But we are not powerless.

Never has there been a greater need for independent media — free from corporate overlords and investors beholden to the Trump administration. When you support corporate media, you signal your willingness to fund their pathetic approach. When you support independent media, you help ensure there are alternatives. It really is that simple.

I started one of those independent outlets in 2020. Democracy Docket’s mission is straightforward: to be the leading digital news platform dedicated to information, analysis and opinion about voting rights and elections in the courts.

As we head toward 2026, that mission is more important than ever. If you agree, consider joining today.