It turns out that when you spend every single day parroting some of the most absurd conspiracies and detached-from-reality narratives imaginable, people eventually stop believing you. Shocking, right? That’s exactly where America’s propaganda media found itself in 2025, as public trust in corporate journalism sank to the lowest level ever recorded.
And honestly, anyone who followed the so-called “news” cycle this year knows why. From running cover for leftist violence to aggressively gaslighting Americans about their own role in hiding Joe Biden’s obvious cognitive decline, the corporate media’s dedication to protecting power instead of telling the truth was nothing short of breathtaking.
So, as a public service, The Federalist compiled a list of the ten biggest media hoaxes of 2025. In no particular order, here’s a reminder of just how far the press was willing to go.
It didn’t take long after President Donald Trump was sworn back into office for the media to return to their old habits from his first term. During a post-inauguration celebration, X owner Elon Musk thanked supporters for helping secure Trump’s victory. With his hand over his heart, Musk pointed to the crowd and said, “My heart goes out to you. It is thanks to you that the future of civilization is assured.”
Within minutes, media activists rushed to brand the gesture as a “fascist” or “Nazi” salute. PBS News was among the outlets pushing the false narrative, posting that Musk had given “what appeared to be a fascist salute.” A heartfelt thank-you somehow became another manufactured outrage—because context is apparently optional now.
From the moment President Trump nominated Pete Hegseth to lead the Pentagon, the media launched a relentless smear campaign to stop his confirmation. Anonymous allegations, recycled hit pieces about his personal life, and unverified claims dominated coverage throughout his Senate confirmation process.
When those efforts failed, the media pivoted to trying to force him out. Over the past year, that’s included hyping the so-called “Signalgate” flop, inventing a “constitutional crisis” over a Pentagon prayer service, amplifying unnamed disgruntled officers, and most recently spreading a hoax about U.S. military strikes on drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean. The objective was clear: remove a Trump appointee at any cost.
Despite years of reporting from independent outlets, the corporate press didn’t just ignore Joe Biden’s cognitive decline—they actively helped conceal it. Throughout his presidency, media figures ran interference for the former president, shielding him from scrutiny to protect Democrat political power.
Only after Biden exited the stage did media personalities suddenly discover the truth. CNN’s Jake Tapper and Axios’ Alex Thompson even embarked on a media tour promoting a book detailing the very cover-up they participated in. Apparently, it’s only journalism once it’s politically safe.
Given their refusal to honestly cover the border crisis under Biden, it was no surprise the media turned to outright disinformation once President Trump reinstated immigration enforcement.
A prime example was the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national credibly accused of MS-13 gang ties and domestic abuse. Rather than report the facts—that Garcia was an illegal alien with a reported criminal record—major outlets portrayed him as an innocent “Maryland man” allegedly abducted by the Trump administration. Headlines from the Associated Press and NBC News carefully omitted the most relevant details, misleading readers by design.
The media’s campaign to delegitimize conservative Supreme Court justices is nothing new, but in 2025 it reached a new level. As left-wing groups flooded the courts with lawsuits against the Trump administration, Democrat-appointed judges issued sweeping injunctions designed to block the president’s agenda.
When the Supreme Court stepped in to halt many of these legally questionable rulings, the media responded by accusing the justices of being Trump’s accomplices. Outlets like Rolling Stone and Vox openly claimed the Court was acting as Trump’s “partner in crimes against America,” all because it followed the law instead of progressive activism.
Across these and countless other examples, one theme defined 2025: the media wasn’t interested in informing the public—they were focused on controlling the narrative. Facts were optional, context was disposable, and anything that benefited President Trump had to be framed as sinister.
The silver lining? Americans noticed. Trust in legacy media collapsed, alternative outlets gained ground, and the public grew more skeptical of narratives delivered with rehearsed outrage. In the end, the truth has a way of surviving—even when the loudest voices are trying desperately to bury it.
