Media Needs To Make An Example Of Doug Burgum

He shouldn't be allowed to lie outright and get away with it

Many media critics and honest pundits thought Trump’s first term was the high water mark for weak-kneed media coverage that was either unable to come to grips with Trump’s lying and abhorrent behavior or worse, they were willing participants.

During his first term, according to The Washington Post Fact Checker, Donald Trump made 30,573 provably false or misleading claims during his first presidential term, with the rate accelerating to approximately 21 per day by the end of his four years. That is an astounding number of lies for a conman, a grifter, or a mafia boss, but for a U.S, president it’s unheard of.

In the second term, coverage so far for the first 18 months of Trump’s second term has been so feckless, it’s hard to put into words.

But now is a time where the media can begin to find its backbone and pick itself up off the canvas. I’ve picked an easy target for them to take a stand against. Mind you, it’s a minor stand, a lukewarm, weak sauce stand. But at least it would be a beginning.

It’s time for the media to refuse to invite Secretary Doug Burgum to their programs. This includes ABC, CBS , NBC, MS NOW, CNN, CNBC and many others.

Why is now the time?

The Lincoln Memorial Reflection Pool saga perfectly illustrates the Trump administration’s penchant for lying, no matter how insignificant the matter. The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting pool saga is as ridiculous as it is insufferable even for the Trump administration. It’s the type of story that even the average working-class person who doesn’t spend any time on politics while trying to survive the Trump economy can understand.

Why would anyone lie about shoddy work from a contractor? If we conducted a survey of 5000 homeowners, I bet a huge majority would have negative feelings against most contractors.

It’s mind-blowing that a US president, a United States attorney for the District of Columbia, and the Secretary of the Interior would fabricate a story so easily debunked by anyone paying attention for the purpose of protecting Trump for hiring an unqualified company to remodel the massive reflecting pool.

Three powerful government officials made up evidence, and lied about it to everyone over a construction job gone wrong. That’s sheer insanity.

Why should Doug Burgum be singled out?

As Secretary of the Interior, he has the responsibility to oversee the project. Instead of doing that, he has defended Donald Trump every step of the way, including claiming all along he has actual evidence that vandals wrecked the reflection pool. He even went on television to sell these lies to viewers with no evidence whatsoever.

On April 23, 2026, Donald Trump announced he was going to renovate the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool at a cost of 1.8 million dollars which would only take a few weeks to complete. His timeframe and price tag kept changing and it turns out there were reports that Trump gave a no-bid contract to a contractor that was unqualified for the job at hand. Burgum disputed that report in an interview with Dana Bash on CNN, claiming it was an “expedited process.”

In early June the pool reopened, but problems began to arise which included peeling material and algae issues.

ABC News reported that when they visited the pool they found, “it was filled with gunk and green algae-infused water.” They also reported, “the American flag blue” paint job appears to be falling apart -- some of it peeling away from the bottom of the pool.”

When asked for comment, Doug Burgum’s office refused. Then on June 19th, former Olympian David Hearn was arrested after being observed touching some loose material from the pool.

A few days later Trump lied in a Truth Social post, claiming “vandals” had cut the Reflecting Pool liner with a knife or box cutter. He said multiple arrests had been made and repairs would begin immediately. He also claimed a “350-foot slit” was cut through the pool’s lining with a “box-cutter or a knife of some kind.” Doug Burgum dutifully amplified that lie on Fox News.

On July 2nd, US attorney Jeanine Pirro called a press conference to announce arrests had been made related to the alleged vandalism of the Reflecting pool. Pirro stated that on June 19th, defendant Hearn ripped off recently installed sealant on the bottom of the reflecting pool.

On July 5th, Secretary Burgum was invited on CNN for an interview that quickly turned hostile when host Dana Bash questioned his account of what caused the damage to the pool - which ultimately led to his outright lie on the matter.

BASH: But it peeled off. Why did that happen? Do you know?

BURGUM: It didn’t peel off. There was there vandalism. There was box cutters. There have been seven arrests. There was people literally trying to destroy part of a monument, the Reflecting Pool. It’s not just a pool on the Mall.

BASH: And you’re 100 percent sure that what happened with the liner was vandalism? You can prove it?

BURGUM: Oh, yes, absolutely, Dana. And we drain it, and we have got all the photographs we can see. I mean, there’s no possible way...

BASH: There are photographs of a person or people cutting a 300- or 350-foot gash in the bottom of the Reflecting Pool?

BURGUM: Dana, I’m not sure why you and others in the media think that you want to keep trying to question whether or not -- think, this is an industrial liner.

In the months this saga has been going on, neither Trump, Pirro, or Burgum has released any photographic or video proof to substantiate their vandalism claims.

The lie and liar, exposed

On July 31st, in a late-Friday filing, Pirro moved to dismiss the single destruction-of-property charge against Hearn. The former Fox News host said they uncovered new information that the damage was caused by a “botched installation” by a contractor, not vandalism.

Trump’s handpicked US Attorney for Washington, D.C. just admitted that they have no case to convict David Hearn or any evidence at all that vandals damaged the pool. It’s a complete rebuke of Burgum’s assertions, exposing him as a certifiable liar, untrustworthy to make public appearances on corporate media.

If you thought this would be the end of the lies, you’d be mistaken.

Pirro’s statements sent Trump into a meltdown on Truth Social against his handpicked prosecutor, “I disagree 100% with Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, on the Reflecting Pool. I don’t know what she was thinking? It was a pure case of VANDALISM.”

Doug Burgum joined the chorus on X. “The evidence is clear, vandals have repeatedly caused damage to the Reflecting Pool. Some of these acts were even caught on camera. We also provided the U.S. Attorney’s office expert and eyewitness testimony to the damage done by vandals and provided every piece of evidence they asked for in the requested time line detailing each area of damage at the pool.”

If the evidence is clear, show us. Why would Pirro dismiss the case? Because there never was a case to be had. Cases need evidence and there is none.

In recent weeks, Kristen Welker of Meet the Press, and CNN’s Dana Bash have refused to give in to the administration’s lies, instead demanding proof much to the chagrin of Trump, Burgum and RFK Jr.

It’s time to cut them off

Start with Burgum. If his office calls for a spot, networks should politely decline saying it’s all booked up. Or better yet, just speak the truth — you don’t book provable liars on your shows. You don’t have to release a public statement. If Burgum cries publicly, that’ll even be better. No need to respond.

You have one job: Deny air time to Burgum so he can’t litter your air with lies and waste your viewers’ time. Any appearance on This Week, or Face The Nation is an undeserved gift he receives with no benefit to you.

It’s simple. If one continues to lie like a sociopath to Americans, you will be treated as the liar you are. There is no place for liars on your airwaves unless you allow it. Remember, networks have a duty to viewers, not to a mentally challenged president. There must be consequences for their outrageous behavior.

The public needs it. The public is clamoring for it. The public deserves it.