CBS's Margaret Brennan tried to turn Medal of Honor recipients into props for her doom-and-gloom narrative about America on Memorial Day weekend — and got absolutely schooled on live television. The "Face the Nation" host sat down with Lt. Colonel (Ret.) Will Swenson and Command Sergeant Major (Ret.) Matthew Williams, apparently expecting them to trash the country on cue. She picked the wrong guys.
Imagine being so committed to your anti-American agenda that you look at the most decorated warriors alive and think, "Yeah, these guys will definitely help me dunk on the country they nearly died for." Brilliant editorial instincts, Margaret.
The segment, which aired on May 24, started innocently enough. Brennan brought up America's upcoming 250th anniversary, noting the National Medal of Honor Museum in Arlington, Texas. But then came the loaded question — the kind CBS producers probably high-fived each other over in the pre-show meeting.
"So what specifically makes you optimistic? Because this country, at times, can feel dark," Brennan pressed, practically begging for a soundbite about how terrible everything is.
Swenson wasn't having it. Not even a little.
"Politics aren't everything. American lives continue on," he said, before delivering the line that should be etched in marble somewhere: "No other place in history, time or on this planet have ever gotten to where we are today."
That's a Medal of Honor recipient telling a CBS anchor that her narrative is garbage — on her own show. You love to see it.
Williams piled on, because apparently these heroes operate as a team even when they're not in combat. "You know, it's so important to remember who we are as a country, and take an opportunity to celebrate that," he said. "There's so much to be positive about."
So much to be positive about. On CBS. On Memorial Day weekend. The network that usually reserves this holiday for hand-wringing segments about how the military is problematic.
As NewsBusters analyst Jorge Bonilla noted, Brennan's entire approach was designed to steer the conversation toward America's failings. She wanted the veterans to validate the media's favorite storyline — that the country is broken, divided, and spiraling. Instead, she got a patriotism masterclass from men who've actually bled for the flag she was trying to use as a prop.
Here's what the legacy media still doesn't understand: these men didn't earn the Medal of Honor by reading scripts. They earned it by making split-second decisions under fire, by putting their lives on the line for their brothers and their country. You think Margaret Brennan's leading questions are going to rattle guys who've faced actual enemy combatants?
The clip is going viral, and it should. In an era where every media appearance is stage-managed and every interview is a trap, two American heroes walked into the lion's den and came out with the lion's lunch.
Better luck next Memorial Day, Margaret. Maybe try interviewing people who actually agree with you.