In a recent development, Glenn Kessler, a long-standing "fact-checker" for the Washington Post, announced his departure from the publication after a tenure of 27 years.
Kessler's exit was part of a series of buyouts that the Washington Post had recently concluded, primarily targeting its most senior staff members.
The Washington Post, which has been grappling with financial difficulties in recent years, has implemented several rounds of what it refers to as the Voluntary Separation Program (VSP). However, as Kessler revealed in his Substack article, this was slated to be the "last buyout," as per a senior editor's statement. Future staff reductions, if required, would be carried out through layoffs.
In his Substack piece, Kessler provided insights into the circumstances that led to his departure. "This was going to be the 'last buyout,' according to what a senior editor told me, and that any necessary staff reductions in the future would be layoffs," he wrote.
Brad Slager, a fellow journalist, penned an insightful piece on Kessler's departure and the issues surrounding his body of work. Slager's critique of Kessler's work was echoed by journalist Mark Halperin on his show "Next Up with Mark Halperin." Halperin questioned Kessler about his coverage, and that of the Washington Post, of President Joe Biden's alleged cognitive decline.
Kessler defended his work, referring to a video that some media outlets labeled a "deep fake" about Biden seemingly wandering off while in the company of European leaders. "And what we did was we went and got the full video in the full context, because it looked like the way it was cut, and particularly distributed by the RNC, it looked like Joe Biden was wandering off and it didn't show him talking to parachuters. What we showed was that he was talking to parachuters," Kessler explained.
However, Halperin was quick to point out that Biden's supposed conversation with the parachutists was not the issue. The problem was that Biden was not supposed to be wandering off from the leaders. Moreover, this incident was just one of many public gaffes Biden has made during his time in office.
Halperin further challenged Kessler's defense, stating that the takeaway for many was that the Washington Post was denying the evidence of Biden's cognitive decline. When asked by Halperin how he would rate the Washington Post's coverage of Biden's cognitive decline, Kessler responded, "There was a lot of effort to produce a story that would look very carefully at what seemed to be a cognitive decline. It never came together because we couldn't get enough people on the record."
Halperin countered Kessler's claim, questioning the need for sources when the evidence of Biden's cognitive decline was apparent in his public appearances. He further criticized Kessler for focusing on a single aspect of one video, thereby implying that the Washington Post was dismissing the concerns about Biden's cognitive decline as unfounded.
As reported by RedState, the mainstream media continues to deflect, spin, and lie about President Trump, his administration, and conservatives. Amidst these "hems and haws," Kessler's attempt at justification was met with discomfort and skepticism.
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