(Julianna Frieman, Headline USA) Left-leaning news outlets ran headlines on Democrat nominee Kamala Harris’s Fox News interview in lockstep — and billionaire Elon Musk called them out early Thursday.
Musk recommended that reporters from publications including CNN, NPR, the Associated Press, The Guardian, The Hollywood Reporter and Business Insider learn some new words as they all used the adjective “testy” in their headlines highlighting the vice president’s grilling by Fox News anchor Bret Baier on Monday.
“Who sends out the commands to the NPC media puppets? I’d like to meet them,” Musk wrote on X.
Who sends out the commands to the NPC media puppets? I’d like to meet them.
They should really use a thesaurus, so that every media outlet doesn’t use the EXACT SAME words every time. https://t.co/gDU79umXly
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 17, 2024
He added, “They should really use a thesaurus, so that every media outlet doesn’t use the EXACT SAME words every time.”
Musk urged Americans not to be fooled by what he referred to as “propaganda,” suggesting that Americans get their news from X instead.
It just so obviously is!
Don’t let your friends & family be fooled by legacy media propaganda, send them links to the truth on 𝕏. https://t.co/takaIKOU3n
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 17, 2024
“‘Testy’ is this week’s ‘sharp as a tack.’” Musk wrote with another screenshot of outlets’ headlines featuring the word, comparing the parroting to coverage of President Joe Biden’s mental fitness before he dropped his reelection bid in July.
Other publications including the Chicago Tribune, LiveNOW from FOX, MSNBC News, The Boston Globe and many local outlets ran the “testy” headline.
Even notoriously right-leaning Newsmax shied away from testing out the thesaurus, running the headline “VP Harris Gets Testy in Fox News Interview.”
The Hill dared to be different by opting out from the word “testy” and running “contentious” instead. Newsweek reported that Harris “struggled to hold her own.”
The word “heated” appeared to be another favorite, with news outlets including CNN, Forbes, The Washington Post, and TMZ running headlines using that adjective.
Similarly, the word “fiery” was commonly used by media outlets, including the Wall Street Journal and The Guardian, in their headlines reporting on Harris’s performance in her ABC News debate against Republican opponent Donald Trump on Sept. 10.
Julianna Frieman is a freelance writer also published by the Daily Caller and The Federalist. Follow her on Twitter at @JuliannaFrieman.
