A weird A-block report on NBC’s Sunday Nightly News makes crystal clear the urgency of narrative for the legacy media. In this instance, a dirty frame sets up a palette cleanser following the lead story- the consequential trade agreement between the United States and Europe announced at President Donald Trump’s Turnberry resort in Scotland.
Watch as Sunday anchor Hallie Jackson repurposes the “distraction from Epstein” narrative in order to reclaim viewer focus:
NBC Sunday anchor Hallie Jackson makes sure to advance the dopey "USA-EU trade deal is a distraction from Epstein" narrative.
— Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) July 28, 2025
"Even overseas, the president cannot escape the firestorm over the Jeffrey Epstein case here at home. Asked about that today and denying trade talks are… pic.twitter.com/KCsPA8ldxQ
HALLIE JACKSON: Even overseas, the president cannot escape the firestorm over the Jeffrey Epstein case here at home. Asked about that today and denying trade talks are a way to try to turn the page. Yamiche Alcindor joins us now and Yamiche, Congressional Republicans are facing pressure too, right?
YAMICHE ALCINDOR: That's right. Today House Speaker Mike Johnson defended his decision to cancel votes and send lawmakers home early for summer break because of the fight over the Epstein files in the House Rules Committee. On Meet the Press, Speaker Johnson accused Democrats of using the controversy to score political points. But many Republicans have been accusing the Trump Administration of a coverup, and a bipartisan House bill is aiming to force the Trump Administration to publish all unclassified records on Epstein. Speaker Johnson called that effort, quote: “reckless”. But he said all credible evidence and information should be released. Hallie.
JACKSON: Yamiche Alcindor, thank you.
This “report”, for lack of a better term, was preceded by a full Kelly O’Donnell item on the trade deal, and at no time did that report mention the “distraction” question at the press conference. Such things are normally reserved for the anchor’s “by the way” at the end of the report but that didn’t happen here.
Instead, Jackson wraps the “denying trade talks are a way to try to turn the page” in a 15-second frame of Yamiche Alcindor’s 35-second summary of Speaker Mike Johnson’s Meet the Press interview on Epstein and other matters. Her “can’t escape the firestorm” sounds like a confident declaration of inevitability- a boast of unstoppability.
Left unexplained in this microreport: who are the “many Republicans” “accusing the Trump Administration of a coverup”? It is important to specify if this statement is to serve any factual purpose beyond the “many people are saying” rhetorical device through which the media often project their own opinions and ideology into a given story.
Last week’s cycle and this goofy report on the back of a consequential trade deal betray an apparent media willingness to overemphasize all matters pertaining to Epstein in lieu of reporting on other substantial matters (see: Russia Hoax documents). If ever you needed an example of the legacy media's commitment to anti-reporting: this is it.
