Topic: Witness Intimidation

Mainstream media coverage of the Marie Yovanovitch testimony is criticized for being lopsided and dramatic. CBS News reported on "witness intimidation" following a real-time tweet from President Trump, a narrative characterized by some as a "shadowy smear campaign." The intensity of the media's rhetoric has led to hyperbolic comparisons to historical trials.

The media's coverage of Michael Cohen's postponed congressional testimony is used to illustrate "whipsaws"—where a reporter's claim is followed by a clip that doesn't actually support the statement. For example, a reporter claimed Elijah Cummings warned the President about witness intimidation, but the subsequent clip only showed Cummings promising that Cohen would eventually testify.