Biden Uses Event With Police, First Responders To Whine About ‘Alternative Media’

President Joe Biden’s Thanksgiving Day message struck a familiar tone of pessimism, reflecting the broader outlook that has often defined his presidency. Speaking in Nantucket to police and first responders, Biden shared thoughts on the challenges facing the nation, including the role of the media in reaching an increasingly disenchanted public.

During his remarks, Biden lamented the “exceedingly small” audience still engaging with mainstream media outlets, cautioning journalists about the “tough job” ahead of informing “worried” Americans.

When asked if he had a message for Americans feeling uncertain about the future during the holiday season, Biden addressed the topic, though the question itself highlighted why many have distanced themselves from legacy media. The majority of Americans, according to recent polls, feel optimistic about the incoming term of President-elect Donald Trump.

“My message is to just remember who we are,” Biden began. “Look, you’ll have a very tough job. I’m not being solicitous—a really tough job.”

He referenced a recent survey about national sentiment, saying, “Think about it… I remember a couple weeks ago that survey done how people they feel about where they are—62 percent felt they’re doing pretty well. [But] asked about the direction of the country, only 35 percent said we’re moving in the right direction. I think there is an explanation for that.” Notably, Biden failed to acknowledge that the survey reflects public opinion during his own presidency.

He continued by addressing the media’s role, remarking, “This is not a criticism of the press, you know me too well. When you turn on the television, [people] don’t see a lot of good news. Even stuff that is good news doesn’t seem to sell very well. And so when you turn on TV, everything looks bad. Everything!”

Biden also pointed to dwindling mainstream media consumption, stating, “And now you have to deal with the exceedingly small number of people watching mainstream television and reading the newspapers. I forget the number, you’d know better than I would, but the numbers are way down. So where, where do you get your news?”

“How do we know [what you’re hearing is not] just what you’re looking for as opposed to what’s [really] happening… not because of you… I’m not being critical of the press,” he added.

The president then addressed the upcoming transition of power to Trump. “I want to make sure this transition goes smoothly,” Biden said. “I make sure it goes smoothly and all this talk about what he’s going to do, I think there may be a little bit of internal reckoning on his part… So it remains to be seen.”

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A Gallup poll released in September revealed that trust in mainstream media has hit an all-time low, with only 32 percent of Americans expressing confidence in the press. According to Voice of America, this decline “reflects both the changing media landscape and the values of media consumers.”

“Nearly 250 years since the principle was enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, a majority of Americans still agree that a free press is crucial to a democratic society,” the outlet noted, citing Pew Research Center polling. “But how they feel about the existing press is a different matter.”

The same studies show only one-third of Americans believe the media reports news objectively. Critics argue that this mistrust stems from years of biased coverage, including false narratives such as “Trump-Russia collusion” and claims that Hunter Biden’s laptop was part of a Russian disinformation campaign.

Political polling has also eroded trust, as major outlets repeatedly underestimated Trump’s support in both the 2016 election against Hillary Clinton and this year against Kamala Harris.

“Accordingly, self-identified Republicans report less trust in media, reaching a low of 11% compared with 58% for Democrats,” VOA added.