Ryan Grim Responds to Jake Tapper's Criticism of Drop Site News

Ryan Grim vs. Jake Tapper on X

• 🎯 Ryan Grim, founder of Drop Site News, engaged in a public dispute with CNN's Jake Tapper on the platform X.
• ⚡ The controversy began when a former IDF soldier, Eton Fishburgger, accused Drop Site News of being an "anti-American terrorist mouthpiece funded by the Soros family."
• 🗣️ Jake Tapper quote-tweeted Fishburgger's post, implying agreement with the accusation.

Drop Site News' Reporting and Funding

• 🔍 Drop Site News has published reports on topics such as Jeffrey Epstein's ties to the Israeli government and the genocide in Gaza.
• 💰 The Open Society Foundation, founded by George Soros, provided Drop Site News with a $250,000 grant in 2024.
• 💡 Ryan Grim defended his outlet's reporting, stating that if Tapper wished to label them "anti-American," he would accept it from an American but not from a "foreign propagandist."

Analysis of Tapper's Stance

• 🧠 Cenk Uygur and Ana Kasparian of The Young Turks (TYT) view Tapper's response as a "mask off moment," indicating a more extreme stance than they previously perceived.
• ⚠️ They argue that Tapper did not address the substance of Drop Site News' reporting but instead resorted to labeling them "terrorists," which they liken to rhetoric from figures like Mark Levin.
• 📌 Grim and Serotona are highlighted as reporters whose work on the "donor class" and its influence on politicians is often met with frustration by traditional media.

Mediaite's List of Influential Media Figures

• 📊 The discussion shifts to Mediaite's list of influential media figures, which TYT finds "hilarious" and indicative of traditional media's disconnect from the current media ecosystem.
• 🚫 Notable omissions from the list include Cenk Uygur, Ana Kasparian, Hassan Ikhlas, Candace Owens, and Tim Dillon.
• 🌟 Figures like Tucker Carlson (ranked 46th), Joe Rogan (15th), Bill Maher (14th), and Megan Kelly (ranked highly) are discussed, with TYT arguing Carlson's influence, particularly regarding Israel, is significantly underestimated by Mediaite.
• 📺 TYT suggests that Mediaite's pro-Israel bias likely influenced their ranking of Carlson, whom they believe is the most influential conservative in media.

TYT's Perspective on Influence and Values

• ✊ Cenk Uygur expresses a personal willingness to work with individuals like Tucker Carlson if they speak out against atrocities in Gaza and against government lies that lead to war, viewing this as a critical litmus test.
• 🧐 The hosts criticize Mediaite's list for excluding influential figures like Hassan Ikhlas among younger demographics and for misjudging the influence of others like Candace Owens, suggesting the list reflects a "clueless" understanding of modern media.