Daily Wire’s Cabot Phillips posted a screenshot that went instantly viral.

March 2023, CNN on X: “US inflation is still high, but it’s falling.” The rate: 6%.

January 2026, CNN on X: “US inflation remained at 2.7% in December, underscoring persistent cost of living challenges.”

Same outlet. Same topic. Completely opposite framing.

6% under Biden: things are getting better! 2.7% under Trump: persistent challenges remain!

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt had a two-word response: “CNN Fake News.”

The Numbers Don’t Lie

Let’s be clear about what these numbers mean.

Biden’s 6% inflation in March 2023 came after hitting 9.1% — the highest in 40 years. Americans were getting crushed. Groceries, gas, housing — everything cost dramatically more.

CNN’s framing: “still high, but it’s falling.” Focus on the positive trajectory. Things are improving.

Trump’s 2.7% inflation is less than half of Biden’s “improving” rate. It’s approaching the Federal Reserve’s 2% target. It’s dramatically better than what Americans experienced for years.

CNN’s framing: “persistent cost of living challenges.” Focus on the negative. Things are still bad.

The bias isn’t subtle. It’s mathematical.

“How Fake News Works in One Photo”

Kari Lake, acting CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, summarized it perfectly.

“How the fake news works in one photo.”

You don’t need media literacy courses to see what’s happening. You don’t need to analyze word choice or study journalistic ethics.

Just look at the two posts side by side. 6% is good news under Biden. 2.7% is bad news under Trump.

That’s propaganda, not journalism.

“Completely Different Tone Based on Who’s in Office”

Business strategist Evelio Silvera called out the pattern.

“Completely different tone based on who’s in office, not what the numbers actually show. People are tired of being lied to and talked to like they’re idiots.”

He’s right. The framing has nothing to do with economic reality. It has everything to do with which party controls the White House.

When Democrats are in power, economic news is spun positively. When Republicans are in power, the same or better numbers are spun negatively.

CNN assumes viewers won’t notice. Or won’t remember. Or won’t care.

“Anyone Paying Attention Can See the Double Standard”

That’s the key phrase: anyone paying attention.

CNN’s business model depends on people NOT paying attention. On viewers accepting whatever framing is presented without asking questions.

But social media changed the game. Now people can screenshot old posts, compare them to new ones, and expose the manipulation in seconds.

Phillips did exactly that. The post went viral. Millions saw the comparison.

CNN can’t memory-hole their old coverage anymore. The internet is forever.

Ohio GOP Chairman Weighs In

Alex Triantafilou, Chairman of the Ohio Republican Party, connected the dots.

“How CNN covers Biden’s runaway inflation compared to Trump’s amazing work to curb it is why @CNN and much of the mainstream press is to be totally ignored.”

He’s not wrong. Trust in media is at historic lows. Moments like this explain why.

When people see obvious bias presented as objective news, they stop believing anything the outlet reports. Even legitimate stories get dismissed because the source has no credibility.

CNN did this to themselves.

The Actual Economic Story

Here’s what CNN could have reported honestly:

Inflation under Trump has dropped to 2.7% — approaching the Fed’s 2% target and dramatically lower than the 9.1% peak under Biden. While cost of living remains elevated compared to pre-pandemic levels, the trend is clearly positive.

That would be accurate. That would be fair. That would be journalism.

Instead, they chose “persistent cost of living challenges” — framing designed to make good news sound bad because the wrong president is in office.

“Can’t Imagine Why Trust in Mainstream Media Is Just Gone”

One X user captured the sentiment perfectly.

The sarcasm is warranted. Media outlets spent years wondering why Americans don’t trust them anymore. They commission studies. They write think pieces. They blame social media and “misinformation.”

Then they post something like this — obvious, provable, side-by-side bias — and wonder why nobody believes them.

The answer is staring at them in Phillips’ screenshot.

CNN Didn’t Respond

Fox News Digital requested comment from CNN.

They didn’t respond.

What could they say? The posts are right there. The framing is obvious. There’s no defense except admitting bias — which would destroy whatever remaining credibility they have.

Silence is the only option.

The Larger Pattern

This isn’t an isolated incident.

Media coverage of Trump has been consistently negative regardless of results. Job growth, stock markets, foreign policy wins — all framed with skepticism or buried entirely.

Media coverage of Biden was consistently positive regardless of disasters. Inflation, border chaos, Afghanistan withdrawal — all framed with sympathy or explained away.

The Phillips screenshot just happens to capture this pattern in perfect, undeniable clarity.

Why This Matters

Democracy depends on informed citizens.

When media organizations serve as propaganda arms for one political party, voters can’t make informed decisions. They’re fed narratives rather than facts. They’re manipulated rather than educated.

CNN isn’t trying to inform people about inflation. They’re trying to shape how people feel about Trump versus Biden.

That’s not journalism. That’s political activism with a news desk.

The Verdict

6% inflation under Biden: “falling” (positive) 2.7% inflation under Trump: “persistent challenges” (negative)

The numbers are right there. The bias is undeniable.

CNN earned every bit of criticism this post generated.

And they wonder why nobody trusts mainstream media anymore.