During a recent episode of his podcast “Soul Boom,” actor and author Rainn Wilson, known for playing Dwight Schrute on “The Office,” offered a blunt critique of the mainstream media’s credibility crisis, directly challenging MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle over the industry’s partisan tendencies. The exchange pulled back the curtain on why Americans are tuning out in record numbers, and it wasn’t because of Steve Bannon or Elon Musk.
“Forty percent of Americans don’t trust mainstream media. Why is that?” Wilson asked. “How did we get here?”
Ruhle responded by framing the media’s plummeting trust as part of a broader institutional decline.
“We are seeing a huge loss in trust of all of our institutions,” she said without any self-awareness. “It’s the media, it’s medicine, it’s banking.”
Ruhle called it “a huge problem” and warned that democracy depends on strong, trusted institutions. She pointed to Trump-era rhetoric and what she called the “Elon Musk media machine” as culprits behind the decline. “They want you to leave traditional media and they want you to go to X, which is a bastion of misinformation… where there is no fact-checking.”
But Wilson wasn’t buying the narrative. While Ruhle emphasized outside attacks and what she characterized as “a concerted effort to destroy the media,” Wilson cut through the blame-shifting and directed his criticism at the media itself — especially its uneven scrutiny of those in power.
“This is where I would push back,” Wilson said. “When I see this kind of insight and passion being directed at the current administration and the lack of this kind of insight and passion being directed at the previous administration…”
Recommended: Democrat County Attorney Lets Anti-Tesla Terrorist Off the Hook
Wilson made it clear he wasn’t singling out Ruhle personally but had a broader issue with left-wing outlets downplaying or dismissing problems under Democrat leadership.
“They’re kind of like, ‘La, la, la, la, la. Everything’s fine. Look, the economy’s great. Immigration is not that much of a problem,’” Wilson quipped. “And really being Cleopatra, queen of denial. Thank you. Boom.”
The moment was striking — not just because it came from a Hollywood figure — but because Wilson dared to voice what many Americans already believe: the media has become an echo chamber, too often acting as a shield for favored politicians rather than a watchdog for the people.
Ruhle did admit that the media has lost trust, and I’d love to give her credit for that, but she doesn’t see herself as part of the problem.
“You’re not incorrect that the media has lost trust,” she said, offering that “trust is gained in raindrops and lost in buckets.”
🚨NEW: "The Office" Co-Star Rainn Wilson refutes MSNBC Host Stephanie Ruhle for blaming Trump and @elonmusk for why faith in media has PLUNGED🚨
— Jason Cohen 🇺🇸 (@JasonJournoDC) April 22, 2025
WILSON: "I would push back: when I see this kind of insight and passion being directed at the current administration and the lack of… pic.twitter.com/X9coaOMoGU
Wilson’s message couldn’t be clearer: trust in the media won’t be restored until journalists hold Democrats to the same level of scrutiny they’ve relentlessly applied to Republicans. And if someone like Wilson, who’s hardly a conservative, can recognize the double standard, there’s no excuse for others to keep denying it. Until the media regains its backbone and stops playing favorites, Americans will continue walking away in droves to seek out voices that dare to tell the whole truth, not just the convenient parts.
Are you tired of partisan narratives and media double standards? Join PJ Media VIP for bold, fearless journalism that tells the whole story. Gain access to exclusive content, deeper analysis, and ad-free browsing. Use code FIGHT for 60% off today and support the mission to keep media accountable. Don’t wait—join now!
Join the conversation as a VIP Member