A new analysis from the Media Research Center has revealed that the vast majority of media coverage surrounding President Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office was overwhelmingly negative. According to the report, 92% of the coverage by major broadcast networks—ABC, CBS, and NBC—cast the Trump administration in a negative light.
The study, which reviewed over 1,000 hours of programming, found that the dominant narratives pushed by these networks focused almost exclusively on controversy, investigations, and criticism. Topics such as immigration, foreign policy, and the Russia investigation were consistently framed in a hostile manner, often omitting context or downplaying policy successes.
? BREAKING STUDY: The Trump-hating media gives President Trump 92% negative coverage in his first 100 days in office. https://t.co/fr3XUB8eWS
— MRC NewsBusters (@newsbusters) April 28, 2025
By contrast, the same outlets provided notably different treatment for President Joe Biden. During Biden’s first 100 days, media coverage was measured at roughly 59% positive, with the networks often echoing White House messaging uncritically while minimizing or deflecting legitimate concerns over the administration’s actions on the border, inflation, and energy policy.
This stark disparity has reignited concerns over media bias and the role of legacy outlets in shaping political narratives. The Media Research Center’s findings mirror earlier conclusions by Harvard University’s Shorenstein Center, which similarly found that Trump’s early presidency received the most lopsided media treatment of any modern commander-in-chief.
Critics argue that this type of sustained one-sided reporting undermines public trust in journalism, fuels political polarization, and amounts to political activism disguised as news. Supporters of media reform insist that the public deserves balanced reporting—especially when it concerns the sitting President of the United States.
President Trump has repeatedly called out the mainstream media for what he describes as coordinated efforts to mislead the American people and distort the truth. This latest study adds further weight to those claims, especially as Trump continues to dominate headlines and polls heading into 2026.
As media credibility continues to erode, studies like this underscore the growing divide between the American public and corporate newsrooms that appear more interested in shaping narratives than reporting facts.