In this opinion article, commentator Thom Hartmann discusses a controversy involving U.S.President Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

Hartmann recounts how the Italian conservative newspaper Libero published a front-page headline insulting Trump after he allegedly claimed that Meloni had repeatedly begged him for a photograph during the G7 summit.

According to the article, Meloni denied the claim and described it as completely fabricated, while Italian officials reportedly expressed dissatisfaction with Trump's remarks.

Hartmann uses the incident as a starting point to criticize what he sees as the American media's reluctance to describe Trump's behavior in direct and critical terms.The author argues that major U.S.news organizations often use neutral language such as 'controversial' or 'polarizing' instead of stronger descriptions that reflect documented controversies.He cites several examples from Trump's public and legal history, including the E.

Jean Carroll case, Trump University fraud settlements, allegations regarding charitable fundraising, cryptocurrency ventures, and other legal and political disputes.

Hartmann references the concept of 'sanewashing,' a term used by media critics to describe the practice of presenting extreme or unusual political behavior in conventional language.He attributes this tendency to journalistic norms of objectivity, fear of litigation, and longstanding political pressure on news organizations.

The article concludes by urging readers to support independent journalism, remain politically engaged, and favor media outlets that, in the author's view, describe political figures and events more directly and candidly.