CNN’s “Message of Unity” Spin on Trump's Helene Response Is Classic Sanewashing

During a segment about Trump’s response to Hurricane Helene, CNN failed to challenge his false claims, offering viewers a sanitized version of reality.

In the wake of Hurricane Helene, which devastated parts of the South, media coverage has played a huge role in shaping public perception of the recovery efforts and the political responses. And, well, CNN really dropped the ball during one Monday story. On September 30, they aired a segment where correspondent Kristen Holmes reported on Donald Trump’s visit to Georgia, claiming that Trump was “offering a message of unity.”

Unity? Really? This is a perfect example of sanewashing, where media outlets sanitize the extreme rhetoric of political figures like Trump, making it seem as though they’re reasonable or conciliatory when they’re doing nothing of the sort.

Here’s the problem: while Holmes painted Trump as a leader focused on unity and recovery, she completely skipped over the fact that he spent much of that same day spewing lies and pushing conspiracy theories. Trump falsely claimed that Georgia Governor Brian Kemp was having trouble getting President Biden on the phone (Kemp, by the way, had spoken to Biden the night before and publicly thanked him for the federal aid). Trump also accused Democrats of going out of their way to withhold disaster relief from Republican areas—again, no evidence, no truth, just the same divisive playbook Trump always uses.

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And yet, here was CNN, framing him as some kind of unifying figure. Holmes even pointed out that Trump was being treated like a “sitting president” during his visit, receiving briefings from FEMA and the National Guard, but she failed to mention that Trump’s claims about the disaster response were flat-out lies. This is classic sanewashing: presenting an extremist figure as reasonable by glossing over the divisive, harmful stuff they’re actually doing.

Let’s be clear: Trump didn’t come to Georgia with a message of unity. He came with a tanker full of (literal and metaphorical) gasoline, and instead of helping, he stoked division. He attacked Vice President Kamala Harris, accusing her of not visiting hurricane-hit areas and even going so far as to claim she shared a “fake” photo of her receiving a disaster briefing. He suggested, with zero evidence, that Democrats were “going out of their way to not help people in Republican areas.”

This wasn’t just Trump being Trump—it was Trump using a national disaster to further his political attacks, pushing misinformation in the process. And yet CNN’s coverage made him sound like some sort of empathetic leader stepping in where the Biden administration had failed.

But here’s the real kicker: Holmes didn’t just fail to push back on Trump’s lies—she actively presented him as a unifying force. CNN gave viewers the impression that Trump was there to help, when the reality was much more cynical. The media’s job isn’t just to report what politicians say—it’s to provide context, to fact-check, and to hold public figures accountable. And CNN didn’t do that.

Meanwhile, other outlets like ABC News got it right. They covered Trump’s false claims, they included Biden’s response, and they provided viewers with the full picture. Same with CNBC, which pointed out that FEMA had already deployed resources like Starlink satellite systems to restore communications in affected areas. In other words, they did their jobs. They told the truth.

Sanewashing is dangerous. It’s what happens when the media treats Trump’s lies and conspiracy theories as though they’re just normal political rhetoric. It creates a false equivalence between those who are actually working to help (in this case, the Biden administration and federal agencies) and those who are just there to score political points. CNN’s failure to push back against Trump’s misinformation during this segment didn’t just mislead their viewers—it did a disservice to everyone affected by the hurricane.

The public relies on accurate, honest reporting in times of crisis. And CNN’s portrayal of Trump as a unifying figure wasn’t just inaccurate—it was irresponsible. When the media fails to challenge attacks and lies, especially during a disaster, it erodes trust and undermines public confidence in the actual relief efforts. And that’s something we can’t afford.

So, yeah, CNN missed the mark. And not for the first time. But it’s not too late for them (or anyone else) to do better. Just stop the sanewashing. Hold public figures accountable. Tell the truth. It’s not that hard.