CBS News draws backlash over story promoting protest ‘merch’ on social media and website

The website and a social media handle for CBS News posted a story that describes where consumers can purchase merchandise for the nationwide “No Kings” protests of the Trump administration, items funded and coordinated by left-wing groups. 

The CBS story Friday provided a link to “No Kings” T-shirts on Temu and said consumers could also find merch promoting the protests on Amazon and other sites. 

“A wide variety of posters and yard signs are also available for sale on Esty’s website,” according to the news site’s article, which was posted under a “Money Watch” banner.

The story drew backlash from conservatives, who accused CBS of promoting the left-wing event.

“I legit love how you are no longer even remotely pretending to be news and are embracing your role as Democrat propagandists,” The Federalist’s Mollie Hemingway wrote on X.

Another prominent conservative on X said he filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission. 

According to “No Kings” organizers, which include the George Soros-funded Indivisible and hundreds of other liberal organizations, protests are slated for 1,800 locations across the country.

More than 200 left-wing groups and workers unions, including the American Federation of Teachers, are participating in the “No Kings” event, which, according to organizers, is slated to be a “mass mobilization” against President Trump, saying he has acted like a king since taking office in January.

“They’ve defied our courts, deported Americans, disappeared people off the streets, attacked our civil rights, and slashed our services,” organizers claim in a recruitment ad. 

The protests are timed as a repudiation of Mr. Trump’s planned military parade slated for Saturday. 

The parade will mark the Army’s 250th birthday. June 14 also happens to be the president’s 79th birthday.

The CBS article framed the “No Kings” merch story as a news article about items that sellers “quickly mock up” to tie to current events.
“For example, retailers were quick to start selling apparel featuring images of President Trump with a bloodied ear after he was shot at a rally last year in an assassination attempt,” CBS reported in the story.