CNN Turns to the Masked March CNN anchor Dana Bash questioned Interior Secretary Doug Burgum after a Saturday Patriot Front demonstration in Washington, D.C. Bash described the group as white nationalist and said several hundred masked men marched near the Capitol with Confederate flags while chanting “Reclaim America.” She also pointed to a widely shared Reuters photo showing a Black woman seated on a D.C. Metro train car surrounded by members of the group. The photo became the kind of media image that can carry a whole week of cable-news oxygen, which is convenient if the graphics department already has the dramatic music warmed up. Burgum Condemns the Message, Defends the Rule Bash asked Burgum whether he condemned the group and what it stood for. Burgum said he did not agree with what they stood for, but he framed the issue as a First Amendment question. He said America allows offensive speech because that is part of a free society. That answer did not give CNN the clean sound bite it appeared to want, but it did give viewers a useful reminder: free speech is not a gift handed out only when the speaker is polite, photogenic, and pre-approved by…

Biden Marks 250 Years With a Familiar Lecture Joe Biden’s social media account posted a Fourth of July message Saturday for America’s 250th birthday, and it did not land quietly. The post described the United States as “the only nation in history built not on ethnicity, or blood, or geography but on an idea.” It also said Americans have “still” not fully lived up to the words of the Declaration of Independence. That is a common Biden theme: celebrate the country, but first make sure everyone sits through the civics scolding. Nothing says happy birthday like being told the cake is problematic. The Message Framed America as a Promise Still Being Tested The statement pointed to the Declaration’s words about being created equal and having rights from the Creator, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It cited Valley Forge, Gettysburg, Normandy, and Selma as moments when Americans recommitted themselves to the nation’s founding principles. Biden’s account also warned that “there’s nothing guaranteed about our democracy,” saying Americans must “fight for it, defend it, and earn it.” Supporters may see that as patriotic reflection. Critics heard the familiar tone of a political class that praises America the way a…