The media just ignored the Dennis Hastert sentencing to cover Donald Trump

(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

published 27 April 2016

Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert was sentenced to 15 months in prison on Wednesday after pleading guilty to breaking federal banking rules in order to cover up his sexual abuse of high school wrestlers while he was a coach decades ago. It was also revealed that among Hastert's alleged victims was Scott Cross, the brother of Hastert's political ally, Illinois Rep. Tom Cross. Hastert apologized to the court for "mistreating some of my athletes."

It was what one might call "a really, really, really big deal."

But bizarrely, the media had its attention turned elsewhere Wednesday afternoon — much to the disbelief of many television viewers who wondered why CNN was broadcasting footage of an empty podium before Trump's foreign policy speech rather than, you know, covering the news:

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Since turning the TV on apparently won't work, head over to Politico to read more about Hastert's sentence.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.