News outlets directly stated that Donald Trump “set in motion” (New York Times, 1/6/21) or was responsible for “inciting” (CNN.com, 1/12/21) the deadly attack on democracy. ‘Equalizing the unequal’In each instance, both-sidesing journalists bestowed unearned legitimacy on the side of the right. Stop calling the reporters who cover this stuff “political reporters.” Start calling them “government reporters.” Stop asking who the winners and losers were in the latest skirmish. The threat to US democracy did not begin with Trump, nor will it end with him. Decades of bipartisan neoliberalism have brought economic inequality to new heights (Extra!, 11/13), increasing political polarization and eroding trust in democracy.