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There was a bizarre moment on C-SPAN on Friday when the network, during the time when viewers can call in and voice their opinions, took a call from a Republican named “John Barron.” The man was calling in to complain about the Supreme Court’s ruling that President Donald Trump violated federal law by imposing sweeping tariffs across the world.

The voice sounded awfully familiar.

“John Barron” was either Trump himself or someone doing a spot-on Trump imitation, right down to the sophomoric insults that the president is so fond of. The call lasted 32 seconds before the caller was cut off. During that half-minute, Barron called House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries a “dope” and said that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer “can’t cook a cheeseburger.”

Not only did the voice sound like Trump, but the name “John Barron” was one Trump commonly used years ago to feed information to reporters. Here’s the clip.

The speculation that it was Trump was rampant enough that C-SPAN put out a statement on Sunday that said: “Because so many of you are talking about Friday’s C-SPAN caller who identified himself as ‘John Barron,’ we want to put this to rest: it was not the president. The call came from a central Virginia phone number and came while the president was in a widely covered, in-person White-House meeting with the governors. Tune into C-SPAN for the actual president at the State of the Union Address on Tuesday night.”

Was it the president? No, probably not. It might have been a great imitator. It might have even been AI-generated.

But part of the issue is that, besides sounding like Trump, it’s not hard to believe that Trump would actually do something like that.

State of the Union

Trump will give his State of the Union address on Tuesday night.

In a column, USA Today Washington bureau chief Susan Page asks, “Trump v. Trump. Which president shows up at the State of the Union?”

Page writes, “Will Trump use the opportunity to deliver a forward-looking agenda designed to boost fellow Republicans, some unnerved by Democratic victories in a series of special elections over the past year? Or one that exalts the achievements he claims to have already scored?”

Then again, we could see an angry Trump following his Supreme Court loss, among other negative news. Politico’s Megan Messerly and Daniel Desrochers wrote, “Economic growth is flagging. U.S. military assets are massing in the waters around Iran in anticipation of a potential strike that many in the president’s base find odious. A major government agency is shut down over an immigration standoff with Democrats sparked after federal agents killed two U.S. citizens. ‘Make America Healthy Again’ activists are furious over Trump’s order boosting domestic production of the herbicide glyphosate. The scandal surrounding Jeffrey Epstein, the late convicted sex offender, continues to swirl.”

The latest Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll released over the weekend shows Trump’s approval rating at 39% and his disapproval rate at 60%, including 47% who strongly disapprove of the job he is doing. The Post notes that the “last time Trump’s disapproval touched 60 percent was shortly after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.”

Warner Bros. Discovery drama

The drama about who is going to end up purchasing Warner Bros. Discovery could come to a head this week. Or at least get a bit clearer.

For the past several weeks, it appeared that Netflix had the upper hand in acquiring WBD, which seemed committed to accepting the streaming service’s offer.

But Paramount Skydance, run by the Ellison family, refused to give up even after WBD accepted the offer from Netflix. Paramount has mounted a hostile takeover bid, and last week, was given another chance to make its best and final offer — with the window for that expiring today.

Any deal would require approval from the Trump administration’s regulators, and much has been made about the cozy relationship Trump has with Paramount CEO David Ellison and his father, Larry.

Then, on Friday, Variety’s Todd Spangler wrote, “Paramount Skydance said its potential deal to snap up Warner Bros. Discovery in its entirety has cleared antitrust review at the U.S. Justice Department — despite the fact that David Ellison’s Paramount has repeatedly failed to secure an agreement to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery. WBD for now remains committed to its deal with Netflix.”

Meanwhile, Netflix continues to push back against Paramount, with Netflix chief legal officer David Hyman saying in a statement, “The facts are that routine HRS (antitrust) milestones do not signal DOJ approval nor that any decision has been made. They have not secured approvals needed to close and they are a long way from doing so.”

It should be noted that Paramount has said it doesn’t have an agreement in place to buy WBD. In a Securities and Exchange Commission filing, it wrote, “The completion of the Transaction remains subject to certain other conditions, including entry into a definitive merger agreement with WBD, shareholder approval and regulatory clearance in other relevant jurisdictions.”

O’Brien’s first comments

For the first time, Conan O’Brien spoke publicly about the deaths of director Rob Reiner and Reiner’s wife, Michele. The Reiners attended a holiday party at O’Brien’s Brentwood, California, home on Dec. 13. The day after the party, the Reiners were found murdered in their home. Their 32-year-old son, Nick, who was also at that party, has been charged with murdering his parents. There have been reports that Nick acted strangely at the party and he had a loud exchange with his parents.

O’Brien told “The New Yorker Radio Hour” podcast and host David Remnick, “To have that experience of saying good night to somebody and having them leave and then find out the next day that they’re gone … I think I was in shock for quite a while afterward. I mean, there’s no other word for it. It’s just very — it’s so awful. It’s just so awful.”

O’Brien not only praised Rob Reiner’s immense talent, but also talked about how Rob and Michele were such “lovely people.” O’Brien added, “I think about how Rob felt about things that are happening in the country, how involved he was, how much he put himself out there — and to have that voice go quiet in an instant is still hard for me to comprehend.”

NBC’s Olympic hockey coverage scores big

The Milan Cortina Winter Olympic Games ended with a bang on Sunday as the United States defeated Canada, 2-1 in overtime, to win the much-anticipated gold medal game in men’s hockey. (Earlier in the Games, the U.S. women’s hockey team defeated Canada by the exact 2-1 overtime score.) It was the U.S. men’s first hockey gold medal since the “Miracle on Ice” team in 1980. The winning goal was scored by center Jack Hughes, who had at least three of his teeth knocked out by a high stick earlier in the game. Hockey players, right?

The thrilling hockey game, followed by the closing ceremony, capped a marvelous two-and-a-half weeks for NBC Sports, which is collecting mostly high praise for its coverage. Hockey announcer Kenny Albert has further established himself as the best voice in hockey, firmly replacing the great Mike Emrick, who retired in 2020.

Albert’s calls on both the U.S. women’s and men’s overtime winners were universally praised. Not only did Albert make great calls, he (and Sunday’s broadcast partners Eddie Olczyk and Brian Boucher) also knew when to be quiet, letting the player and crowd reactions tell the story for more than a minute without saying a word.

Podcaster Bill Simmons was just one of many who took to social media to compliment NBC’s hockey coverage, tweeting, “Thought NBC did an elite job with the hockey broadcasts.”

NBC Olympic host Mike Tirico then gave a stirring tribute in his final commentary following the game. Among Tirico’s comments: “So, for all the young people out there, not just the hockey, but all the Olympics you’ve watched, those dreams are formed now. Go chase them and go get them, because our country loves sports, and it brings us together unlike anything else.”

Meanwhile, columnist Barry Svrluga offered up his final dispatch for The Washington Post: “Joy and pain for the U.S. and Canada, and a hockey game that had all the feels.” Svrluga, one of the finest sports columnists in the country, was among the recent layoffs at the Post. Despite being laid off, he continued to cover the Olympics and finished with one superb column.

Golden messages

Yes, social media has its flaws, but one of the great things about it is that you get to hear and read the thoughts of well-known people and celebrities in real time. For example, it was cool to see the reaction of Jim Craig, one of the stars of the 1980 U.S. “Miracle on Ice” team. The goalie of that team tweeted, “Forty-six years ago, we had our shot. They called it a miracle. It wasn’t – it was trust, preparation, and belief. Today, the men and women of @usahockey proved it again. Proud of what USA Hockey was – and what it continues to be.”

And Mike Eruzione, the captain of the ’80 team who scored the game-winning goal in the “Miracle on Ice” victory against the then-USSR, tweeted, “What a great Olympic games are men’s and women’s hockey teams congratulations to the men and our women on achieving the ultimate dream and winning a gold medal. How sweet and how nice it was to be here and to watch both your teams accomplish that.”

Best moment of the day

United States’ hockey player Zach Werenski (8) poses with Noa, the daughter of late player Johnny Gaudreau, after a men’s ice hockey gold medal game between Canada and the United States on Sunday. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Perhaps the most poignant and memorable moment of the Olympics was what happened after the U.S. men defeated Canada in the gold-medal hockey game. As the American players gathered on the ice for a team photo, they held up the hockey jersey with the name “Gaudreau” on it — for Johnny Gaudreau, an American hockey player killed in 2024 when he and his brother were hit by a car while bicycling.

Gaudreau almost certainly would have been a member of the 2026 American Olympic team. So on Sunday, as the team was getting ready for their photo, American hockey star Matthew Tkachuk held a jersey with Gaudreau’s name, while two other players went into the stands to collect Gaudreau’s small children to be in the team photo. Here’s the touching clip.

Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde wrote about Gaudreau in “Team USA Honored Johnny Gaudreau’s Memory by Making Him an Olympic Champion.”

Dissecting what happened at the Post

Be sure to check out the latest episode of “The Poynter Report Podcast.” My guest is media reporter Paul Farhi. We did a deep dive into The Washington Post, from the time Jeff Bezos bought the paper to the recent massive layoffs to what the future might look like.

Farhi has special insight into the Post, having worked there for more than three decades before accepting a buyout at the end of 2023.

Aside from watching on YouTube, you can also find the show on Apple, Spotify, and most places where you find podcasts.

Media tidbits

• More Olympics. Here’s The Athletic’s Rebecca Tauber with “Our 26 favorite gold-medal moments from the 2026 Milan Cortina games.” - Mediaite’s Colby Hall with “ Fox News Attacks CNN’s ‘Hit Piece’ On Christian Nationalism With Misleading Edit.” - For “CBS News Sunday Morning,” “60 Minutes” correspondent Lesley Stahl talked with the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist in “Seymour Hersh, a reporter’s reporter.” - Joey Knight, a longtime Tampa Bay sports journalist for the Tampa Tribune and Tampa Bay Times, died last week after a two-year battle with cancer. He was 57. I worked with Joey at both the Tribune and Times, and while things like this are said all the time, it’s absolutely true in Joey’s case: You couldn’t find a nicer and sweeter soul. I can’t recall anyone ever saying an unkind word about him, and he never said an unkind word about anyone else. Tampa Bay Times sports columnist John Romano wrote a wonderful tribute in “For 30 years, he told the hidden stories of Tampa Bay. Now, here’s his.”

Hot type

• The Ringer’s Jordan Ritter Conn with “Inside the Hidden Network of Resistance in Minneapolis.”

More resources for journalists

• Great Lakes journalists: Work on coverage strategies, gain reporting tools and spark regional connections in our free election coverage workshops. Apply now. - New editors: Get guidance from industry veterans and build the skills you need to become indispensable to your newsroom. Apply now. - Get the skills, policies, and editorial support to cover crime with depth, accuracy, and public service in mind. Apply now.

Have feedback or a tip? Email Poynter senior media writer Tom Jones at [email protected].

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