A moment between President Joe Biden and Gray Television's Jon Decker went viral on Thursday, with Biden becoming visibly irritated when he was asked he if "trusts the Taliban" during a press briefing regarding the rapid withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan.

At the briefing, Biden rejected the idea that a Taliban takeover was inevitable after the U.S. left Afghanistan. 

“Mr. President, do you trust the Taliban, sir?” asked Decker.

Biden grew increasingly incensed as Decker continued to press for an answer. 

“It’s a silly question!” said Biden. “Do I trust the Taliban?! No! But I trust the capacity of the Afghan military, who is better trained, better equipped, and more competent in terms of conducting more.” 

It's a serious question, as are most matters regarding U.S. troops overseas -- not to mention the effect of our withdrawal on the many Afghans who provided invaluable assistance over the years and who will now be left to deal with the Taliban. Decker's diligence in getting a response from the commander-in-chief deserves kudos.

Michael Avenatti, the former attorney for Stormy Daniels, was sentenced Thursday to two-and-a-half years in prison for an absurd scheme to extort Nike. 

Even more absurd? Avenatti's treatment by far too many members of the Fourth Estate. Sure, the clickbait appeal of Avenatti's original fifteen minutes of fame was understandable (A porn star! An affair with Donald Trump! A huge hush money payoff!), but so many of the headlines with his name sounded like they were from The Onion or Babylon Bee, not mainstream news outlets. 

Mediaite's Caleb Howe collected some of the most egregious examples of the "slobbering media love affair" with Avenatti. One specific clip of CNN's Brian Stelter saying he's taking the blowhard attorney "seriously as a contender" for the 2020 presidential race earned a lot of ridicule, including a "conjugal visit" joke from The Five's Jesse Watters. 

This isn't just 20/20 hindsight. Avenatti was a shameless self-promoter with zero political experience. Many of the same media figures who criticized Trump for being the exact same thing willingly cheered on Avenatti.