FIRST ON FOX: A Washington Post article spotlighting protests against the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in Alabama has raised eyebrows for its selective storytelling. The piece painted a picture of Republican and Independent protesters confronting GOP Rep. Dale Strong, but it conveniently skipped over some rather telling details about the featured individuals.

For starters, every protester quoted with a first and last name in the article is actually a Democratic donor, despite the storyline leaning heavily on Republican and Independent discontent. Not only that, but several Democrat donors were also shown in the accompanying photographs. These omissions might leave readers wondering about the depth of the Post's fact-checking—or its intentions.

Take Melanie Kolowski, for instance. The article described her as "politically independent," a Second Amendment enthusiast, and a proud Glock 47 owner. Sounds pretty red-state relatable, right? Well, election records reviewed by Fox News Digital tell a different story. Kolowski is a registered Democrat who has exclusively donated to ActBlue campaigns supporting Democratic candidates like Amy McGrath and Jaime Harrison. Her Facebook activity, meanwhile, includes posts critical of Elon Musk, Justice Clarence Thomas, and conservative values, alongside enthusiastic endorsements of progressive icons like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Another protester, Michael Bonaker, was labeled as a "registered Republican." While technically true, FEC records show Bonaker has only donated to Democratic campaigns. His social media posts feature scathing critiques of MAGA supporters and evangelical conservatives, and he even described Alabama—the very state he was protesting in—as "racist." Definitely not your typical GOP cheerleader.

And it doesn’t stop there. The article highlighted Kolowski holding an upside-down American flag during the event, alongside Zeb Lemon and Jeremy Devito. Lemon, according to FEC records, is also a Democrat donor who openly identifies as a "leftist." Devito, meanwhile, is not only a Democrat donor but has filed to run for Congress against Rep. Strong as a Democrat. Talk about burying the lede.

The story also featured quotes from other individuals, including someone identified only as Lynn and a photo of Branson Block wearing a sign that read "Make America Think Again." However, the main thrust of the article—Republican and Independent dissatisfaction with DOGE—feels increasingly shaky given the political leanings of its most prominent voices.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Washington Post, Kolowski, and Bonaker for comment, but no response was reported at the time of publication.

Media Analysis News

Washington Post Hyped Anti-DOGE Protesters in Red State, But Left Out Key Details