Rachel Maddow giving the worst teary performance since Sally Fields is bad news for the media.

When Rachel Maddow jumps on something with both feet, you know it’s about over. So does the media. It threw everything it had at the “family separation” fake news betting that Republicans would break. And plenty of Republicans did.

Except that President Trump didn’t.

And the media knows that it can only keep the hysteria going for a few more days. Then with no way to give the story any more legs, to pour outrage fuel on the fire, it dies out. Public attention spans are limited. Without a hook, something like the Mueller investigation, any particular attack can’t sustain the public attention that is needed for it to survive.

The media is quickly running out of angles on, “Trump is a monster who tears babies away from their parents while laughing gleefully.”

But that’s been the Trump challenge all along. The media throws everything it has at him. And then it has nothing left to follow up with. That’s the Teflon effect. If you don’t fold, if you keep right on going, words can’t hurt you.

And then the hit pieces turn into a dog and pony show. And all you’re left with is Rachel Maddow crying on MSNBC.