That’s not relevant to the current point – the red states have been net federal tax consumers over the long term, not just after some specific event or other.
Even to these dim eyes, it is perfectly obvious that EC means to paraphrase, after a fashion. I see no suggestion that its a direct quote, its more along the lines of “here’s what one of them might very well say”. I’ve seen it done here many times, it is an entirely reasonable rhetorical device, so long as a direct quote is not implied, and it is not.
Your pointing out the blazingly obvious, with its implication of dishonesty, is underhanded. You should clarfiy that last sentence to remove any such hint.
Except it’s not even a good paraphrase. And the quote itself isn’t important, because the point EC was trying to make was what he claims is being left out of the reports. So I’m suggesting that he made up the paraphrase based on his guess as to what the “right wing media” might be reporting, not on what such media, like FoxNews, is actually reporting.
All well and good, as far as it goes. But you are just as aware as I that the phrase “made it up” carries an implication, an unfortunate innuendo. And the prefatory “frankly” also implies that you are aware that you are about to make a statement that the adressee will find distressing.