During Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation, the left grew more brazen and would openly proclaim their radical beliefs and tout such tactics. With calls for the abandonment of civility and the apparent encouragement of violence, one would think it deserved some form of critical airtime from the media. But since the broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC) were in the tank for the Democrats, they didn’t think it was newsworthy Wednesday evening.
While the networks spent most of their Wednesday broadcasts reporting on Hurricane Michael tearing through the Florida Panhandle, they did find time for other news stories but none of them touched on the extreme rhetoric. They all covered the stock market slipping, while barely covering its historic increases up until that point. ABC and NBC huffed about Trump going to a campaign rally. And NBC worried about Sears being on the brink of bankruptcy.
In contrast, Fox News Channel’s Special Report managed to find time to address the Democrats’ radical proclamations.
“President Trump warning Americans that if Democrats win big in next month's midterm elections, the country will move dangerously close, he says, to radical socialism,” announced anchor Bret Baier. “It's part of what has become something of a ‘fighting the extremists’ strategy for this president and his party to try to maintain control of the House in the Senate.”
To kick off the report, Fox News chief White House correspondent John Roberts noted that part of President Trump’s midterm strategy was to nationalize the congressional races. “President Trump is not on the ballot November 6th but you’d never know it listening to his rallies in states with important races,” he joked.
In a soundbite of the President at a rally urging attendees to vote to defend his policies, he called out the Democrat Party’s radicalness. “The Democrats have become totally unhinged. They’ve gone crazy. No, they've gone crazy. But the Democrats have become too extreme, and they've become frankly too dangerous to govern,” Trump exclaimed to the crowd.
“But Hillary Clinton herself jumped into the fray in a television interview appearing to suggest that Democrats aggressive tactics against Republicans should continue,” Roberts added. During an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, the two-time failed presidential candidate declared that the left “cannot be civil with a political party that wants to destroy what you stand for, what you care about.”
On top of that promotion of incivility, Obama-era Attorney General Eric Holder was caught on video seemingly encouraging something more. “Michelle always says ‘when they go low, we go high’. No, when they go low we kick’em,” he said to the laughter of a crowd.
In response to Clinton’s comments, presidential adviser Kellyanne Conway told Fox News: “Usually when she opens her mouth, respectfully, she offends at least one half of the country and she did it again. But I think discourse now is a little bit dangerous. I don't like the implications there.”
In addition, principle Spanish-language networks Telemundo and Univision also skipped Democratic calls for incivility. CNN Español did touch on Clinton's comments.
Hopefully, the broadcast networks will critically cover this extreme rhetoric in the next couple of days but don’t hold your breath.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
Fox News Channel's Special Report
October 10, 2018
6:15:17 p.m. EasternBRET BAIER: President Trump warning Americans that if Democrats win big in next month's midterm elections, the country will move dangerously close, he says, to radical socialism. The president is also contending seniors could use their Medicare. It's part of what has become something of a "fighting the extremists" strategy for this president and his party to try to maintain control of the House in the Senate. Chief White House correspondent John Roberts has our story.
[Cuts to video]
JOHN ROBERTS: President Trump is not on the ballot November 6th but you’d never know it listening to his rallies in states with important races.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: All of this extraordinary progress is at stake. It is at stake. I’m not on the ballot, but in a certain way I'm on the ballot so please go out and vote.
ROBERTS: The old saying goes that “all politics is local”. But President Trump is trying to nationalize House and Senate races, saying, that the policies he has implemented or intends to implement are on the line.
TRUMP: The Democrats have become totally unhinged. They’ve gone crazy. No, they've gone crazy. But the Democrats have become too extreme, and they've become frankly too dangerous to govern.
(…)
ROBERTS: But Hillary Clinton herself jumped into the fray in a television interview appearing to suggest that Democrats aggressive tactics against Republicans should continue.
HILLARY CLINTON: You cannot be civil with a political party that wants to destroy what you stand for, what you care about.
ROBERTS: The White House leapt on the statement, saying, it is further proof that Democrats have gone over the line of political decorum.
KELLYANNE CONWAY: Usually when she opens her mouth, respectfully, she offends at least one half of the country and she did it again. But I think discourse now is a little bit dangerous. I don't like the implications there.
ROBERTS: And the aggressive tone didn't stop with Clinton. President Obama’s former Attorney General Eric Holder also weighing in.
ERIC HOLDER: Michelle always says “when they go low, we go high”. No, when they go low we kick’em.
(…)
