It's hypocrisy of a very dangerous variety. For a week, the liberal media have been railing against President Trump, claiming he was the one responsible for the violence and death in recent days. Yet when the Volusia County Florida Republican Party headquarters was sprayed with bullets Sunday night, none of the broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC) cared enough to mention it during their Monday news programs.
Where the liberal networks failed, Fox News Channel stepped up. During Monday’s Special Report, anchor Bret Baier gave a rundown of the of the apparent attack:
Investigators are looking into a potentially politically motivated attack in Florida. Volunteers discovered shattered glass and bullet holes at Volusia County Republican Party headquarters Monday morning. Fortunately, no one was hurt there. Volunteers had already left before that shooting occurred. But the county chairman says the headquarters has never had any vandalism and told a local paper he believes it was politically motivated.
Sadly, turning a blind eye to violence against Republicans was not new to the liberal media.
Just last month, the networks ignored a GOP office in Wyoming being intentionally set on fire. The broadcast networks have also ignored the disturbing upsurge in physical attacks against GOP candidates and lawmakers. One attack included a candidate in California who had to use a lawn sign to fend off a man trying to stab him.
Instead of covering the attack against the GOP office, the networks decided their time was better-spent railing against Trump for criticizing the press and for being, in their minds, an insufficient “consoler-in-chief.”
“As the President and First Lady prepare to visit Pittsburgh, the White House is making it clear the President does not see a need to tone down his rhetoric,” complained ABC chief White House correspondent Jon Karl. He whined that Trump was still attacking the media as they claimed he had blood on his hands.
“Jonathan, the very first thing that the President did was condemn the attacks both in Pittsburgh and in the pipe bombs. The very first thing the media did was blame the President and made him responsible for these ridiculous acts,” White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders scolded him at the press briefing Monday.
On CBS Evening News, White House correspondent Major Garrett took exception with Sanders, claiming “that is not true.” It’s unclear what he was suggesting was untrue. If it was her comment about “the very first thing the media did,” she was clearly speaking figuratively. If it was that the media were holding Trump responsible, that was true and Garrett was lying.
On top of huffing about Trump’s criticism of press trying to pin attacks and murders on him, Garrett touted pushback from a liberal Jewish group trying to keep the President away:
Ahead of tomorrow's presidential visit, an online petition started by a left-leaning Jewish group and signed by more than 40,000 called on the President not to travel to Pittsburgh until he denounces white nationalism and the violence it inspires.
While Garrett noted that the rabbi of the Tree of Life synagogue wanted all political leaders to step up, he never mentioned the rabbi said Trump was welcome there.
Meanwhile, on NBC Nightly News, chief foreign affairs correspondent Andrea Mitchell was busy slamming Trump as “a president challenged to be consoler-in-chief”. “At times of national tragedy, Americans look to their leaders for comfort...But shortly after the massacre, President Trump seemly blaming the synagogue for not having an armed guard,” she lied.
Mitchell touted how former presidents consoled the nation in times of tragedy. She played a clip of Obama signing Amazing Grace but didn’t note how he jetted off to a fundraiser after the Benghazi attack or went golfing after James Foley's beheading.
Clearly, the liberal networks care little about attacks against the right.
The transcripts are below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s World News Tonight
October 29, 2018
6:38 p.m. Eastern(…)
JON KARL: As the President and First Lady prepare to visit Pittsburgh, the White House is making it clear the President does not see a need to tone down his rhetoric. Does he have any concern at all that his words could inspire or provoke troubled people to do awful things?
SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS: Certainly, the president wants, in moments where our country is hurting like we've seen in the last several days, find ways to bring our country together, and we've seen him do exactly that. However, the President is going to continue to draw contrasts.
KARL: In his very first comments after the shooting, the President condemned what he called an act of hate, but he did not mention the victims. Instead, he suggested armed guards at the synagogue could have prevented the killing.
(…)
KARL: But today, the President blamed the news media for causing anger in the country, tweeting this morning that the press is, quote, “the true enemy of the people”. When you say he's trying to unite the country, why is he out there making these attacks?
SANDERS: Jonathan, the very first thing that the President did was condemn the attacks both in Pittsburgh and in the pipe bombs. The very first thing the media did was blame the President and made him responsible for these ridiculous acts.
[Cuts back to live]
DAVID MUIR: And Jon Karl with us live tonight from the White House. And Jon, as you reported, the President and the First Lady are heading to Pittsburgh tomorrow. I know there are many who do feel strongly about this in that community. They're weighing in tonight?
KARL: Well, there's one progressive Jewish group in Pittsburgh saying the President is not welcome until he fully denounces white supremacy. In response to that, the White House said the President has repeatedly denounced bigotry and racism in all forms. And Sarah Sanders said the President is going to Pittsburgh to show support for the Jewish community and she pointed out that the rabbi from the Tree of Life synagogue has said that he is welcome.
CBS Evening News
October 29, 2018
6:41 p.m. Eastern(…)
MAJOR GARRETT: President Trump had no public events today, instead he dispatched his press secretary for a White House briefing tinged with sadness.
SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS: We all have a duty to confront anti-Semitism in all its forms and everywhere and anywhere it appears.
GARRETT: But it then became combative as Sanders was asked to defend the President's tweet this morning calling “the fake news media the true enemy of the people”. And alleging it is the cause of “great anger in our country”.
SANDERS: No the President is not placing blame. The President is not responsible for these acts. The major news networks' first public statement was to blame the President and myself included.
GARRETT: That is not true. Sanders continued.
SANDERS: That is outrageous that anybody other than the individual who carried out the crime would hold that responsibility.
GARRETT: Ahead of tomorrow's presidential visit, an online petition started by a left-leaning Jewish group and signed by more than 40,000 called on the President not to travel to Pittsburgh until he denounces white nationalism and the violence it inspires. Last night Tree of Life synagogue rabbi Jeffrey Myers had a message for all politicians.
RABBI JEFFREY MYERS: Ladies and gentlemen, it has to start with you as our leaders.
[Cuts back to live]
GARRETT: Sanders said the President will continue to criticize political opponents in harsh terms to draw contrasts and fight back. The role of consoler-in-chief is not one then-candidate Trump auditioned for in 2016 and very little about his presidency suggests he considers living up to its contemporary norms, a particular presidential obligation.
NBC Nightly News
October 29, 2018
7:07 p.m. EasternLESTER HOLT: When the President visits Pittsburgh tomorrow, he'll once again find himself being viewed through the lens of consoler-and-chief, a role critics say he has struggled to fill in the wake of national tragedies while this massacre brings increased attention to the gun control debate. Here is NBC's Andrea Mitchell.
[Cuts to video]
ANDREA MITCHELL: At times of national tragedy, Americans look to their leaders for comfort.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: This wicked act of mass murder is pure evil.
MITCHELL: But shortly after the massacre, President Trump seemly blaming the synagogue for not having an armed guard.
(…)
MITCHELL: Joking that he should have cancelled appearances, not because the nation was in mourning but because of his hair.
TRUMP: I said maybe I should cancel this arrangement because I have a bad hair day.
(…)
MITCHELL: In the past, Presidents tried to unify the country.
RONALD REAGAN: We know of your anguish. We share it.
BILL CLINTON: We will stand with you. For as many tomorrows as it takes.
GEORGE W. BUSH: Our unity is a kinship of grief and a steadfast result to prevail against our enemies.
BARACK OBAMA: Amazing grace
MITCHELL: Vice President Pence rejected linking the President's rhetoric to acts of violence.
VP MIKE PENCE: Everybody has their own style and people on both sides use strong language.
MITCHELL: But is it a matter of style?
MICHAEL BESCHLOSS: Every earlier president to some degree tried to unite the nation at a time of crisis. I’ve never seen a president in history who has worked so hard to pit group against group and benefit from it politically.
MITCHELL: A president challenged to be consoler-in-chief. Andrea Mitchell, NBC News.
