ABC News suspended one of their top reporters on Wednesday after an undercover sting video was released that showed him admitting that the network misinforms voters and does not give President Donald Trump credit for good things that he does.
Political correspondent David Wright was captured making the remarks in undercover videos that were released by James O&#8217;Keefe&#8217;s Project Veritas.
“We don’t hold him [Trump] to account. We also don’t give him credit for what things he does do,&#8221; Wright said, later adding, &#8220;I feel terrible about it. I feel that the truth suffers, the voters are poorly informed, and people also have the opportunity to tune into whatever they want to hear.&#8221;
“With Trump, we’re interested in three things: the outrage of the day, the investigation, and of the palace intrigue of who’s backstabbing whom,&#8221; Wright continued. &#8220;Beyond that, we don’t really cover the guy [Trump]… ‘Who’s he [Trump] throwing out of the White House today?’ or ‘Who’s blowing the whistle and stabbing him [Trump] in the back?’”
Wright, who admitted to being a &#8220;socialist&#8221; in the interview, also said that ABC News was &#8220;sensitive to the accusation that we’re in the tank for the Democrats.&#8221;
“We’re in this awkward moment, we have this f**king president, and we can’t figure out how to challenge him,” Wright said. “We’re all guilty of the same thing. I think that all these big news organizations – I’m speaking about broadcast television. That’s all I’m speaking about. ABC, CBS, NBC.”
ABC News announced on Wednesday, following the publication of the video, that it was suspending Wright.
&#8220;Any action that damages our reputation for fairness and impartiality or gives the appearance of compromising it harms ABC News and the individuals involved,&#8221; ABC News <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/media/abc-news-suspends-correspondent-david-wright-after-project-veritas-sting/2020/02/26/764efc06-5849-11ea-9b35-def5a027d470_story.html">said</a> in a statement. &#8220;David Wright has been suspended, and to avoid any possible appearance of bias, he will be reassigned away from political coverage when he returns.&#8221;
The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/02/26/abc-news-hands-james-okeefe-scalp/">said</a> that the video, and ABC News&#8217; subsequent action, was a win for O&#8217;Keefe and Project Veritas:
<blockquote>Fundraising for James O’Keefe’s Project Veritas should be robust this week, after ABC News suspended veteran correspondent David Wright for spouting off about politics – while a Project Veritas operative was secretly recording the proceedings.</blockquote>
WATCH:
<iframe title="‘Socialist’ ABC Reporter Admits Bosses Spike News Important to Voters, &#039;Don’t Give Trump Credit&#039;" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SZG1v5EcwUI?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
This is the second time that O&#8217;Keefe has stung ABC News with undercover video content that showed the network making questionable calls in its news reporting.
The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bombshell-abc-news-killed-epstein-clinton-story-says-anchor-in-hot-mic-video">reported</a> in November:
<blockquote>A leaked video from inside ABC News, exclusively obtained by James O’Keefe’s Project Veritas, shows anchor Amy Robach talking for several minutes on a hot mic claiming that the network had a bombshell story on convicted child sex predator Jeffrey Epstein several years ago, but that the network killed the story.</blockquote>
&#8220;I’ve had the story for three years. I’ve had this interview with Virginia Roberts. We would not put it on the air,&#8221; Robach said. &#8220;First of all, I was told who’s Jeffrey Epstein, no one knows who that is, this is a stupid story.&#8221;
&#8220;Then the Palace found out that we had her whole allegations about Prince Andrew and threatened us a million different ways,&#8221; Robach continued. &#8220;We were so afraid we wouldn’t be able to interview Kate and Will, that also quashed the story. And then Alan Dershowitz was also implicated in it because of the planes. She told me everything. She had pictures, she had everything. She was in hiding for 12 years. We convinced her to come out. We convinced her to talk to us. It was unbelievable what we had, Clinton, we had everything.&#8221;
Robach concluded, &#8220;I tried for three years to get it on to no avail and now it’s all coming out and it’s like these new relevant revelations and I freaking had all of it. I’m so pissed right now, like every day I get more and more pissed because I’m just like, oh my god, what we had was unreal. Other women backing it up. Brad Edwards the attorney three years ago saying like, ‘there will come a day for we will realize Jeffrey Epstein was the most prolific pedophile this country has ever known.’ I had it all three years ago.&#8221;

The ABC News logo seen displayed on a smart phone with a

ABC News Reporter: We ‘Don’t Give’ Trump ‘Credit’ For Good Things. ABC Suspends Him.

ABC News

Donald Trump

Media Bias

An awkward moment from ABC News&#8217; coverage of the Senate impeachment trial Thursday has gone viral and sparked all kinds of commentary online.
ABC News Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos —who once served as a senior advisor to the only other living impeached president not named Donald Trump — was caught on camera Thursday making a “slit-the-throat” gesture urging the crew to stop showing White House Attorney Jay Sekulow as he countered a reporter’s supposition that allies of President Trump have “made statements to the effect of ‘abuse of power is an impeachable offense.’”
Asked about “four of the president’s allies, some players in this trial, Lindsey Graham, Alan Dershowitz, even the Attorney General,” whom the reporter said had made such statements, Sekulow said:
<blockquote>You know, we’ve got something very different from what you’re hearing up here; you’re hearing video clips of testimony. We’ve got lawyers who are going to put forward, when our side of the case goes, that represent multiple schools of thought on what is and what is not an impeachable offense. But they have one thing in common: that the actions alleged and the actions of the president do not reach that level, no matter which school of thought you’re on. And we’re not afraid to put out both of those schools of thought because our position is you still have to meet basic fundamental constitutional obligations, and they haven’t. Next?</blockquote>
The camera then cut to Stephanopoulos, who made the slit-the-throat motion before he realized he was live. Realizing that his throat-slashing &#8220;cut&#8221; gesture was caught on air, Stephanopoulos winced and offered a meek grin before rapidly moving on to a panel discussion on the latest developments in the trial.
“And that is Jay Sekulow right there,&#8221; says Stephanopoulos, still slightly grinning, &#8220;and let&#8217;s bring in our panel&#8230;&#8221;
The video has circulated online, where it&#8217;s garnered a wide range of reactions, some amused while others have taken a more serious angle on Stephanopoulos&#8217; eagerness to get Trump&#8217;s lawyer off the screen.
RNC Rapid Response Director Steve Guest summed up a lot of the conservative response in his takeaway: &#8220;This is what media bias looks like featuring ABC&#8217;s [Stephanopoulos].&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
This is what media bias looks like featuring ABC&#39;s <a href="https://twitter.com/GStephanopoulos?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GStephanopoulos</a>. <a href="https://t.co/uogaxec9Lj">pic.twitter.com/uogaxec9Lj</a>
&mdash; Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveGuest/status/1220761295630278656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Among the key points of contention in the first few days of the trial is the Democrats&#8217; demand for the Senate to hear more witnesses, most notably former Trump national security adviser John Bolton, whom the White House has protected from testifying through executive privilege.
In order to subpoena Bolton with the intent of using the courts to force his testimony, which could take weeks or even months, Democrats need to peel away four Republican senators. One of the major targets is Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who has consistently been one of the more &#8220;independent&#8221; of the Senate Republicans. But as <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/479678-gop-warns-of-drawn-out-executive-privilege-battle-over-bolton-testimony">The Hill</a> reported Friday, the Democrats&#8217; efforts to convince Murkowski and others to side with them is not going well.
“It’s kind of like the House made a decision that they didn’t want to slow things down by having to go through the courts,” Murkowski said of the Democratic impeachment managers&#8217; demands. “And yet now they’re basically saying you guys need to go through the courts. We didn’t but we need you to. That’s kind of where we are.”
Other Republicans have expressed similar views, maintaining that if the Democrats wanted to get the court involved and are willing to take time to do so, they should have done it in the House, which is tasked with making the case for impeachment, not the Senate, which is supposed to rule on the evidence presented by the House rather than &#8220;fishing&#8221; for more.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-jim-jordan-eviscerates-adam-schiffs-credibility-in-under-a-minute">WATCH: Jim Jordan Eviscerates Adam Schiff’s Credibility In Under A Minute</a>

George Stephanopoulos

WATCH: ABC Anchor Caught Making ‘Throat-Slit’ Gesture Cutting Off Trump Lawyer, Realizes He’s Live; Clip Goes Viral

Bill Clinton

Impeachment

On Friday, the ABC News insider who obtained the tape of ABC anchor Amy Robach’s distress over the spiking of her Jeffrey Epstein story by ABC News came forward after CBS reportedly fired the staffer who had access to the tape. The insider, who remains anonymous, wrote paragraphs addressed to “my fellow man,” “my fellow ABC News employees,” “those wrongfully accused,” “Amy Robach,” and “ABC News.”
At the request of the insider, the open letter was published by Project Veritas, which had obtained the footage of Robach from the insider. The insider asserted that there were no motives other than to make the information public; that neither the insider nor those wrongfully accused had done anything wrong; that Robach was the only person due an apology, not from the insider, but from those who spiked her story; and that ABC News “has spun into a mission of seek-and-destroy.”
As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bombshell-abc-news-killed-epstein-clinton-story-says-anchor-in-hot-mic-video">The Daily Wire</a> has reported:
<blockquote>A leaked video from inside ABC News, exclusively obtained by James O&#8217;Keefe&#8217;s Project Veritas, shows anchor Amy Robach talking for several minutes on a hot mic claiming that the network had a bombshell story on convicted child sex predator Jeffrey Epstein several years ago, but that the network killed the story. In the leaked footage, Robach was reportedly talking on set to her producer, who is not seen in the video, about how she had the story on Epstein for three years but was not able to run it at ABC News.</blockquote>
On Thursday, journalist Yashar Ali <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bombshell-report-alleges-abc-news-determined-the-identity-of-ex-staffer-who-leaked-damning-epstein-footage-of-their-anchor-so-cbs-news-fired-the-staffer">reported</a> that CBS News had fired the staffer who allegedly leaked the footage of Robach expressing her frustrations about her Jeffrey Epstein story not getting published. The firing reportedly came after ABC informed CBS they had determined who had leaked the footage.
The insider&#8217;s letter stated in full:
<blockquote>To my fellow man:
I came forward with this information bearing no motives other than to have this information public. I did not and do not seek any personal gain from this information whether it be financial or otherwise and will always decline. When I became aware of this moment, I had the same reaction as many of you did. Anger, confusion and sadness. I care not about petty political quarrels and only hope for the best in all of us.
To my fellow ABC News employees:
I’ve walked the halls experiencing similar feelings we are all having right now. All of you regardless of your own personal differences in one form or another do an outstanding job. I sincerely enjoy working with each and every one of you and will continue to do so throughout our careers.
To those wrongfully accused:
It is terrible that you have been lashed out at by the company. I know some may put the burden of guilt on me, but my conscience is clear. The actions of the company towards you are the result of their own and not anyone else. The public outcry, from coast to coast, of all people, creeds, and political affiliations, is clear. I have not one doubt that there will always be support for you, and you will have prosperous careers. For neither you, nor I, have done anything wrong.
To Amy Robach:
You are the only person deserving of an apology. I am most certainly sorry. Not for my actions or for this to center around you, but for what is clear to have happened. When I first stumbled across this, my initial reaction was outrage. But this soon turned towards empathy. I can not imagine doing all the hard work to only have it shelved. If the past few years have taught us anything, it is the truth that some of us have endured many hardships in this industry. From the spiking of stories regarding prominent and powerful people in this world, and to yours. I believe you are an outstanding reporter and have done such tremendous work in the community as well.
To ABC News:
I sit right here with you all in complete shock. I, like many, are at a loss for words on how this has been handled. Instead of addressing this head-on like the company has in the past, it has spun into a mission of seek-and-destroy. Innocent people that have absolutely nothing to do with this are being hunted down as if we are all a sport. I challenge all of you to actually look inwards and remember why this company engages in journalism. We all hold the First Amendment at the foundation of this company, yet forget its history,  its purpose, and its reasoning for even coming into existence to begin with. How lost we are… yearning to be found. I went to Project Veritas for the sole reason that any other media outlet else would have probably shelved this as well. I thank all of them, and James, for seeking truth.
We are all human and mortal, creatures of mistakes and redemption.
The road to redemption favors no soul.
Sincerely,
Ignotus
&nbsp;</blockquote>

Jeffrey Epstein

BREAKS SILENCE: ABC News Insider Who Exposed Buried Epstein Story Speaks Out

Remember this the next time you hear someone in the media fret about &#8220;protecting whistleblowers.&#8221; After footage leaked of an ABC reporter complaining about higher-ups killing her Jeffrey Epstein story and preventing her from reporting on it for three years, ABC set out to find the person responsible for the leak. Reportedly, they did find the culprit. The person now works at CBS. According to journalist Yashar Ali, that person <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bombshell-report-alleges-abc-news-determined-the-identity-of-ex-staffer-who-leaked-damning-epstein-footage-of-their-anchor-so-cbs-news-fired-the-staffer">has now been fired</a>. Page Six adds that <a href="https://pagesix.com/2019/11/07/cbs-news-fires-staffer-who-had-access-to-leaked-amy-robach-audio/?dg">the staffer is a female</a>.
To review: A woman at ABC discovered that the network was protecting a serial rapist and sex trafficker. She blew the whistle on the scandal and left the company. ABC then tracked the woman down and enlisted CBS to fire her on its behalf. Both of these networks, who colluded to punish a whistleblower, have spent the last many months and years breathlessly extolling the virtues of whistleblowing and the evils of collusion.
<iframe title="Media Wages War Against Whistleblower | The Matt Walsh Show Ep. 366" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dc_gnVXS8vQ?start=137&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Remember what Amy Robach said in the leaked footage:
<blockquote>I’ve had the story for three years. I’ve had this interview with Virginia Roberts. We would not put it on the air. First of all, I was told, &#8220;who’s Jeffrey Epstein, no one knows who that is, this is a stupid story.&#8221; Then the Palace found out that we had her whole allegations about Prince Andrew and threatened us a million different ways. We were so afraid we wouldn’t be able to interview Kate and Will — that also quashed the story. And then Alan Dershowitz was also implicated in it because of the planes. She told me everything. She had pictures, she had everything. She was in hiding for 12 years. We convinced her to come out. We convinced her to talk to us. It was unbelievable what we had — Clinton, we had everything.</blockquote>
This is a firsthand witness and victim who could present documentation to support her allegations against some of the most powerful people on Earth. ABC&#8217;s squashing of these revelations is, without question, one of the most significant media scandals in modern times. That&#8217;s what makes it all the more stunning and disgraceful that a rival network would help them punish the woman who blew the lid on it all.
Indeed, most of the mainstream media has given an assist to ABC either by mostly ignoring the scandal or by openly defending ABC. CNN&#8217;s &#8220;media correspondent,&#8221; Brian Stelter, when faced with the biggest media story of the decade, was seemingly reluctant to say anything about it at all. When he <a href="https://www.redstate.com/sister-toldjah/2019/11/06/brian-stelters-hot-take-abcepstein-story-everything-wrong-journalism-media-firefighters-today/">finally did acknowledge</a> the bombshell, he accepted ABC&#8217;s excuse at face value and turned the story into another opportunity to scold &#8220;right-wing commentators&#8221; for &#8220;stoking hatred of the media.&#8221; As for NBC, its reluctance to cover the scandal is par for the course. After all, these are the people who <a href="https://www.insider.com/nbc-execs-tried-to-shut-down-harvey-weinstein-story-2019-11">ran interference for Harvey Weinstein</a> for years.
No doubt, the media will continue acting persecuted when President Trump attacks them and labels them &#8220;enemies of the people.&#8221; But there&#8217;s a reason those attacks play so well. And they deserve all of the vitriol and contempt heaped upon them.

WALSH: ABC And CBS Just Colluded To Fire A Whistleblower. The Hypocrisy Is Breathtaking.

Project Veritas

On Thursday, journalist Yashar Ali reported that CBS News had fired the staffer who allegedly leaked the footage of ABC News anchor Amy Robach expressing her frustrations about her Jeffrey Epstein story not getting published. The firing reportedly came after ABC informed CBS they had determined who had leaked the footage.
Ali wrote:
<blockquote>Scoop: ABC News execs believe they know who the former employee is who accessed footage of @arobach expressing her frustrations about her shelved Jeffrey Epstein story. In a statement, an ABC News spokesperson tells me: &#8220;We take violations of company policy very seriously, and we’re pursuing all avenues to determine the source of the leak.” It’s important to note that ABC News does not know if this former employee leaked the footage to Project Veritas. What they do know is who accessed the footage. It’s possible that person could have shared it with others who leaked it.</blockquote>
Ali continued, “As I noted in this thread, ABC News has confirmed they&#8217;re conducting an investigation into the leak. In response to an email, CBS News says they&#8217;re declining to comment for this story.”
Then, the bombshell: “Update: Two sources familiar with the matter tell me that CBS News has fired the staffer in question. This comes after ABC informed CBS that they had determined who accessed the footage of Amy Robach expressing her frustrations about the Epstein story.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
1. Scoop: ABC News execs believe they know who the former employee is who accessed footage of <a href="https://twitter.com/arobach?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@arobach</a> expressing her frustrations about her shelved Jeffrey Epstein story
That former employee is now at CBS and ABC execs have reached out to CBS News execs<a href="https://t.co/OHEoyahppY">https://t.co/OHEoyahppY</a>
&mdash; Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) <a href="https://twitter.com/yashar/status/1192193027995045890?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
2. In a statement, an ABC News spokesperson tells me: &quot;We take violations of company policy very seriously, and we’re pursuing all avenues to determine the source of the leak.”<a href="https://t.co/OHEoyahppY">https://t.co/OHEoyahppY</a>
&mdash; Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) <a href="https://twitter.com/yashar/status/1192193028703883264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
3. It&#39;s important to note that ABC News does not know if this former employee leaked the footage to Project Veritas. What they do know is who accessed the footage. It&#39;s possible that person could have shared it with others who leaked it. <a href="https://t.co/OHEoyahppY">https://t.co/OHEoyahppY</a>
&mdash; Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) <a href="https://twitter.com/yashar/status/1192193991497994241?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
4. As I noted in this thread, ABC News has confirmed they&#39;re conducting an investigation into the leak. 
In response to an email, CBS News says they&#39;re declining to comment for this story. <a href="https://t.co/OHEoyahppY">https://t.co/OHEoyahppY</a>
&mdash; Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) <a href="https://twitter.com/yashar/status/1192195097422680064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
5. Update: Two sources familiar with the matter tell me that CBS News has fired the staffer in question. This comes after ABC informed CBS that they had determined who accessed the footage of Amy Robach expressing her frustrations about the Epstein story. <a href="https://t.co/OHEoyahppY">https://t.co/OHEoyahppY</a>
&mdash; Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) <a href="https://twitter.com/yashar/status/1192447374985252864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 7, 2019</a></blockquote>
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As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bombshell-abc-news-killed-epstein-clinton-story-says-anchor-in-hot-mic-video">The Daily Wire</a> reported, James O&#8217;Keefe&#8217;s Project Veritas exclusively obtained a leaked video from ABC News in which anchor Amy Robach spoke on a hot mic claiming that the network had a bombshell story on convicted child sex predator Jeffrey Epstein several years ago, but that the network killed the story.
Robach stated:
<blockquote>I&#8217;ve had the story for three years. I&#8217;ve had this interview with Virginia Roberts. We would not put it on the air. First of all, I was told who&#8217;s Jeffrey Epstein, no one knows who that is, this is a stupid story. Then the Palace found out that we had her whole allegations about Prince Andrew and threatened us a million different ways. We were so afraid we wouldn&#8217;t be able to interview Kate and Will, that also quashed the story. And then Alan Dershowitz was also implicated in it because of the planes. She told me everything. She had pictures, she had everything. She was in hiding for 12 years. We convinced her to come out. We convinced her to talk to us. It was unbelievable what we had, Clinton, we had everything. [emphasis added]
I tried for three years to get it on to no avail and now it&#8217;s all coming out and it&#8217;s like these new relevant revelations and I freaking had all of it. I&#8217;m so pissed right now, like every day I get more and more pissed because I&#8217;m just like, oh my god, what we had was unreal. Other women backing it up. Brad Edwards the attorney three years ago saying like, &#8216;there will come a day for we will realize Jeffrey Epstein was the most prolific pedophile this country has ever known.&#8217; I had it all three years ago.</blockquote>

ABC&#8217;s News Division To Cut Up To 25 Percent Of Staff

BOMBSHELL: Report Alleges ABC News Determined The Identity Of Ex-Staffer Who Leaked Damning Epstein Footage Of Their Anchor. So CBS News Fired The Staffer.

The following is satirical.
Since James O’Keefe’s Project Veritas revealed a video showing that ABC News killed the Jeffrey Epstein story three years ago, ABC News has issued a statement in its own defense. The statement was released by an ABC executive wearing a raincoat and nothing else and was delivered to several female members of the press when he opened the raincoat to reveal that he was holding the statement in his hand and didn’t need to open the raincoat but just thought the ladies would get a kick out of seeing the very special thing he was hiding inside.
The statement reads, “We at ABC News are committed to the highest level of journalism we can achieve without exposing Democrats who rape little girls. In this case, any serious student of journalism will understand that this story came to us while Hillary Clinton was running for president, and it was far more important that we protect Bill Clinton from being accused of statutory rape, than that we protect young women from being enslaved and abused by a predator linked to every powerful man on earth, including the royal family — speaking of which, Duchess Kate Middleton is sporting an all new collegiate look this winter and we’ll be leading with that story instead of this one because, after all, we’re ABC News.
&#8220;And while it’s true we may have covered up for a monster, leaving his victims to suffer at his hands, while the rich and powerful used them at will for their own pleasure, it’s not like we didn’t report on other incidents of sexual predation, like that time we reported how Brett Kavanaugh left a trail of murdered women wherever he spread his reign of terror according to anonymous sources who had even more anonymous sources living inside their heads who also told them about the Martian invasion, which we’ll be reporting on instead of this because, after all, we’re ABC News.
&#8220;The important thing is that eventually the guilty were punished because, after all, Jeffrey Epstein didn’t kill himself.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/medias-janitor-cnns-stelter-defends-abc-over-epstein-scandal">‘MEDIA’S JANITOR’: CNN’s Stelter Defends ABC Over Epstein Scandal</a>

Jeffrey Epstein Protesters

ABC News Kills Story About How ABC News Killed Story [Satire]

CNN&#8217;s Brian Stelter — who is routinely described by critics online as &#8220;<a href="https://twitchy.com/gregp-3534/2019/07/17/the-medias-janitor-strikes-again-redsteeze-takes-brian-stelter-to-the-woodshed-over-his-defense-of-cnn-giving-richard-spence-air-time/">the media&#8217;s janitor</a>&#8221; — defended ABC News on Tuesday night in his newsletter after James O&#8217;Keefe&#8217;s Project Veritas released a video in which an ABC anchor reveals that the left-wing network covered up a bombshell story about convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein and former Democratic President Bill Clinton.
Stelter refused to give any credit to O&#8217;Keefe or Project Veritas for their latest video and instead attempted to dismiss them by referring to them as a &#8220;right-wing, pro-Trump activist group.&#8221;
Stelter quoted an article from far-left Vox, which gave O&#8217;Keefe and Project Veritas credit, by removing that portion of what Vox reported. Stelter refused to report on the bombshell story on CNN&#8217;s website and he buried the story several hundred words deep into his newsletter.
Daily Caller Editor-in-Chief Geoffrey Ingersoll called out Stelter&#8217;s actions, tweeting: &#8220;Why is qualifying the messenger — &#8216;pro trump activist group&#8217; — necessary here? Who cares? She’s on tape saying ABC spiked the story.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Why is qualifying the messenger — “pro trump activist group” — necessary here? Who cares? She’s on tape saying ABC spiked the story. <a href="https://t.co/yYROyUlNzl">https://t.co/yYROyUlNzl</a>
— Geoffrey Ingersoll (@GPIngersoll) <a href="https://twitter.com/GPIngersoll/status/1191952907815522308?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2019</a></blockquote>
Stelter falsely claimed that &#8220;Robach clearly thinks she&#8217;s just speaking privately to a colleague.&#8221;
Journalist Yashar Ali dismantled this notion on Tuesday, writing on Twitter: &#8220;ABC News&#8217; comms team let a statement go out saying that a moment where Amy was on set, in front of cameras, and wearing a mic was a &#8216;private moment&#8217;? Amy is a total pro who has been in this business for two decades&#8230;she knew where she was and it certainly wasn&#8217;t private.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
ABC News&#8217; comms team let a statement go out saying that a moment where Amy was on set, in front of cameras, and wearing a mic was a &#8220;private moment&#8221;?
Amy is a total pro who has been in this business for two decades&#8230;she knew where she was and it certainly wasn&#8217;t private. <a href="https://t.co/GlCh16e0mP">https://t.co/GlCh16e0mP</a>
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) <a href="https://twitter.com/yashar/status/1191838035803029505?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2019</a></blockquote>
An insider from ABC News leaked the footage which shows anchor Amy Robach venting to other people on set that she was angry that other places were breaking all the stories on Epstein because she had the story three years ago but did not publish it because the network was worried it would impact their ability to interview the royal family. Robach stated:
<blockquote>I’ve had the story for three years. I’ve had this interview with Virginia Roberts. We would not put it on the air. First of all, I was told who’s Jeffrey Epstein, no one knows who that is, this is a stupid story. Then the Palace found out that we had her whole allegations about Prince Andrew and threatened us a million different ways. We were so afraid we wouldn’t be able to interview Kate and Will, that also quashed the story. And then Alan Dershowitz was also implicated in it because of the planes. She told me everything. She had pictures, she had everything. She was in hiding for 12 years. We convinced her to come out. We convinced her to talk to us. It was unbelievable what we had, Clinton, we had everything. [emphasis added]
I tried for three years to get it on to no avail and now it’s all coming out and it’s like these new relevant revelations and I freaking had all of it. I’m so pissed right now, like every day I get more and more pissed because I’m just like, oh my god, what we had was unreal. Other women backing it up. Brad Edwards the attorney three years ago saying like, ‘there will come a day for we will realize Jeffrey Epstein was the most prolific pedophile this country has ever known.’ I had it all three years ago.</blockquote>
NewsBusters Managing Editor Curtis Houck unloaded on Stelter online, writing: &#8220;Annnd here&#8217;s Stelter defending ABC. The media janitor again suggested WE the people are the problem.&#8221;
&#8220;Stelter&#8217;s hackery is so steep he couldn&#8217;t even bring himself to mention @JamesOKeefeIII or @Project_Veritas by name,&#8221; Houck added. &#8220;There&#8217;s 15 sections in the newsletter (separated by a thin, gray line) and six of them are either gleefully promoting Democratic/liberal causes or attacking conservatives.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
There&#8217;s 15 sections in the newsletter (separated by a thin, gray line) and six of them are either gleefully promoting Democratic/liberal causes or attacking conservatives
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) <a href="https://twitter.com/CurtisHouck/status/1191948716531486720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2019</a></blockquote>
O&#8217;Keefe responded to Stelter&#8217;s actions by putting him on notice.
&#8220;Well, @brianstelter of CNN. You were forced to cover it,&#8221; O&#8217;Keefe wrote. &#8220;But you didn’t have the balls to mention @Project_Veritas by name. You label us an &#8216;activist group.'&#8221;
&#8220;FYI, there are more network insiders. One day you will be face to face,&#8221; O&#8217;Keefe continued. &#8220;Their heads will be held high. Yours, in shame.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Well, <a href="https://twitter.com/brianstelter?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@brianstelter</a> of CNN.
You were forced to cover it.
But you didn’t have the balls to mention <a href="https://twitter.com/Project_Veritas?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Project_Veritas</a> by name. You label us an “activist group”
FYI, there are more network insiders. One day you will be face to face. Their heads will be held high. Yours, in shame. <a href="https://t.co/JGoXKxzZ6x">pic.twitter.com/JGoXKxzZ6x</a>
— James O&#8217;Keefe (@JamesOKeefeIII) <a href="https://twitter.com/JamesOKeefeIII/status/1191955031420997632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2019</a></blockquote>

Brian Stelter

‘MEDIA’S JANITOR’: CNN’s Stelter Defends ABC Over Epstein Scandal

James O'Keefe

ABC News and ABC News anchor Amy Robach both released statements on Tuesday about the bombshell story that James O&#8217;Keefe&#8217;s Project Veritas recently released. The Project Veritas story revealed Robach venting to her colleagues that the network killed a story about convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein that entangled former Democrat President Bill Clinton.
&#8220;As a journalist, as the Epstein story continued to unfold last summer, I was caught in a private moment of frustration,&#8221; Robach <a href="https://www.projectveritas.com/2019/11/05/breaking-abc-news-and-amy-robach-respond-to-project-veritas-bombshell-epsteincoverup-story/">said</a> in a statement. &#8220;I was upset that an important interview I had conducted with Virginia Roberts didn’t air because we could not obtain sufficient corroborating evidence to meet ABC’s editorial standards about her allegations.&#8221;
It is worth noting that nowhere in the several minutes of footage that Project Veritas released did Robach ever state that the network could not &#8220;obtain sufficient corroborating evidence.&#8221;
Rather, Robach lamented over the fact that she had the story and other publications were the ones breaking the news.
&#8220;My comments about Prince Andrew and her allegation that she had seen Bill Clinton on Epstein’s private island were in reference to what Virginia Roberts said in that interview in 2015,&#8221; Robach continued. &#8220;I was referencing her allegations — not what ABC News had verified through our reporting. The interview itself, while I was disappointed it didn’t air, didn’t meet our standards. In the years since no one ever told me or the team to stop reporting on Jeffrey Epstein, and we have continued to aggressively pursue this important story.&#8221;
ABC News also released a statement on the damaging video, which was leaked by an ABC News insider, claiming that they did not run the story because it did not &#8220;met our standards to air.&#8221;
&#8220;At the time, not all of our reporting met our standards to air, but we have never stopped investigating the story,&#8221; ABC News said in a statement. &#8220;Ever since, we’ve had a team on this investigation and substantial resources dedicated to it. That work has led to a two-hour documentary and six-part podcast that will air in the new year.&#8221;
ABC News has faced intense criticism from nearly everywhere — except for CNN, which has ignored the story — over its decision not to run the story.
Donald Trump Jr. wrote on Twitter: &#8220;They covered this up for 3 years and they&#8217;re not the enemy of the people??? I truly hope people wake up and see what the media truly is. This is sickening.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
They cover this up for 3 years and they&#8217;re not the enemy of the people???
I truly hope people wake up and see what the media truly is. This is sickening. <a href="https://t.co/6xaG0xxgUX">https://t.co/6xaG0xxgUX</a>
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) <a href="https://twitter.com/DonaldJTrumpJr/status/1191814712100630529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2019</a></blockquote>
Breitbart&#8217;s Alana Mastrangelo wrote on Twitter: &#8220;ABC will air a video from a Kentucky gun range and pass it off as footage from Syria. Or Brian Ross will air a fake report about Michael Flynn and Russia, which will then tank the stock market (remember that one?) But they&#8217;ll sit on the Epstein story for years. #EpsteinCoverup.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
ABC will air a video from a Kentucky gun range and pass it off as footage from Syria.
Or Brian Ross will air a fake report about Michael Flynn and Russia, which will then tank the stock market (remember that one?)
But they&#8217;ll sit on the Epstein story for years. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EpsteinCoverup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EpsteinCoverup</a> <a href="https://t.co/xFw58LpG52">https://t.co/xFw58LpG52</a>
— Alana Mastrangelo (@ARmastrangelo) <a href="https://twitter.com/ARmastrangelo/status/1191761403297828865?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2019</a></blockquote>
The Hill&#8217;s Saagar Enjeti wrote on Twitter: &#8220;You can say whatever you want about James O&#8217;Keefe. This is plain as day. They had the story, they didn&#8217;t run it. Close your eyes replace &#8216;Epstein&#8217; with &#8216;Weinstein&#8217; and its the same thing that played out at NBC with [Ronan Farrow.] The rot runs deep.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
You can say whatever you want about James O&#8217;Keefe.
This is plan as day. They had the story, they didn&#8217;t run it. Close your eyes replace &#8220;Epstein&#8221; with &#8220;Weinstein&#8221; and its the same thing that played out at NBC with <a href="https://twitter.com/RonanFarrow?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RonanFarrow</a>
The rot runs deep <a href="https://t.co/tCcqjDYnfn">https://t.co/tCcqjDYnfn</a>
— Saagar Enjeti (@esaagar) <a href="https://twitter.com/esaagar/status/1191735969315278849?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2019</a></blockquote>
Juanita Broaddrick wrote on Twitter: &#8220;Does [Robach] feel any guilt at all? Does she have a conscience? How many underage girls were sexually assaulted while she remained silent? I have no sympathy for her.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Does <a href="https://twitter.com/arobach?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@arobach</a> feel any guilt at all? Does she have a conscience? How many underage girls were sexually assaulted while she remained silent? I have no sympathy for her. <a href="https://t.co/Thr1tmT65X">https://t.co/Thr1tmT65X</a>
— Juanita Broaddrick (@atensnut) <a href="https://twitter.com/atensnut/status/1191815090057699328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2019</a></blockquote>
Journalist Yashar Ali wrote on Twitter: &#8220;ABC News&#8217; comms team let a statement go out saying that a moment where Amy was on set, in front of cameras, and wearing a mic was a &#8220;private moment&#8221;? Amy is a total pro who has been in this business for two decades&#8230;she knew where she was and it certainly wasn&#8217;t private.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
ABC News&#039; comms team let a statement go out saying that a moment where Amy was on set, in front of cameras, and wearing a mic was a &quot;private moment&quot;? 
Amy is a total pro who has been in this business for two decades&#8230;she knew where she was and it certainly wasn&#039;t private. <a href="https://t.co/GlCh16e0mP">https://t.co/GlCh16e0mP</a>
&mdash; Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) <a href="https://twitter.com/yashar/status/1191838035803029505?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2019</a></blockquote>

ABC News, Amy Robach Comment On Killing Epstein Story, Get Blasted Online

James O&#8217;Keefe&#8217;s Project Veritas revealed on Tuesday video footage that they received from inside ABC News, which showed anchor Amy Robach saying that the network killed a bombshell story on convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein that involved former Democrat President Bill Clinton.
Robach, who expressed her frustration in the leaked footage that ABC News did not run her story for three years, weighed in on what she thinks happened to Epstein after she heard about the news of his death.
&#8220;So, do I think he was killed? A hundred percent, yes, I do,&#8221; Robach said. &#8220;Because he made his whole living blackmailing people. Yeah, there were a lot of men in those planes, a lot of men who visited that Island, a lot of powerful men who came into that apartment.&#8221;
&#8220;I knew immediately and they made it seem as though he made that ‘suicide attempt’ two weeks earlier,&#8221;  Robach continued. &#8220;But his lawyers claimed that he was roughed up by his cellmate around the neck. that was all like to plant the seed and then, that&#8217;s why I really believe it, like really believe.&#8221;
Robach also weighed in on Ghislaine Maxwell, who is <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/jeffrey-epstein-victim-virginia-giuffre-ghislaine-maxwell-made-me-recruit-youngest-looking-girls-for-him">accused</a> of helping recruit young girls that Epstein abused.
&#8220;Well, Ghislaine Maxwell who I had all sorts of stuff on her, too,&#8221; Robach continued. &#8220;I really, I&#8217;m like, it&#8217;s so funny to hear everyone say her name. I&#8217;m like, &#8220;Oh my God, like I had all&#8217; – and everyone’s like ‘who’s that? Who cares?’&#8221;
&#8220;I kept getting that. Who cares? Um, she knows everything,&#8221; Robach continued. &#8220;She knows. She knows she should, she should be careful. Well she was his like, she went out and recruited all of these girls. She should watch her back because if she goes, I mean, I&#8217;d have like security guards all around me.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
BREAKING: &#8220;Do I think he(Epstein) was killed? 100% I do&#8230;He made his whole living blackmailing people. There were a lot of men on those planes. A lot of men who visited that island. A lot of powerful men who came into that apartment.&#8221; &#8211; <a href="https://twitter.com/abcnews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@abcnews</a> anchor <a href="https://twitter.com/arobach?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@arobach</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EpsteinCoverup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EpsteinCoverup</a> <a href="https://t.co/EmFdTGGcPs">pic.twitter.com/EmFdTGGcPs</a>
— James O&#8217;Keefe (@JamesOKeefeIII) <a href="https://twitter.com/JamesOKeefeIII/status/1191736930276216832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2019</a></blockquote>
The first portion of video that Project Veritas released highlighted Robach telling her colleagues why she believes the network killed the bombshell story. Robach stated:
<blockquote>I’ve had the story for three years. I’ve had this interview with Virginia Roberts. we would not put it on the air. first of all, I was told who’s Jeffrey Epstein, no one knows who that is, this is a stupid story. Then the Palace found out that we had her whole allegations about Prince Andrew and threatened us a million different ways. We were so afraid we wouldn’t be able to interview Kate and Will, that also quashed the story. And then Alan Dershowitz was also implicated in it because of the planes. She told me everything. She had pictures, she had everything. She was in hiding for 12 years, we convinced her to come out. We convinced her to talk to us. It was unbelievable what we had, Clinton, we had everything. [emphasis added]
I tried for three years to get it on to no avail and now it’s all coming out and it’s like these new relevant revelations and I freaking had all of it. I’m so pissed right now, like every day I get more and more pissed because I’m just like, oh, my God, what what we had was unreal. Other women backing it up. Brad Edwards the attorney three years ago saying like, ‘there will come a day for we will realize Jeffrey Epstein was the most prolific pedophile this country has ever known.’ I had it all three years ago.</blockquote>
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
BREAKING: <a href="https://twitter.com/abcnews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@abcnews</a> anchor <a href="https://twitter.com/arobach?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@arobach</a> caught on &#8216;hot mic&#8217; in August disgustedly exposing networks decision to strategically spike bombshell investigation into Jefferey Esptein over THREE YEARS AGO.
Says what she had was &#8220;unbelievable&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EpsteinCoverup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EpsteinCoverup</a>: <a href="https://t.co/HagfLpwKDn">https://t.co/HagfLpwKDn</a> <a href="https://t.co/fPvJc3JCCQ">pic.twitter.com/fPvJc3JCCQ</a>
— James O&#8217;Keefe (@JamesOKeefeIII) <a href="https://twitter.com/JamesOKeefeIII/status/1191716801178034180?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2019</a></blockquote>

Amy Robach

ABC News Anchor Who Investigated Epstein Gives Thoughts On His Death

On Tuesday, President Trump unloaded on a new ABC News/Washington Post poll showing him losing to all five leading Democratic presidential candidates in 2020. Following the dual congressional victories of Republicans in North Carolina, including one that Democrats increasingly believed they could flip, Trump pointed again to the &#8220;fake poll&#8221; as more evidence that the media is trying to manipulate the public to thwart his reelection.
In its report on the new survey, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/president-trump-trails-potential-democratic-challengers-in-2020-test/2019/09/10/82980d72-d36a-11e9-9610-fb56c5522e1c_story.html">The Washington Post</a> sets the scene by noting Trump&#8217;s chronic polling problems. &#8220;President Trump overcame formidable odds and discouraging poll numbers to win the White House in 2016. More than a year out from the 2020 election, it appears he might have to repeat that performance to win a second term, according to a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/context/sept-2-5-2019-washington-post-abc-news-poll/d4e18b36-79bf-492d-91e3-d1c7a49d37e2/">Washington Post-ABC News survey</a>,&#8221; the Post reports.
Against the top five Democratic candidates, the new poll found Trump losing to all of them — and by a dramatic margin to the frontrunner. The poll found Trump trailing former Vice President Joe Biden in a hypothetical head-to-head by 15 points, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) by 9, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) by 7, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) by 7, and South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg by 4.
The poll also found Trump&#8217;s approval numbers looking grim. &#8220;Among all adults, whether registered to vote or not, the president never tops 41 percent support,&#8221; the Post reports. &#8220;Among registered voters, he does better, but his highest level of support against any candidate is 44 percent. In 2016, he won 46 percent of the popular vote to Hillary Clinton’s 48 percent, but nonetheless won an electoral college majority by narrowly winning three northern states that had gone to the Democrats in the previous six elections.&#8221;
Trump responded to the new results by blasting the poll as &#8220;the worst and most inaccurate&#8221; of the 2016 polls. &#8220;ABC/Washington Post Poll was the worst and most inaccurate poll of any taken prior to the 2016 Election. When my lawyers protested, they took a 12 point down and brought it to almost even by Election Day. It was a Fake Poll by two very bad and dangerous media outlets. Sad!&#8221; Trump wrote in a pair of tweets early Tuesday. &#8220;One of the greatest and most powerful weapons used by the Fake and Corrupt News Media is the phony Polling Information they put out. Many of these polls are fixed, or worked in such a way that a certain candidate will look good or bad. Internal polling looks great, the best ever!&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">ABC/Washington Post Poll was the worst and most inaccurate poll of any taken prior to the 2016 Election. When my lawyers protested, they took a 12 point down and brought it to almost even by Election Day. It was a Fake Poll by two very bad and dangerous media outlets. Sad!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1171429005251104769?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 10, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">One of the greatest and most powerful weapons used by the Fake and Corrupt News Media is the phony Polling Information they put out. Many of these polls are fixed, or worked in such a way that a certain candidate will look good or bad. Internal polling looks great, the best ever!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1171431074485817344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 10, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
After Republicans <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/51620/breaking-results-are-nc-congressional-races-big-james-barrett">won both congressional seats </a>in North Carolina&#8217;s special election Tuesday, Trump returned to criticizing the poll, pointing to the outcome as evidence that he&#8217;s right about the &#8220;phony suppression poll.&#8221;
&#8220;In a hypothetical poll, done by one of the worst pollsters of them all, the Amazon Washington Post/ABC, which predicted I would lose to Crooked Hillary by 15 points (how did that work out?), Sleepy Joe, Pocahontas and virtually all others would beat me in the General Election,&#8221; Trump tweeted Wednesday morning. &#8220;This is a phony suppression poll, meant to build up their Democrat partners. I haven’t even started campaigning yet, and am constantly fighting Fake News like Russia, Russia, Russia. Look at North Carolina last night. Dan Bishop, down big in the Polls, WINS. Easier than 2016!&#8221;
&#8220;If it weren&#8217;t for the never ending Fake News about me, and with all that I have done (more than any other President in the first 2 1/2 years!), I would be leading the &#8216;Partners&#8217; of the LameStream Media by 20 points. Sorry, but true!&#8221; he added.
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">In a hypothetical poll, done by one of the worst pollsters of them all, the Amazon Washington Post/ABC, which predicted I would lose to Crooked Hillary by 15 points (how did that work out?), Sleepy Joe, Pocahontas and virtually all others would beat me in the General Election&#8230;.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1171758531449643008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 11, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en">&#8230;.This is a phony suppression poll, meant to build up their Democrat partners. I haven’t even started campaigning yet, and am constantly fighting Fake News like Russia, Russia, Russia. Look at North Carolina last night. Dan Bishop, down big in the Polls, WINS. Easier than 2016!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1171758532280143873?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 11, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">If it weren’t for the never ending Fake News about me, and with all that I have done (more than any other President in the first 2 1/2 years!), I would be leading the “Partners” of the LameStream Media by 20 points. Sorry, but true!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1171760235935125508?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 11, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/51620/breaking-results-are-nc-congressional-races-big-james-barrett">Trump Passes ‘Test’ In North Carolina: Republicans Win Both Congressional Seats</a>

Trump: Want Proof Media Polls Are Phony? Look At What Just Happened In North Carolina

Bernie Sanders

Elizabeth Warren

Joe Biden

Kamala Harris

North Carolina

Pete Buttigieg

Trump Administration

Washington Post

For what Politico has styled &#8220;Trump&#8217;s takeover of the Fourth of July celebration,&#8221; the U.S. Military brought a couple of M1 Bradley Armored Personnel Carriers into the heart of Washington, D.C. Tuesday night, a moment HuffPost described as a &#8220;surreal scene&#8221; and footage of which has been posted online. The tanks are among the half-dozen or so military vehicles that will be included in the &#8220;Salute to America&#8221; event around the Lincoln Memorial, which will also feature the standard fireworks and flyover — and for which Trump has been decried by the Left for his &#8220;authoritarian&#8221; display of military power.
&#8220;In a surreal scene, tanks rolled into Washington D.C. on Tuesday to participate in President Donald Trump’s Independence Day event,&#8221; <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/tanks-in-washington-dc_n_5d1c3ce5e4b082e55371d8b1">HuffPost</a> reported Tuesday in a piece highlighting some of the footage as well as comments by Army Col. Sunset Belinsky to a Washington-based CBS affiliate reassuring the public that there&#8217;s no need to &#8220;panic.&#8221;
&#8220;Residents of the Capitol City will see the vehicles move through their neighborhoods, but should not panic,” said Col. Belinsky. HuffPost also quotes D.C. Democrat Eleanor Holmes Norton denouncing Trump for &#8220;robbing&#8221; the people of the nonpartisan celebration. &#8220;This robs us of the one holiday where everybody comes together and doesn’t even look at you to find out what your political party is,&#8221; she said.
Some of the footage of &#8220;Trump&#8217;s tanks&#8221; that&#8217;s made the rounds online:
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">Just left the Nats game, and we were greeted by Trump&#8217;s tanks rolling through just outside the ballpark <a href="https://twitter.com/fox5dc?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@fox5dc</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/nbcwashington?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nbcwashington</a> <a href="https://t.co/O9VmDGFoMY">pic.twitter.com/O9VmDGFoMY</a>
— Cole (@eloc8) <a href="https://twitter.com/eloc8/status/1146238374203863040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">NEW — <a href="https://twitter.com/USArmy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USArmy</a> says armored vehicles WILL move through WASHINGTON TONIGHT.
Specifically: 
Two M1 Bradley Armored Personnel Carriers.
Army spokesperson says, “you’ll see them moving through your neighborhood, but DON’T PANIC.”<a href="https://twitter.com/wusa9?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WUSA9</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SaluteToAmerica?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SaluteToAmerica</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FourthofJuly?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FourthofJuly</a> <a href="https://t.co/c9IockpNMv">pic.twitter.com/c9IockpNMv</a>
— Mike Valerio (@MikevWUSA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MikevWUSA/status/1146207474220961794?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
And as is the case with so many Trump-led events, the mainstream media is uncertain about how to cover his &#8220;takeover&#8221; of the Fourth. <a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2019/07/02/trump-july-4-event-tv-1395474">Politico</a> provides a rundown of how the networks plan to approach it, most notably MSNBC, which is considering effectively blacking it out.
&#8220;President Donald Trump’s takeover of the Fourth of July celebration at the National Mall won’t completely take over the cable airwaves,&#8221; Politico reports. &#8220;MSNBC, for one, doesn’t plan to carry his “Salute to America” live, though the network will assess in real time whether to air clips of the event, a spokesperson told POLITICO.&#8221;
While MSNBC appears to be leaning toward acting like the event isn&#8217;t happening, Fox News is planning to dedicate a couple of hours to the event in a two-hour edition of &#8220;Special Report,&#8221; Politico notes.
The other cable news outlet, CNN, meanwhile, just happens to be airing a special on the rise of white nationalism starting at 7 p.m., in what some might consider a curious choice for July 4th programming.
ABC News will air the &#8220;Salute to America&#8221; on its streaming channel ABC News Live, as will CBS on CBSN and NBC on NBC News NOW. CSPAN will likewise be streaming the event.
<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/everything-you-wanted-know-about-trump-s-july-fourth-celebration-n1025606">NBC News</a>, which has covered the event with a little less slant online, provides a summary of what to expect: &#8220;Tanks. Troops. The president. The Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps, the U.S. Army Band, the Armed Forces Chorus, the U.S. Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon, and the U.S. Navy Blue Angels are all part of the program.&#8221;
NBC quotes Trump about the need to be &#8220;pretty careful&#8221; with the tanks, but not because of a fear of &#8220;panic&#8221;: &#8220;We gotta be pretty careful with the tanks because the roads have a tendency not to like to carry heavy tanks, so we have to put them in certain areas,&#8221; he said.
Unlike Norton and her fellow Democrats, Trump is amped up about the event. &#8220;Big 4th of July in D.C. &#8216;Salute to America.'&#8221; he tweeted Tuesday. &#8220;The Pentagon &amp; our great Military Leaders are thrilled to be doing this &amp; showing to the American people, among other things, the strongest and most advanced Military anywhere in the World. Incredible Flyovers &amp; biggest ever Fireworks!&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">Big 4th of July in D.C. “Salute to America.” The Pentagon &amp; our great Military Leaders are thrilled to be doing this &amp; showing to the American people, among other things, the strongest and most advanced Military anywhere in the World. Incredible Flyovers &amp; biggest ever Fireworks!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1146062242388959238?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>

WATCH: ‘Trump’s Tanks’ Arrive In Washington For July 4th; MSNBC Considers Blackout

Fox News

Huffington Post

Military

MSNBC

NBC News

Politico

On Monday, The Daily Wire&#8217;s Michael Knowles broke down a &#8220;very telling&#8221; moment during an exchange between President Donald Trump and George Stephanopoulos when the president stopped the interview because someone coughed in the background. Video and partial transcript below.
This clip from Donald Trump&#8217;s interview with George Stephanopoulos, which just leaked out, was some of the extra footage. It shows an interaction that is actually very telling about Donald Trump. Donald Trump is talking to Stephanopoulos. He&#8217;s giving an answer and his former budget director, now his chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, coughs in the background. Trump stops the footage, stops the cameras, and says we&#8217;ve got to reset because he was coughing.
Donald Trump: At some point, I hope they get it.
George Stephanopoulos: You&#8217;re going to turn it over?
Donald Trump: No, at some point I might. But at some point, I hope they get it because it&#8217;s a fantastic financial statement. It&#8217;s a fantastic financial statement. Let&#8217;s do that over &#8212; he&#8217;s coughing in the middle of my answer.
George Stephanopoulos: Yeah, ok.
Donald Trump: I don&#8217;t like that. You know.
George Stephanopoulos: Your chief of staff&#8230;
Donald Trump: If you&#8217;re going to cough, please leave the room. You just can&#8217;t do that. Okay. You want to do that a little differently then? So, at some point &#8212; So at some point I look forward to, frankly, I want I&#8217;d like to have people see my financial statement. Because it&#8217;s phenomenal. No, it&#8217;s not up to me. It&#8217;s up to lawyers it&#8217;s up to everything else. But they&#8217;re asking for things that they should never be asking for. That they&#8217;ve never asked another president for. They want to go through every deal that I&#8217;ve ever done. What they&#8217;re doing is a disgrace. They&#8217;ve tried to do&#8212;step, step, step. They want to keep it going as long as possible to try and demean and hurt as much as possible so they can possibly win the presidential election.
Knowles: This is a very telling exchange. I hope it puts to rest one of the stupidest takes on Donald Trump, which is that he&#8217;s this completely undisciplined wacko lunatic who doesn&#8217;t know what&#8217;s going on and he shoots from the hip and he&#8217;s only just belching various emotions all the times. No, this guy knows how to work a camera. This is a pretty calculated guy. How do I know that?
Because he&#8217;s giving this answer that he wants to give to Stephanopoulos, and he hears a cough in the room. Trump&#8217;s a show biz guy and he&#8217;s had 15 seasons of a hit network show. He knows that that sound is going to ruin that clip and they&#8217;re not going to be able to use it. So, he says, alright stop, you can&#8217;t cough on set. What are you doing? Get out of here if you&#8217;re going to cough on set. He says ok, let&#8217;s reset it. Maybe we&#8217;ll do it a little differently. He&#8217;s talking like a guy either who&#8217;s in a movie or at least who&#8217;s doing a nonfiction TV show. They&#8217;re like reset and then the guys reset and then the camera guy screws up and he moves. Trump catches that again and he reset.
<div class="embed video fluid-video"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JHk1z-6jNd0" width="560"></iframe></div>
He resets and then Trump gives the message that he wants to the American people. He gives it as though it&#8217;s right off the cuff. He gives it like he&#8217;s in a reality TV show and look and this and that &#8211; it&#8217;s not like he&#8217;s giving this perfectly scripted monologue, but he is letting you know, you the American people. The people who watch ABC News. Just a lot more people than watch cable news or Fox News. He&#8217;s telling them what he wants them to hear.
This is a disciplined guy. This is a guy with situational awareness. This is a guy who knows how to communicate. No accidents here. People are still going to pretend that he&#8217;s this total buffoon who just accidentally has succeeded at the highest levels of everything he&#8217;s ever tried. But this was more revealing than the Billy Bush tape which was a guy engaging in locker room talk when he thought he was off camera. This is much more telling about how Trump&#8217;s brain works and how he views politics in the Oval Office and imagery and how he views mass communication.
<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-michael-knowles-show/id1266577963?mt=2">Listen to &#8220;The Michael Knowles Show&#8221; on iTunes.</a>
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/show/michael-knowles-show">Subscribe to watch &#8220;The Michael Knowles Show&#8221; on-demand.</a>

KNOWLES: Leaked ABC Clip Of Trump Is ‘Very Telling’

Conservatism

Democratic Party

Michael Knowles

Republican Party

The following is satirical.
A shocking new poll from The Hollywood Reporter shows that 57 percent of Americans are concerned that what they hear on network news is not accurate. According to health officials, this means the other 43 percent of Americans no longer have the rudimentary intelligence required to perform such tasks as peeling an orange, asking a policeman to take them home or driving a muscle car into a flaming pile of garbage at 170 miles an hour because their best friend told them it would be cool.
In other worrisome data, the poll revealed that nearly 53 percent of Americans find CNN a credible news source, which means over half of Americans are now suffering from a strange mental illness which causes them to hear voices in their heads delivering credible news while they&#8217;re listening to the people lying on CNN. Several afflicted people were concerned that the voices in their heads were telling them to do terrible things like &#8220;say you love Satan&#8221; or &#8220;vote Democrat,&#8221; but fortunately those voices were in fact coming from CNN and the hallucinated voices were far more benign.
The poll further found that more than 20 percent of Americans find the news networks are not credible news sources causing health officials to become concerned that the other nearly 80 percent of Americans are gormless idiots.
In a follow-up interview with an American who found the networks credible, 30-year-old Brooklynite Wimpy Artisanal told pollsters, &#8220;I know when I&#8217;m watching ABC, I am getting the whole truth and that Dr. Meredith Gray really is concerned about Andrew being alone in the operating room with Richard, after Richard walked in on Andrew and Meredith making out.&#8221; When told that that was the plot of Grey&#8217;s Anatomy, Mr. Artisanal said, &#8220;I believe every word of it, and the news as well.&#8221;
In the wake of the poll findings, doctors at the CDC are working overtime to develop a cure for gullibility which could, if effective, eradicate network news completely.

New Poll Shows Some Americans Still Believe Network News And Are Idiots [Satire]

Just two weeks after ABC News embarrassed itself by interviewing alleged hate-crime hoaxer Jussie Smollett without any questions regarding the implausibility of his claims, the media outlet has done it again.
ABC&#8217;s Tom Llamas flew to Venezuela to interview Dictator Nicolas Maduro and gave the leader free rein to lie about America without any tough questions and very little pushback.
&#8220;Tonight, the tension building in Venezuela&#8217;s power struggle. Aid trucks set on fire over the weekend, as opposition groups tried in vain to bring over much-needed food and medical supplies, donated by the United States. Tonight, in a rare interview inside of his presidential palace, Nicolas Maduro telling ABC News he believes the U.S. is preparing a military invasion to get him out,&#8221; Llamas, a correspondent and weekend anchor, said at the beginning of the broadcast.
Throughout the report, Maduro makes numerous false statements, while Llamas, in a voiceover, seems eager to defend the dictator and find fault in the Trump administration. For example, Maduro claims, without evidence, that the U.S. &#8220;wants Venezuela&#8217;s oil and they&#8217;re having to go to war for that oil.&#8221;
Instead of correcting the record, Llamas pivots to point out that Vice President Mike Pence met with Venezuela Interim President Juan Guaido &#8220;and other South American leaders opposed to Maduro.&#8221; In fact, America doesn&#8217;t need Venezuela&#8217;s oil, nor is our country in need of it. America is now a net exporter of oil. The U.S. Energy Information Administration <a href="https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=37053">reported</a> that the U.S. &#8220;is now the largest global crude oil producer in the world.&#8221;
Maduro, in the segment broadcast last night, is then shown saying: &#8220;Everything that the United States government has done has been condemned. They&#8217;re trying to fabricate a crisis to justify political escalation and a military intervention in Venezuela to bring a war to South America.&#8221;
Condemned by who? As Newsbusters <a href="https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/nicholas-fondacaro/2019/02/25/abc-gives-dictator-maduro-megaphone-spread-lies-bash-america">reported</a>, &#8220;&#8230; the U.S.&#8217;s stance against Maduro&#8217;s regime had actually been backed up by many world powers, who also recognized interim-President Juan Guaido as the rightful leader.&#8221;
Instead of pointing out the facts, Llamas says Maduro is &#8220;refusing to budge&#8221; and &#8220;will not beg for the U.S.[&#8216;s] help.&#8221;
Maduro then says Venezuela has had democratic elections for &#8220;for 20 years,&#8221; yet many world powers have criticized the elections as being rigged.
Finally, Llamas appears to put the blame on President Donald Trump by saying Maduro is willing to meet with the U.S. president, but &#8220;the Trump administration has made it clear, they do not want to negotiated with him.&#8221;
That is the shortened segment ABC decided to broadcast during &#8220;World News Tonight.&#8221; The full interview between Llamas and Maduro is not much better, although Llamas does push back on some aspects of the conversation. He still gives Maduro free rein to make wild claims that could be easily debunked, yet Llamas keeps steering the interview <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/International/venezuelan-president-nicolas-maduros-defiant-interview-tom-llamas/story?id=61318540">to allow Maduro to slam Trump</a>.
In addition to the oil claim, Llamas tells Maduro what Trump has said about him, and allows Maduro to insult Trump by saying the president should &#8220;inform himself a little bit more&#8221; and that he is just reading speeches prepared for him by other people.
Llamas does push back against Maduro by telling the Venezuelan dictator about a United Nations report estimating hundreds of people have died due to Maduro&#8217;s government. Maduro responded by telling Llamas he was a liar, &#8220;just like Trump.&#8221;
Now compare this to the situation faced by Univision&#8217;s Jorge Ramos, whose tough interview with Maduro landed him and his crew in hot water with the Venezuelan government, who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/43940/watch-ramos-describes-frightening-situation-after-james-barrett">allegedly confiscated their footage and belongings</a>.

ABC Lets Venezuelan Dictator Maduro Lie About America With No Pushback, Fact-Checking

Nicolas Maduro

Venezuela

The folks over at the <a href="https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/kristine-marsh/2019/02/18/smollett-story-unravels-abc-defends-robin-roberts-softball">Media Research Center</a>, which tracks left-wing media bias, had some fun with the latest episode of &#8220;Good Morning America,&#8221; in which the GMA team did their best to do some &#8220;damage control&#8221; over the &#8220;softball&#8221; interview of actor/singer Jussie Smollett by anchor Robin Roberts over the alleged &#8220;hate crime&#8221; attack against him &#8212; an incident attack law enforcement sources say evidence increasingly suggests may have been orchestrated by the actor himself. GMA&#8217;s spin comes as multiple high-profile media personalities, including CNN&#8217;s Brian Stelter, are attempting to defend the media&#8217;s handling of the case.
After refusing to qualify the January 29 &#8220;hate crime&#8221; attack against Smollett as &#8220;alleged&#8221; last week, Roberts was finally willing to apply the journalistically responsible descriptor Monday morning after &#8220;a new twist&#8221; in the case, as she put it euphemistically.
&#8220;A new twist in the Jussie Smollett case,&#8221; Roberts said Monday, MRC reports. &#8220;The actor firing back this morning as the story of his alleged attack faces questions.&#8221; Roberts then revealed the bombshell that dropped Saturday from multiple oultets, including CBS News: &#8220;Police in Chicago say they&#8217;re working to corroborate allegations that Smollett paid two men to stage the assault,&#8221; said the anchor.
&#8220;When I sat down with Jussie, it was Tuesday night in Chicago,&#8221; she explained, her tone a bit defensive (video below). &#8220;At the time to give his first account, publicly give his first account, of what he said happened. And we have to remember, at that time, on Tuesday, police officers were saying that his account was consistent. It was credible. And that he was being cooperative. Now this was all before the interview aired on Thursday and then we found out about the brothers.&#8221;
She went on to acknowledge that sometimes police say one thing publicly and another behind the scenes.
In her interview and follow-up reporting last week, Roberts repeatedly refused to qualify his claims, as <a href="https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/kristine-marsh/2019/02/14/abcs-roberts-wont-call-smollett-story-alleged-gushes-if-attackers">MRC</a> pointed out last week: &#8220;If the attackers are never found, how will you be able to heal?&#8221; she asked him. &#8220;It&#8217;s been two weeks since that night left actor Jussie Smollett bruised but not broken,&#8221; she said, again failing to qualify the language. &#8220;That&#8217;s the first time he&#8217;s given a detailed account, an account that Chicago police have saids that been consistent,&#8221; she stressed after her interview. &#8220;He hasn&#8217;t changed his story and they also said it&#8217;s credible. The police have said that and also that he&#8217;s been very cooperative.&#8221;
As MRC points out, her fellow media personalities were ready to come to her defense Monday, ABC legal analyst Dan Abrams praising her for her what he portrayed as a fair and balanced interview. &#8220;[E]ven in the interview you did, you were talking about the skeptics. You were talking about the people who questioned his account,&#8221; he said, failing to note the dismissive attitude about those &#8220;skeptics&#8221; promoted by the network and other mainstream outlets. &#8220;So, it&#8217;s not new this idea that there are questions about what happened. What&#8217;s new is that the police now seem to be making it clear that they believe the brothers and have, at the very least, serious questions about Jussie.&#8221;
The panel went on to discuss the potential negative impact on real victims of hate crimes if this whole thing turns out to be a hoax, but notably failed to mention the smear of Trump supporters involved in the initial narrative promoted largely unquestioningly by the media.
Video below via MRC:
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Another Smollett coverage damage control effort by a big name media personality has been pointed out by Grabien Media Editor <a href="https://twitter.com/tomselliott?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1096944436616052738&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitchy.com%2Fdougp-3137%2F2019%2F02%2F18%2Fso-pathetic-brian-stelter-tries-to-help-circle-the-wagons-around-msm-over-jussie-smollett-coverage-and-hoo-boy%2F">Tom Elliott</a> and Mediate writer Julia Rosas (h/t <a href="https://twitchy.com/dougp-3137/2019/02/18/so-pathetic-brian-stelter-tries-to-help-circle-the-wagons-around-msm-over-jussie-smollett-coverage-and-hoo-boy/">Twitchy</a>): While CNN&#8217;s Brian Stelter has admitted that &#8220;perhaps the questioning was not tough enough on Good Morning America,&#8221; he insists that this is ultimately not about the media.
&#8220;Perhaps the questioning was not tough enough on Good Morning America, but ultimately this is not about the media or politicians or activists, or any of the other people that might have been fooled,&#8221; Stelter said after the bombshell reports on the &#8220;new twist&#8221; in the case Saturday. &#8220;It&#8217;s about Jussie.&#8221;
&#8220;There was a rush to judgment, I think it was mostly in the celebrity press and among activists and among Twitter people,&#8221; Stelter asserted. &#8220;I think it was a really careful reporting by news organizations. But it all gets lumped in together at the end of the day.&#8221;
WATCH:
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CNN&#8217;s <a href="https://twitter.com/brianstelter?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@brianstelter</a> on Smollett: &#8220;Perhaps the questioning was not tough enough on Good Morning America, but ultimately this is not about the media or politicians or activists, or any of the other people that might have been fooled. It&#8217;s about Jussie.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/eMDPvFUTX9">pic.twitter.com/eMDPvFUTX9</a>
&#8212; Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) <a href="https://twitter.com/tomselliott/status/1096944436616052738?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 17, 2019</a></blockquote>
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/brianstelter?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@brianstelter</a> this morning: &#8220;There was a rush to judgment, I think it was mostly in the celebrity press and among activists and among Twitter people. I think it was a really careful reporting by news organizations. But it all gets lumped in together at the end of the day&#8230;&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/165Dn3HI7p">pic.twitter.com/165Dn3HI7p</a>
&#8212; Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) <a href="https://twitter.com/Julio_Rosas11/status/1097497349599911941?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/43594/smollett-updates-latest-developments-case-look-james-barrett">Smollett Updates: Latest &#8216;Developments&#8217; In Case Look Increasingly Bad For Actor</a>

WATCH: Media Does Damage Control Over Its Smollett Coverage

Hate Crime

Hollywood

Jussie Smollett

Racism

President Donald Trump turned a question around on a &#8220;one-sided&#8221; reporter on Wednesday in the Oval Office, which left the reporter fumbling for words and unable to answer the question.
ABC News White House correspondent Jonathan Karl pressed Trump about signing bills so government workers who are being furloughed could be paid.
&#8220;So, so, why not sign the other bills though, so some of these workers could get paid?&#8221; Karl asked.
&#8220;Do you think I should do that?&#8221; Trump fired back.
&#8220;Y-you &#8211;&#8221; Karl sputtered.
&#8220;No, do you think I should do that, Jon?&#8221; Trump pressed.
&#8220;I mean, it&#8217;s not for me to say,&#8221; Karl responded.
&#8220;I mean, I watch your one-sided reporting,&#8221; Trump continued. &#8220;Do you think I should do that? Hey Jon, no, seriously, Jon: Do you think I should just sign?&#8221;
&#8220;Well, the, the argument &#8211;&#8221; Karl said, as he continued to fumble through his response.
&#8220;Tell me, tell me,&#8221; Trump pressed.
&#8220;It has nothing to do with border security,&#8221; Karl said.
&#8220;Jon, do you think I should just sign?&#8221; Trump continued to press.
&#8220;I-I-I&#8217;m saying that if you sign that, these workers can start getting paid, the government can start &#8211;&#8221; Karl continued.
&#8220;So you would do that if you were in my position?&#8221; Trump asked. &#8220;You&#8217;d do that?&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;m not in your position, I&#8217;m asking you if &#8211;&#8221; Karl said, refusing to answer the question.
&#8220;I&#8217;m asking you: Would you do that if you were in my position?&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;Because if you would do that, you should never be in this position. Because you&#8217;d never get anything done.&#8221;
WATCH:
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Reporter in Oval Office asks President Trump why he won&#8217;t sign bills to get federal workers paid during the shutdown
Trump: &#8220;Would you do that if you were in my position? Because if you would do that, you should never be in this position, because you&#8217;d never get anything done&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/vKaUesslUm">pic.twitter.com/vKaUesslUm</a>
&#8212; CBS News (@CBSNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSNews/status/1083061417874518018?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>

WATCH: Trump Turns Question Around On Reporter Who Can’t Answer It

Jonathan Karl

Michael Cohen, Donald Trump&#8217;s former &#8220;fixer&#8221; who has since flipped on him and admitted to a series of lies as part of a plea deal for a reduced sentence, is in the process of transitioning from a much-maligned figure in the press to an important voice of opposition to the media-scorned president.
In an exclusive interview with ABC News Friday, Cohen responded to a series of tweets issued by Trump Thursday refuting Cohen&#8217;s claims against him regarding the &#8220;hush money&#8221; payments directed to porn star Stormy Daniels and former Playmate Karen McDougal.
&#8220;I never directed Michael Cohen to break the law,&#8221; said Trump in a series of posts Thursday. &#8220;He was a lawyer and he is supposed to know the law. It is called &#8216;advice of counsel,&#8217; and a lawyer has great liability if a mistake is made. That is why they get paid. Despite that many campaign finance lawyers have strongly stated that I did nothing wrong with respect to campaign finance laws, if they even apply, because this was not campaign finance. Cohen was guilty on many charges unrelated to me, but he plead to two campaign charges which were not criminal and of which he probably was not guilty even on a civil basis. Those charges were just agreed to by him in order to embarrass the president and get a much reduced prison sentence, which he did-including the fact that his family was temporarily let off the hook. As a lawyer, Michael has great liability to me!&#8221;
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I never directed Michael Cohen to break the law. He was a lawyer and he is supposed to know the law. It is called &#8220;advice of counsel,&#8221; and a lawyer has great liability if a mistake is made. That is why they get paid. Despite that many campaign finance lawyers have strongly&#8230;&#8230;
&#8212; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1073205176872435713?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&#8230;.stated that I did nothing wrong with respect to campaign finance laws, if they even apply, because this was not campaign finance. Cohen was guilty on many charges unrelated to me, but he plead to two campaign charges which were not criminal and of which he probably was not&#8230;
&#8212; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1073207272069890049?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&#8230;.guilty even on a civil basis. Those charges were just agreed to by him in order to embarrass the president and get a much reduced prison sentence, which he did-including the fact that his family was temporarily let off the hook. As a lawyer, Michael has great liability to me!
&#8212; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1073210823936495617?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
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In response, Cohen told ABC&#8217;s George Stephanopoulos, a former Bill Clinton aide, that Trump &#8220;of course&#8221; knew that what he told him to do to keep Daniels and McDougal quiet was &#8220;wrong.&#8221;
&#8220;I knew what I was doing was wrong. I stood up before the world and I accepted the responsibility for my actions,&#8221; Cohen said (partial transcript via <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-lawyer-michael-cohen-trump-knew-wrong-make/story?id=59815550">ABC</a>), referencing his tearful plea in his sentencing hearing Wednesday. Asked if Trump likewise knew it was &#8220;wrong,&#8221; Cohen said, &#8220;Of course.&#8221;
The former fixer also underscored that the purpose of the transactions was to &#8220;help him and his campaign,&#8221; which goes to the legal crux of the issue: potential campaign finance violations. Trump &#8220;was very concerned about how this would affect the election,&#8221; he said.
&#8220;[N]othing at the Trump organization was ever done unless it was run through Mr. Trump. He directed me to make the payments, he directed me to become involved in these matters,&#8221; said Cohen. &#8220;He knows the truth. I know the truth. Others know the truth. And here is the truth: People of the United States of America, people of the world, don&#8217;t believe what he is saying. The man doesn&#8217;t tell the truth. And it is sad that I should take responsibility for his dirty deeds.&#8221;
The evidence, Cohen said, is on his side, as the special counsel&#8217;s statement about the credibility of his claims suggests. &#8220;There&#8217;s a substantial amount of information that they possessed that corroborates the fact that I am telling the truth,&#8221; he said.
As he did in his plea Wednesday, Cohen suggested that his great error was being too &#8220;loyal&#8221; to Trump. &#8220;I gave loyalty to someone who, truthfully, does not deserve loyalty,&#8221; said Cohen, who was sentenced Wednesday to three years in prison for a variety of crimes, including multiple fraud charges and campaign finance violations.
As for Trump&#8217;s assertion that Cohen is playing a role in an attempt to &#8220;embarrass the president&#8221; and was willing to lie again to try to reduce his sentencing, Cohen insisted, &#8220;It is absolutely not true. Under no circumstances do I want to embarrass the president. He knows the truth. I know the truth.&#8221;
In addition to Cohen&#8217;s plea claims, prosecutors have revealed that they have reached a non-prosecution agreement with American Media Inc, parent company of the National Inquirer, that has reportedly provided evidence indicating that the tabloid paid McDougal $150,000 for the rights to stories in order to squash them to protect then-candidate Trump.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/39360/dershowitz-cohen-doesnt-understand-difference-paul-bois">Dershowitz: Cohen Doesn&#8217;t Understand The Difference Between Wrong And Illegal</a>
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Cohen Responds To Trump Refuting His ‘Hush Money’ Claims In First Interview Since Sentencing

Michael Cohen

Robert Mueller

Stormy Daniels

ABC News&#8217; Terry Moran mocked President Donald Trump as he fantasized about his death on Wednesday during a livestream of President George H. W. Bush&#8217;s funeral.
&#8220;Probably a different tone in that funeral,&#8221; Moran said, speaking of Trump&#8217;s future funeral. &#8220;First, he&#8217;s going to choreograph it, so there might be more trumpets and fanfare.&#8221;
&#8220;Yes, he would do it bigger, one would imagine,&#8221; ABC correspondent Devin Dwyer added.
&#8220;It will be the best presidential funeral ever,&#8221; Moran said. &#8220;No one will ever have seen anything like that funeral.&#8221;
WATCH:
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ABC News&#8217; Terry Moran mockingly fantasizes about Trump&#8217;s funeral: &#8220;First, he&#8217;s going to choreograph it. So, there might be more trumpets and fanfare. &#8230; It will be the best presidential funeral ever. No one will ever have seen anything like that funeral.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/Sjt8pm5m9f">pic.twitter.com/Sjt8pm5m9f</a>
&#8212; Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealSaavedra/status/1070794087584808960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 6, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Media Research Center Vice President Dan Gainor told Fox News&#8217; Brian Flood that Bush&#8217;s death &#8220;has to be seen through the eyes of journalists who use every single event to attack Trump.&#8221;
&#8220;To mock him during the coverage of the president&#8217;s funeral is just despicable garbage,&#8221; Gainor continued. &#8220;I would say ABC News should apologize, but it wouldn&#8217;t be sincere if it did. This is about the billionth example of unprofessional journalism in their attacks on Trump. It&#8217;s only more outrageous because of the solemn occasion.&#8221;

WATCH: ABC News Mocks Trump As They Fantasize About His Death

Robert Mueller has successfully pressured another Donald Trump associate to agree to a plea deal. On Thursday, ABC reported that Michael Cohen, Trump&#8217;s former &#8220;fixer&#8221; who &#8220;flipped&#8221; on the president after the FBI <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/29225/breaking-fbi-raids-office-trump-lawyer-michael-ben-shapiro">raided</a> his home and office in April, is expected to plead guilty to making false statements to Congress in return for some &#8220;valuable&#8221; testimony.
ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos tweeted out the breaking news Thursday morning and underscored that, along with the guilty plea, Cohen is expected to provide &#8220;dozens of hours of testimony potentially damaging to Pres Trump,&#8221; which the special counsel &#8220;values.&#8221;
&#8220;Michael Cohen, Pres Trump&#8217;s former personal attorney, reaches new plea deal with Mueller this morning,&#8221; wrote Stephanopoulos, a former Clinton advisor. &#8220;Expected to enter guilty plea for false statements to Congress coupled with dozens of hours of testimony potentially damaging to Pres Trump&#8211;Special Counsel values testimony.&#8221;
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Michael Cohen, Pres Trump&#8217;s former personal attorney, reaches new plea deal with Mueller this morning. Expected to enter guilty plea for false statements to Congress coupled with dozens of hours of testimony potentially damaging to Pres Trump&#8211;Special Counsel values testimony.
&#8212; GeorgeStephanopoulos (@GStephanopoulos) <a href="https://twitter.com/GStephanopoulos/status/1068143172524609538?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/michael-cohen-expected-plead-guilty-lying-congress-collusion/story?id=59491450">ABC</a> reports that Cohen appeared in federal court in Manhattan Thursday and &#8220;entered a guilty plea for misstatements to Congress in closed-door testimony last year about his contacts with Russians during the presidential campaign.&#8221;
Promising to &#8220;put family and country first,&#8221; Cohen has agreed to fully cooperate with prosecutors. ABC provides more details:
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Cohen&#8217;s earlier plea deal with federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York implicated President Trump in campaign finance felonies. Since then, Cohen has spent more than 70 hours in interviews with Mueller&#8217;s team. The questioning has focused on contacts with Russians by Trump associates during the campaign, Trump&#8217;s business ties to Russia, obstruction of justice and talk of possible pardons, sources familiar with the discussions have told ABC News.
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On April 9, after receiving a referral from Mueller, the FBI raided the office, home and hotel room of Cohen. The <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/09/us/politics/fbi-raids-office-of-trumps-longtime-lawyer-michael-cohen.html?mtrref=t.co">New York Times</a> reported at the time:
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Federal prosecutors in Manhattan obtained the search warrant after receiving a referral from the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, according to Mr. Cohen&#8217;s lawyer, who called the search &#8220;completely inappropriate and unnecessary.&#8221; The search does not appear to be directly related to Mr. Mueller&#8217;s investigation, but likely resulted from information he had uncovered and gave to prosecutors in New York. &#8220;Today the U.S. Attorney&#8217;s Office for the Southern District of New York executed a series of search warrants and seized the privileged communications between my client, Michael Cohen, and his clients,&#8221; said Stephen Ryan, his lawyer. &#8220;I have been advised by federal prosecutors that the New York action is, in part, a referral by the Office of Special Counsel, Robert Mueller.&#8221;
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Trump responded to the raid by condemning it as &#8220;a real disgrace&#8221; and &#8220;an attack on our country.&#8221;
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JUST IN: President Trump says the FBI raid of his personal attorney, Michael Cohen, is a &#8220;real disgrace, it&#8217;s an attack on our country,&#8221; and calls the investigation a &#8220;total witch hunt&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/GVE8O0k8xi">https://t.co/GVE8O0k8xi</a> <a href="https://t.co/vH8oYTnAtO">pic.twitter.com/vH8oYTnAtO</a>
&#8212; CNN International (@cnni) <a href="https://twitter.com/cnni/status/983475588777168896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
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While Trump strongly condemned the targeting of Cohen, the relationship between the two quickly devolved. By August, Cohen&#8217;s celebrity lawyer Lanny Davis was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/34853/cohens-lawyer-hes-willing-tell-mueller-about-james-barrett">teasing</a> Cohen&#8217;s alleged &#8220;knowledge&#8221; about &#8220;certain subjects that should be of interest to the special counsel,&#8221; and stating that his client &#8220;is more than happy to tell the special counsel all that he knows&#8221; if Mueller gives him a good deal.
Among the things Cohen has &#8220;knowledge&#8221; about, Davis suggested, was information about &#8220;a conspiracy to collude and corrupt the American democracy system.&#8221;
&#8220;Not just about the obvious possibility of a conspiracy to collude and corrupt the American democracy system in the 2016 election, which the Trump Tower meeting was all about, but also knowledge about the computer crime of hacking and whether or not Mr. Trump knew ahead of time about that crime and even cheered it on,&#8221; said Davis.

Trump’s Former ‘Fixer’ Reaches Plea Deal With Mueller. ABC: Testimony ‘Damaging’ To Trump

ABC News political reporter Paula Faris was supposed to interview Texas Democrat Beto O&#8217;Rourke but ended up fawning over O&#8217;Rourke instead, calling Ted Cruz&#8217;s challenger a &#8220;rock star.&#8221;
The interview aired on Sunday&#8217;s episode of &#8220;This Week,&#8221; but was recorded a few days ago, while Beto was on the campaign trail.
WATCH:
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Video: In recorded piece aired on Sunday&#8217;s <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThisWeek?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ThisWeek</a>, gushing ABC News reporter <a href="https://twitter.com/paulafaris?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PaulaFaris</a> exclaimed of <a href="https://twitter.com/BetoORourke?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BetoORourke</a> as she walked with him through cheering supporters: &#8220;You&#8217;re a rock star! No, you really are!&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/0rqwRrtxhe">pic.twitter.com/0rqwRrtxhe</a>
&#8212; Brent Baker (@BrentHBaker) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrentHBaker/status/1054022731186999300?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
&#8220;You&#8217;re a rock star. &#8230; You really are,&#8221; Faris cries as she and O&#8217;Rourke attempt to walk through a throng of supporters, adding that Beto couldn&#8217;t &#8220;go ten feet&#8221; without having to stop for a handshake or a photo opportunity.
Faris then claims, in a voice-over, that &#8220;O&#8217;Rourke, a three-term congressman, has captured the nation&#8217;s attention as well. Hauling in a record $38 million in donations last quarter.&#8221;
O&#8217;Rourke has had a rough few weeks; the once-strong challenger, expected to challenge Cruz directly and come within striking distance on Election Day, slipped to 7 points behind Cruz after a disastrous debate appearance. He&#8217;s raised $38 million, but he&#8217;s spent a whopping 77% of his take, leaving little for a future campaign &#8212; and what he&#8217;s raised, he&#8217;s not sharing with fellow Democrats.
In his interview with Faris, though, O&#8217;Rourke was more focused on staying above the fray. When Faris asked O&#8217;Rourke about a recent interaction with President Donald Trump, where Trump called him a lightweight, Beto responded that he&#8217;d prefer not to name-call.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t know that it makes any sense to respond. I think the kind of bitterness and name-calling and partisanship that has unfortunately defined so much of the national conversation, you can add more to it or you can stay focused on the future and why you did this in the first place. That&#8217;s what we&#8217;ve chosen to do,&#8221; O&#8217;Rourke said (though he did follow up on the interview by calling Cruz, &#8220;Lyin&#8217; Ted&#8221; in the debate).

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