[otw_shortcode_dropcap label=”O” font=”Ultra” background_color_class=”otw-no-background” size=”large” border_color_class=”otw-no-border-color”][/otw_shortcode_dropcap]n “Meet The Press” over the weekend, host Chuck Todd created such a dishonest discussion that even the Department of Justice got involved, and President Trump called for his firing. NBC allowed for an edited clip of Attorney General Bill Barr discussing the decision to drop the case against General Michael Flynn to spark controversy. We have become accustomed to the mainstream media taking quotes out of context and taking creative liberties on edits, but this was particularly deceitful.
Today on Meet The Press, @chucktodd wildly took context out of an answer AG Bill Barr gave about his decision to drop the case into Gen. Michael Flynn.
I cut Todd's segment along with Barr's full answer together. Look at how blatantly dishonest this is. pic.twitter.com/tODOEwL48V
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) May 10, 2020
Chuck Todd begins his segment addressing one of his panelists: “Peggy Noonan, I want you to listen to this Bill Barr answer to a question about what will history say about this. Wait ‘til you hear this answer, take a listen…” The clip begins with Catherine Herridge asking AG Barr, “when history looks back on this decision, how do you think it will be written?”
Barr responds, “well, history’s written by the winners, so it largely depends on who is writing the history” the clip ends and cuts back to Chuck Todd who says, “I was struck, Peggy, by the cynicism of the answer.” He continues, “it’s a correct answer but he’s the attorney general. He didn’t make that case that he was upholding the rule of law. He was almost admitting, ‘yeah this is a political job.”
The only problem is, had the clip of Barr’s interview continued to play only seconds longer, Barr said exactly what Todd accuses him of not saying. Here is the full question and answer:
Herridge: When history looks back on this decision, how do you think it will be written?
Barr: Well, history’s written by the winners, so it largely depends on who is writing the history, but I think a fair history would say it was a good decision because it upheld the rule of law. It upheld the standards of the Department of Justice and it undid what was an injustice.
NBC’s segment was so egregious, even the Department of Justice itself couldn’t allow them to slide. Kerri Kupec of the DOJ tweeted shortly after Todd’s interview: “Very disappointed by the deceptive editing/commentary by @ChuckTodd on @MeetThePress on AG Barr’s CBS interview. Compare the two transcripts below. Not only did the AG make the case in the VERY answer Chuck says he didn’t, but he also did so multiple times throughout the interview.”
How NBC and Meet The Press responded is just as perverted as the initial act itself. Responding directly to @KerriKupecDOJ, the official twitter handle of the show @MeetThePress responded: “you’re correct. Earlier today, we inadvertently and inaccurately cut short a video clip of an interview with AG Barr before offering commentary and analysis. The remaining clip included important remarks from the attorney general that we missed, and we regret the error.”
“Inadvertently” and “error” were used in their apology? While making accusations of lying should be used judiciously, it is safe to say “Meet The Press” simply, is lying. President Donald Trump also joined in the twitter conversation with a solution: “Sleepy Eyes Chuck Todd should be FIRED by ‘Concast’ (NBC) for this fraud. He knew exactly what he was doing. Public Airwaves = Fake News!” We anxiously wait to see if any consequences occur for Todd, “Meet The Press” or NBC.
