NewsBusters Podcast: New Year's TV Cuddles with Karine Jean-Pierre

January 3rd, 2024 10:40 PM

The White House sent out press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre for a round of softball TV interviews on ABC, CNN, and MSNBC on January 2. George George Stephanpoulos began: "A lot of the polls show him — especially in the battleground states — trailing or tied with Donald Trump. What does the White House think about that? How can you turn it around?"

As often happens, KJP unspools an answer for more than a minute, without interruption. Salesmanship is given space. She can claim Biden “has accomplished more in three years than any other President has been able to do in two terms,” and no one objects. 

Sometimes, the host didn't even ask questions, just a sentence to move things along. How can anyone see this and think these networks do "news" instead of just offer publicity and spin? NewsBusters managing editor Curtis Houck explains the press-White House partnership.

CNN's Audie Cornish only wanted to challenge her from the left, that somehow "young voters" thought Biden wasn't doing enough to forgive their student loans without any authorization from Congress. Who cares about the balance of powers!? On MSNBC, Jonathan Lemire raised the House impeachment inquiry into Biden, but only to disparage it as a waste of time and resources. The January 6 panel never wasted a minute, but Comer & Co. should never have started on the Biden buck-raking in foreign lands. 

We conclude by discussing the media's weird coverage of the forced resignation of Harvard president Claudine Gay and the mere "allegations" of plagiarism, when it's a well-established fact.

Enjoy the podcast below, or wherever you listen to podcasts.