MSNBC’s Wednesday production meetings must have included the directive that FBI Director Christopher Wray was to be defended no matter what as he testified in front of the House Judiciary Committee because multiple network personalities suggested GOP concerns were really attacks on those who battle terrorism and child sex trafficking.
Capitol Hill correspondent Ryan Nobles joined Ana Cabrera Reports to recap the initial portions of the hearing, “Republicans view the FBI right now as an organization that needs to be rooted out, that they believe that there is a deep state conspiracy that kind of originates within the FBI, and they believe that Christopher Wray is not doing enough to try to put in the necessary reforms to make that happen.”
However, Nobles wasn’t there to give both perspectives and let viewers decide for themselves, but to say that one was definitely correct, “[Wray’s] opening statement went into detail about all the work that the FBI is doing, the many, many agents at work under his charge that are working on things like dealing with issues at the border, the fentanyl crisis, combatting terrorism, things along those lines, but it's not really enough for these House Republicans who have apparently a different agenda.”
Nobles then played a clip of Chairman Jim Jordan remarking “When the court says the FBI misled, that's a nice way of saying they lied. They lied and as a result important information was kept from we the people days before the most important election we have.”
It would have been nice if MSNBC picked a clip of Wray responding to that criticism, but instead they showed Wray talking about something completely different, “I want to talk about the here breadth and impact of the work the FBI's 38,000 employees are doing each and every day because the work the men and women of the FBI do to protect the American people goes way beyond the one or two investigations that seem to capture all the headlines.”
Those “one or two investigations” are rather important, but nevertheless Nobles claimed “There is a degree of cover that House Republicans are trying to provide the former President Donald Trump, many of whom they are still very much supportive of, and part of their effort here is somewhat of a PR campaign to try and tarnish the image of the FBI as these investigations into the former president continue.”
Over an hour later on Andrea Mitchell Reports former FBI assistant director for counterintelligence Frank Figliuzzi sounded indistinguishable from the supposed straight news man, “I'm seeing is actually far worse than mere political theater… it's a larger strategy to cause Americans to distrust the institutions that actually represent the values of democracy.”
Figliuzzi repeated Nobles and Wray’s point about how Republicans are really attacking law enforcement operations nobody actually objects to, “Americans need to understand, the FBI is really about protecting communities, right? Last year alone, over 20,000 violent offenders and child predators arrested, over a hundred violent gangs dismantled, hundreds of child sex trafficking victims recovered. That's who’s under attack today and it really, really, defies logic.”
Guest host Garrett Haake followed up by asking, “Now you’ve new GOP candidates running for office right now, running for the presidency right now saying they are ready to fire Chris Wray the minute they get elected. How unusual is this in a historical context?
Figliuzzi responded by repeating his assertion about Republicans supposedly defying logic and attacking ordinary law enforcement, “Ted Lieu on the committee today put it very simply, all the people that have been investigated, arrested, and convicted around Trump have had that happen to them under an FBI director that was appointed by Trump… So, again, defies logic, but people seem to be buying into this myth and it undermines the mission of the men and women who come to work every day simply trying to make our communities safer.”
Alternatively, Jordan had a point and dodging that criticism by talking about child sex trafficking is the exact sort of “political theater” MSNBC is accusing Republicans of performing.
Ana Cabrera Reports was sponsored by 4imprint and Andrea Mitchell Reports was sponsored by Google.
Here are transcripts for the July 12 shows:
MSNBC Ana Cabrera Reports
7/12/2023
10:45 AM ET
RYAN NOBLES: Well, Ana, this is pulling out how we thought it was going to go. Republicans view the FBI right now as an organization that needs to be rooted out, that they believe that there is a deep state conspiracy that kind of originates within the FBI, and they believe that Christopher Wray is not doing enough to try to put in the necessary reforms to make that happen.
We've seen the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Jim Jordan, being very forceful in his questioning of Christopher Wray to that end, and we've seen the FBI Director going to great lengths to try and correct that record.
His opening statement went into detail about all the work that the FBI is doing, the many, many agents at work under his charge that are working on things like dealing with issues at the border, the fentanyl crisis, combatting terrorism, things along those lines, but it's not really enough for these House Republicans who have apparently a different agenda. Listen to what Jim Jordan and how he was pressing the director earlier during his testimony.
JIM JORDAN: When the court says the FBI misled, that's a nice way of saying they lied. They lied and as a result important information was kept from we the people days before the most important election we have.
CHRISTOPHER WRAY: I want to talk about the here breadth and impact of the work the FBI's 38,000 employees are doing each and every day because the work the men and women of the FBI do to protect the American people goes way beyond the one or two investigations that seem to capture all the headlines.
NOBLES: And so we'll have to see how the rest of this plays out. There is a degree of cover that House Republicans are trying to provide the former President Donald Trump, many of whom they are still very much supportive of, and part of their effort here is somewhat of a PR campaign to try and tarnish the image of the FBI as these investigations into the former president continue.
***
MSNBC Andrea Mitchell Reports
7/12/2023
12:04 PM ET
FRANK FIGLIUZZI: Garrett, look, I understand that many Americans will see this as nothing more than political theater. And, yes, that, there's an element of that, but what I'm seeing is actually far worse than mere political theater. I see a strategy here, a strategy to enact death by a thousand cuts to some of our key institutions. It's not just the FBI. It's not just the DOJ, but it's a larger strategy to cause Americans to distrust the institutions that actually represent the values of democracy.
So, the message to the FBI and the FBI rank and file from this really attack dog strategy is, you do your job and you’ll face consequences. If you investigate our party, you’re going to pay the price. We’re going to suggest defunding you, we’re going to suggest breaking you up, we’re going to suggest impeaching your director. So, there's something even greater going on here, even more nefarious than just political theater.
Americans need to understand, the FBI is really about protecting communities, right? Last year alone, over 20,000 violent offenders and child predators arrested, over a hundred violent gangs dismantled, hundreds of child sex trafficking victims recovered. That's who’s under attack today and it really, really, defies logic.
GARRETT HAAKE: And expand on that further if you wouldn't mind, because obviously the whole setup of the FBI is meant to be apolitical. It's why directors have ten-year terms, but starting with James Comey getting fired by Donald Trump. Now you’ve new GOP candidates running for office right now, running for the presidency right now saying they are ready to fire Chris Wray the minute they get elected. How unusual is this in a historical context?
FIGLIUZZI: Well, politicizing the FBI is also part of the strategy because it actually favors the GOP for Americans to think and buy into the myth that the FBI is somehow operating on a political motivation or mission when it couldn't be farther from the truth.
Ted Lieu on the committee today put it very simply, all the people that have been investigated, arrested, and convicted around Trump have had that happen to them under an FBI director that was appointed by Trump.
HAAKE: Right.
FIGLIUZZI: Under attorneys general that were appointed by Trump. So, again, defies logic, but people seem to be buying into this myth and it undermines the mission of the men and women who come to work every day simply trying to make our communities safer.
