This week, CNN's New Day show has been on a roll when it comes to avoiding critical details from police shooting cases that would make police officer actions seem more defensible.
In spite of the fact that Fox News as far back as Tuesday had already reported that Blake had a warrant on him for his arrest, by Friday, New Day still had not reported on the warrant in spite of covering the story every day this week since Monday.
Also on Friday's show, after Blake's father, Jacob Blake Sr., gave the impression that President Donald Trump had not called his family at all, co-host Alisyn Camerota did not correct him even though, on her own network, Blake Jr.'s mother recalled that she had missed President Trump's call.
Early on in a 32-minute interview with Blake's father and liberal attorney Benjamin Crump, after Blake Sr. described the serious injuries his son tragically experienced and complained about him being handcuffed to the bed in spite of his paralysis, Camerota followed up by asking if there had been a warrant for his son's arrest: "Does he have an outstanding -- I mean, did they say that there was a warrant or something?"
Both Blake Sr. and Crump denied any knowledge of a warrant. If Camerota had done her homework by using Google for a couple of minutes or just watching Fox News, she would be aware of the warrant out for Blake Jr.'s arrest which was reported by Fox News host Tucker Carlson on Tuesday night.
New Day did not mention the warrant in spite of spending almost 79 minutes on the story -- including related events like the Kenosha riots and the NBA boycott -- on Friday morning's show, in addition to all the time it gave the story earlier in the week.
In a later question, Camerota asked Blake Sr. if his family had received a call from President Trump, leading him to recall that he had not received a call, and to then fondly recount phone calls from Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and running mate Kamala Harris.
After Camerota and her guest discussed his desire that Biden be elected President, Camerota did not inform viewers that, during an interview with her CNN colleague Don Lemon late Tuesday/early Wednesday, Blake Jr.'s mother, Julia Jackson, apologized for missing President Trump's attempt to call her:
And then also for President Trump, I'm sorry I missed your call because, had I not missed your call, maybe the comments that you made would have been different. I'm not mad at you at all -- I have most respect for you as the leader of our country. Like I said before and I'm saying this to him directly: We should always get details from the right source before we start throwing bricks.
It took CNN until later in the afternoon at 2:36 p.m. Eastern as Anderson Cooper hosted before the liberal network finally informed its viewers of the warrant that was out on Blake Jr. Also on Friday morning, the Daily Caller reported that police were called because Blake Jr. was trespassing on the property of an ex-girlfriend.
This episode of CNN's New Day was sponsored by Casper and Select Quote. Click on the link to contact them.
Below is a transcript of the relevant portion of the Friday, August 28, New Day on CNN. Click "expand" to read more.
New Day
8/29/2020
7:47 a.m. Eastern
CAMEROTA: So his leg, you're saying, his leg is shackled to the hospital bed?
JACOB BLAKE SR.: Correct.
CAMEROTA: Did the hospital explain why?
BLAKE SR.: Well, I guess he's in custody. I don't know.
CAMEROTA: Does he have an outstanding -- I mean, did they say that there was a warrant or something?
BLAKE SR.: I don't know -- you'll have to ask Ben -- I don't know.
CAMEROTA: Yeah. Mr. Crump, what's the explanation for that?
BENJAMIN CRUMP, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: There's no explanation for it, Alisyn. It follows the pattern of deliberate indifference and excessive force. I mean, for a man to be paralyzed after you shot him seven times in the back, and then you're going to handcuff and shackle his leg, I mean, it is such an outrageous thing already that he was shot seven times. This adds insult to injury. It is the reason why we're marching in Washington, D.C., today is because we're saying to America, we cannot have two justice systems, Alisyn -- one for black America and one for white America.
And that's what we saw in Kenosha, Wisconsin with the shooting of Jacob Blake Jr., and then with the young white supremacist who had an assault weapon and shot two protesters to death and then walked down the street, Alisyn, with the assault weapon hanging from his neck. And no police officers that he walked by -- no National Guard that he walked by shot him in the back -- nobody killed him. And so it is the tell of two videos that perfectly highlight the frustration of African Americans and the NBA players and the Major League players and everyone who wants equal justice in this society.
CAMEROTA: Mr. Crump, none of it makes sense. This is part of why we're so happy to have you here to see if the police have been able to tell either of you anything about that disparity...
