In the aftermath of violent attacks on pro-Trump protesters by left-wing rioters in Washington, D.C., CNN's flagship morning show, New Day, has barely touched the story while Fox & Friends has given the matter the substantial attention and condemnation that it deserves.
In fact, when the Sunday edition of New Day covered the violence, the liberal network hinted that President Donald Trump or conservative demonstrators had provoked the violence as some were labeled "far-right," and Trump was said to have "egged on" division via Twitter.
The two-hour Sunday edition of New Day gave the violence four and a half minutes while the three-hour Monday edition ignored it. By contrast, on Sunday and Monday -- between 6:00 a.m. Eastern and 9:00 a.m., Fox & Friends spent a total of 49 minutes and 43 seconds on the issue.
Shortly after 7:00 a.m. on Sunday, CNN host Victor Blackwell vaguely noted that a person was stabbed without saying by whom and then went to correspondent Sarah Westwood who made sure to label some pro-Trump activists as "far-right" as she recounted:
We know many thousands of Trump supporters flooded the streets of Washington yesterday for a series of pro-Trump events. There was something called the Million MAGA March, something else called the Stop the Steal gathering. That's a false movement that has gained steam online that's pushed misinformation about voter fraud. Those Trump supporters clashed with anti-- counter-protesters who had come to push backing on some of the far-right elements that had joined with the pro-Trump crowd.
After Westwood read a tweet by President Trump complaining that D.C.'s Democratic mayor did not do enough to protect conservative protesters from Antifa violence, Blackwell seemed to implicate President Trump in fomenting violence:
I wonder -- as congressional Republicans watched what happened yesterday -- watched, although they say they do not, the President's Twitter feed, kind of egging this on -- are they prepared to inherit and oversee this fomenting -- this provocation that we saw -- when the effort to overturn the vote will fail in about 65 days with the inauguration? What are they going to do with it? Any indication?
By contrast, on Fox & Friends Sunday, the anchors recalled that leftists attacked Trump supporters by shooting fireworks at them at night while they were eating at a restaurant, as well as other violence, and discussed the issue with conservative author Douglas Murray, who has studied Antifa. He recalled:
I spent many weeks ahead of the election traveling all across your country, all across America. And I saw these thugs, and they're fascists. They're not anti-fascist, whatever they call themselves -- they're fascists. I saw them up close. I mingled among them -- I infiltrated them a number of nights in Portland, Oregon. I saw what they do. They go through residential areas, and they intimidate every householder. They attack federal buildings. They've already, on a number of occasions, their members have killed people, including in Portland in the summer.
Sunday's New Day on CNN was sponsored in party by BMWUSA. Their contact information is linked.
Relevant transcripts follow. Click "expand" to read more.
CNN
New Day Sunday
November 15, 2020
7:03 a.m. Eastern
VICTOR BLACKWELL; Sarah, before we let you go, Abby mentioned at the top of the show the violence that was in D.C. -- one person stabbed. What do we know about what happened?
SARAH WESTWOOD: Well, Victor, we know many thousands of Trump supporters flooded the streets of Washington yesterday for a series of pro-Trump events. There was something called the Million MAGA March, something else called the Stop the Steal gathering. That's a false movement that has gained steam online that's pushed misinformation about voter fraud. Those Trump supporters clashed with anti-- counter-protesters who had come to push backing on some of the far-right elements that had joined with the pro-Trump crowd.
President Trump was responding on Twitter -- I want to read you that, "Radical left Antifa scum was easily rebuffed today by the big D.C. MAGA rally crowds only to return at night after 99 percent of the crowd had left to assault elderly people and families. Police got there but late. Mayor is not doing her job."
There were more than 20 people who were arrested in the skirmishes yesterday, and the city says two police officers also sustained injuries in those fights, Abby and Victor.ABBY PHILLIP: Really incredible situation unfolding in Washington last night. Thank you, Sarah Westwood.
VICTOR BLACKWELL: With us now to talk about all of this, CNN political analyst, Toluse Olorunnipa, White House reporter for the Washington Post. Tolo, good morning to you. I wonder -- as congressional Republicans watched what happened yesterday -- watched, although they say they do not, the President's Twitter feed, kind of egging this on -- are they prepared to inherit and oversee this fomenting -- this provocation that we saw -- when the effort to overturn the vote will fail in about 65 days with the inauguration? What are they going to do with it? Any indication?
(...)
Fox News Channel
Fox & Friends Sunday
November 15, 2020
7:33 a.m. Eastern
PETE HEGSETH: Anti-Trump protesters -- rioters, call them what they are -- launching fireworks at people eating at a D.C. restaurant as a pro-Trump march descended into violence because of leftists. Chaos erupting at the Million MAGA March as counter-rioters attacked Trump supporters.
Will: At least 20 people were arrested, including one for assaulting a police officer. One man was stabbed multiple times but reportedly will be okay.
JEDEDIAH BILA: The President tweeted about the violence, writing: "Radical left Antifa scum was easily rebuffed today by the big D.C. MAGA rally crowd only to return at night, after 99 percent of the crowd had left, to assault elderly people and families. Police got there but late. The mayor is not doing her job."
We're happy to bring in Douglas Murray, author of The Madness of Crowds: Gender, Race, and Identity. Douglas, thanks for joining us this morning. ... First and foremost, we want to get your reaction to the violence that we've seen erupt at that rally yesterday.
DOUGLAS MURRAY, AUTHOR: I'm not at all surprised to have seen it. I spent many weeks ahead of the election traveling all across your country, all across America. And I saw these thugs, and they're fascists. They're not anti-fascist, whatever they call themselves -- they're fascists. I saw them up close. I mingled among them -- I infiltrated them a number of nights in Portland, Oregon. I saw what they do.
They go through residential areas, and they intimidate every householder. They attack federal buildings. They've already, on a number of occasions, their members have killed people, including in Portland in the summer. And I saw them on election night in D.C. just yards from the White House. These very thugs of so-called Antifa were getting ready to agitate, and I went over to them, and I started to try to film them. They physically threatened me to chase me from the area. I am shocked that this is happening, but I'm not surprised. But I am shocked that in the world's leading democracy, a paramilitary fascist group masquerading under the tag "Antifa" is able to get away with this.
