Earlier in the week, CNN This Morning shamelessly attacked Republicans over the Biden family's questionable business dealings while carefully editing out criticism of the liberal media trying to ignore the issue.
On Tuesday morning, the show picked up on an interview that Congressman James Comer (R-KY) did with Fox & Friends First the day before in which he was asked about The Washington Post finally treating the issue seriously.
Cutting out most of the discussion of the media, the clip CNN used made it sound like Congressman Comer was just boasting to take credit for lowering President Biden's approval with his congressional investigation. CNN's Poppy Harlow recalled:
I want everyone to listen to what James Comer -- Congressman, Republican Congressman -- said yesterday, Obviously, he is the chair of the House Oversight Committee, and this ongoing probe he has into Biden and the Biden family. Here's what he said on Fox yesterday.
Then came a clip of Congressman Comer:
You look at the polling, and right now, Donald Trump is seven points ahead of Joe Biden and trending upward. Joe Biden's trending downward. And I believe that the media is looking around scratching their head, and they're realizing that the American people are keeping up with our investigation, and they realize something's wrong here.
Without elaborating on why the congressman brought up polling, Harlow compared the exchange to Congressman Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) in 2015 awkwardly taking credit for former Hillary Clinton's poll numbers deteriorating after the Benghazi hearings: "So he's linking his investigation to Biden's poll numbers. It's reminiscent of what Kevin McCarthy said in 2015, vis-a-vis Benghazi and Hillary Clinton."
After recounting that Congressman McCarthy in 2015 abandoned a bid to become House Speaker because of his boast, CNN contributor Errol Louis predicted a bad outcome for Republicans:
I think there'll be a backlash -- I don't think Americans like to see their government being used in such a nakedly partisan fashion. I think it will cause a lot of people to discount whatever it is they come up with, and, in the end, he may wish that perhaps he had kept his mouth shut.
But if one takes a look at the entire interview from Monday morning, Fox co-host Ashley Strohmier brought up the issue of The Washington Post article as she asked her guest if his investigation was causing the media to pay more attention:
...we've talked about this on this show -- about how the media can just not ignore this any longer. In an op-ed in The Washington Post, it says, "Millions flowed to Biden family members -- don't pretend it doesn't matter." So do you think that, because of your investigation, that is what's moved this needle with the media?
The Republican congressman began his response by suggesting that the change in the polls proves that the public are interested in the investigation, and that this might have been the reason the media have started giving it more coverage:
Then in a part CNN did not show, the Kentucky Republican further took aim at the left-leaning media:
It's not normal for the President of the United States -- children and grandchildren and in-laws and nieces and nephews -- to receive wires from foreign nationals. That's what we've proven. And we've proved that this happened while Joe Biden was Vice President of the United States. That has never before been reported. And the media tried to not report on it, but the American people are keeping up with what we're doing. And the American people do not want to see public corruption.
He added:
And now I think you're seeing more and more mainstream media outlets start recognizing the fact that the American people are keeping up with this, and Joe Biden needs to answer questions, and he needs to do it now.
CNN's attempt to undermine the investigation was sponsored in part by Sling TV. Their contact information is linked.
Transcripts follow:
CNN This Morning
May 23, 2023
7:30 a.m. Eastern
POPPY HARLOW: Because we have you guys -- brilliant political minds -- I want everyone to listen to what James Comer -- Congressman, Republican Congressman -- said yesterday, Obviously, he is the chair of the House Oversight Committee, and this ongoing probe he has into Biden and the Biden family. Here's what he said on Fox yesterday.
CONGRESSMAN JAMES COMER (R-KY) (from Fox & Friends First): You look at the polling, and right now, Donald Trump is seven points ahead of Joe Biden and trending upward. Joe Biden's trending downward. And I believe that the media is looking around scratching their head, and they're realizing that the American people are keeping up with our investigation, and they realize something's wrong here.
HARLOW: So he's linking his investigation to Biden's poll numbers. It's reminiscent of what Kevin McCarthy said in 2015, vis-a-vis Benghazi and Hillary Clinton. Let's listen.
CONGRESSMAN KEVIN McCARTHY (R-CA) (from Fox News, dated Sept. 29, 2015): Everybody thought Hillary Clinton was unbeatable, right? But we put together a Benghazi special committee, a select committee. What are her numbers today? Her numbers are dropping.
HARLOW: He a few days later walked that back, Errol, and said, "No, now, I didn't imply in any way that the work is political. Of course it's not."
ERROL LOUIS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR (laughing): Yeah, okay. Well, it cost him the speakership in 2015. On the other hand, he's the speaker now, so perhaps the politics are changing. I think what you saw from Comer is, look, saying the quiet part out loud, saying on national television what you would normally say in a closed room with donors or inside your caucus as you're making political strategy.
It's nice that he sort of laid out for us exactly what they're doing. I think there'll be a backlash -- I don't think Americans like to see their government being used in such a nakedly partisan fashion. I think it will cause a lot of people to discount whatever it is they come up with, and, in the end, he may wish that perhaps he had kept his mouth shut.
(...)
Fox & Friends First
May 22, 2023
4:10 a.m. Eastern
ASHLEY STROHMIER: We've got to talk to you about this. And we've talked about this on this show -- about how the media can just not ignore this any longer. In an op-ed in The Washington Post, it says, "Millions flowed to Biden family members -- don't pretend it doesn't matter." So do you think that, because of your investigation, that is what's moved this needle with the media?
CONGRESSMAN JAMES COMER (R-KY): Absolutely, absolutely, there's no question. You look at the polling, and, right now, Donald Trump is seven points ahead of Joe Biden and trending upward. Joe Biden's trending downward. And I believe that the media is looking around, scratching their heads, and they're realizing that the American people are keeping up with our investigation, and they realize something's wrong here.
It's not normal for the President of the United States -- children and grandchildren and in-laws and nieces and nephews -- to receive wires from foreign nationals. That's what we've proven. And we've proved that this happened while Joe Biden was Vice President of the United States. That has never before been reported. And the media tried to not report on it, but the American people are keeping up with what we're doing. And the American people do not want to see public corruption. They expect Congress to investigate public corruption. That's what the Republicans on the House Oversight Committee are doing. And now I think you're seeing more and more mainstream media outlets start recognizing the fact that the American people are keeping up with this, and Joe Biden needs to answer questions, and he needs to do it now.
TODD PIRO: For me, that always begs the question: Are they actually just doing their job which they should have been doing and actually going along with what you are putting out there? Or is this an attempt to get rid of Joe Biden and put somebody else in there? That's a question I always have whenever there's anything negative from this so pro-Joe Biden media. It remains to be seen, Congressman.
STROHMIER: I thought the exact same thing, but they do look ridiculous regardless, ignoring this.
