In light of the bombshell Fox News Channel report on Wednesday night about the Clinton Foundation, the liberal media’s shameful cover-up and smearing of the story continued well into Thursday afternoon as MSNBC acknowledged the story but repeatedly chided Fox News perpetuating a story using “anonymous sources” that’s not “corroborated or substantiated.”
In just one hour of MSNBC’s afternoon programming, a guest alluded to it twice and was swiftly cut off by host Hallie Jackson with the excuse given being a wrap from her producers to head to commercial break.
Within the first minute of MSNBC Live’s 1:00 p.m. Eastern edition, NBC News national correspondent Peter Alexander followed his spin from the previous hour in seeking to tar and feather Fox News:
[Trump was] making new allegations citing a Fox News report that talked about anonymous sources, saying that a criminal indictment is likely for Hillary Clinton as a result of a criminal investigation during her time as the secretary of state, none of which has been corroborated or substantiated, but all of which resonates with the people in that room[.]
Minutes later, correspondent Kasie Hunt similarly quipped that the Clinton campaign is “still in this kind of grind it out phase” in which “they're moving a little past the FBI conversation and James Comey, although as Peter reported at the beginning of this broadcast, that's potentially being revived by some of these reports from unnamed sources.”
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Trump surrogate and former GOP Congressman Jack Kingston spoke to Jackson in a separate segment and alluded to it as one of many “FBI investigations surrounding Hillary Clinton” that could lead to “people...going to jail” as long as the FBI is “unshackled” by the Department of Justice.
Not surprisingly, this didn’t sit well with Jackson as she informed Kingston that “we have to leave it there” and dismissed those concerns as she informed viewers that she’s “just noting these are Republican talking points against the Clintons, but I appreciate you joining us here.”
Much the same scenario played out near the end of the hour as Dallas Woodhouse of the North Carolina GOP mentioned that Clinton “is accused of misdeeds with her e-mails” plus “with the Clinton Foundation.”
Jackson responded that she had “so much to get into here” but “I am getting a hard wrap from my producer but I want to have you back to dive into more of this soon.”
The following hour of MSNBC at 2:00 p.m. Eastern was largely focused on Melania Trump’s speech in Chester County, PA, but Alexander still worked in this attack on FNC:
Of course, all that’s based on unsubstantiated reporting, first initiated by Fox News and there’s a new ad out for the Trump campaign as well. They call it “unfit,” that’s the headline of the ad, wherein suggesting that Hillary Clinton cannot be president because she would be crippled by a criminal investigation.
The relevant portions of the transcript from MSNBC Live with Hallie Jackson on November 3 can be found below.
MSNBC Live with Hallie Jackson
November 3, 2016
1:01 p.m. Eastern
PETER ALEXANDER: In the course of the last 24 hours, we've seen Donald Trump make the point as he said it out loud to himself, he just has to stay on message and he’s been sticking to the script here and I’ve been with him for the course of the last several. He’s stuck to his message, which they believe, his aides tell me is the most effective way forward. None of the distractions, as he acknowledged last night, saying, no sidetracks, today hitting President Obama on one item that is popular with many people in this room, what he calls disastrous ObamaCare premium hikes, making new allegations citing a Fox News report that talked about anonymous sources, saying that a criminal indictment is likely for Hillary Clinton as a result of a criminal investigation during her time as the secretary of state, none of which has been corroborated or substantiated, but all of which resonates with the people in that room, many of whom we've seen in the last hour or so marching around here proudly showing off their freshly spray painted shirt that read “lock her up” on the front and also some items that looked like they were fresh from Halloween, some prison garb with people saying “inmate Hillary Clinton.”
(....)
1:06 p.m. Eastern
KASIE HUNT: I think that the nerves are increasing a little bit over the course of the last 24 hours. I think they're still in this kind of grind it out phase. I think there's a sense that they're moving a little past the FBI conversation and James Comey, although as Peter reported at the beginning of this broadcast, that's potentially being revived by some of these reports from unnamed sources. So I think from the Clinton campaign perspective, you know, they feel like they can push ahead of that.
(....)
1:23 p.m. Eastern
FORMER REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN JACK KINGSTON (Ga.): Well, there are as many as five FBI investigations surrounding Hillary Clinton, ones that involve the foundation, ones that involve Governor McAuliffe taking $120,000 from a Chinese national, another one regarding Tony Podesta, there's more out there than have been recently reported. So, you know, there are some concerns. I mean, this is some very, very serious stuff. These are very serious allegations and I believe the FBI, if they were unshackled and able to do their own investigations, for example, the DOJ has not let them have subpoena power. They have not let them empower a grand jury. If they are able to interview everybody that they need to, I do believe people are going to be going to jail.
HALLIE JACKSON: Alright, Congressman, we have to leave it there. You brought up a couple other issues I would love to get in to. We will next time, just noting these are Republican talking points against the Clintons, but I appreciate you joining us here.
(....)
1:56 p.m. Eastern
N.C. GOP EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DALLAS WOODHOUSE: You know, she is accused of misdeeds with her e-mails. She is accused of problems and with the Clinton Foundation. People in America don't trust her. There is no suppression problem because early voting is vastly up all across North Carolina.
JACKSON: So much to get into here, Dallas. I am getting a hard wrap from my producer but I want to have you back to dive into more of this soon. I appreciate it.
WOODHOUSE: Well, I mean, you know, your producer should loosen up because we make good TV together, Ms. Jackson.
