Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) joined the Fox News Channel’s pre-debate coverage Thursday night and wasted no time ripping the liberal media in context of the Biden family’s corruption overseas, slamming them as Biden campaign shills after they failed to carry the Tony Bobulinski press conference as part of their efforts to censor and ignore Hunter Biden’s business dealings.
Asked by co-host Bret Baier to react to the Bobulinski press conference, Cruz replied that it “was remarkable and...raises serious questions about whether Joe Biden has personally enriched himself, whether he's been paid millions from communist China and — and the allegation is that he had a secret share potentially in this business deal that Hunter Biden held for him.”
After emphasizing that it’s clear Hunter Biden “has led a troubled life,” he pivoted back to Bobulinski and stating the fact that Fox News was “the only network that covered that press conference” with ABC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC and NBC having ignored it.
Cruz tied this as part and parcel to the censorship efforts by the liberal media and their social media allies to censor the original New York Post story about Hunter:
[I]t's part of a pattern we saw last week when the New York Post broke this story and Big Tech, Twitter and Facebook censored it and — and — and essentially determined that the American people could not even hear the facts. And — and I think the degree to which the media and Big Tech are shilling for Joe Biden are protecting him, covering him up and not even asking these questions, I think it’s really shameful.
Co-host Martha MacCallum followed up with the Biden campaign’s statement denying that Joe Biden owned stock or was involved in the alleged business dealing and wondered if Cruz found the campaign’s language lawyerly in nature.
Cruz said it came off as “clearly...drafted carefully” with Biden still not having “answered that question” of whether he enriched himself and/or knew about what his son Hunter was doing.
And, as he did in his previous answer, he invoked the media. This time, he noted that ABC refused to ask Biden about the Post story during their October 15 town hall (which was the same day the first, heavily-censored article was published).
More broadly, Cruz added that “the media is not even pretending to do their job and I think that's really dangerous, particularly when you combine it with big tech censorship where what is at stake in the election is — is really fundamental about whether we are going to preserve our freedoms, constitutional liberties.”
Before ending on the upcoming debate, Baier alluded to the fact that the Post was “still locked out” of their Twitter.
To see the relevant FNC transcript from October 22, click “expand.”
FNC’s Presidential Debate: Nashville
October 22, 2020
7:35 p.m. EasternBRET BAIER: We want to talk about the judge and moving that nomination along but I also want to talk to you about this Tony Bobulinski press conference we just watched and what do you think that means for this race? You heard the Biden response with Senator Coons and others, what do you say?
SENATOR TED CRUZ (R-TX): Well, I thought that press conference was remarkable and it obviously raises serious questions about whether Joe Biden has personally enriched himself, whether he's been paid millions from communist China and — and the allegation is that he had a secret share potentially in this business deal that Hunter Biden held for him, I think those — those questions need to be answered and they need to be answered seriously. And two things strike me, number one it's worth underscoring what makes this story significant is — is not Hunter Biden. Hunter. by all accounts, has led a troubled life. But it is Joe Biden and the potential of Joe Biden's personal corruption that is being alleged here. But secondly and I just checked a minute ago, as I understand it, Fox News is the only network that covered that press conference. CNN didn't cover it, MSNBC didn’t cover it. ABC, CBS, NBC, none of them covered it. And — and it's part of a pattern we saw last week when the New York Post broke this story and Big Tech, Twitter and Facebook censored it and — and — and essentially determined that the American people could not even hear the facts. And — and I think the degree to which the media and Big Tech are shilling for Joe Biden are protecting him, covering him up and not even asking these questions, I think it’s really shameful.
MARTHA MACCALLUM: Senator Cruz, when you look at the statement that came out from the Biden campaign and essentially alludes to the fact he was never involved in these business deals and that he never owned any stock in any of these ventures. Does that language sound careful to you as an attorney?
CRUZ: It clearly is drafted carefully, saying he — he didn't own stock — the allegation I just heard which was news to me tonight was that Hunter Biden was — was holding the percentage for his dad. Now, that — if you're essentially using a straw man the question is — is Joe Biden, was he personally enriching himself from communist China? And as far as I can tell, Joe Biden hasn't answered that question. I haven't seen anyone ask him that question. I mean, that was stunning, the day the story broke in the New York Post, ABC hosted a town hall with Joe Biden, they didn’t even ask him the question. They’re not — the media is not even pretending to do their job and I think that's really dangerous, particularly when you combine it with big tech censorship where what is at stake in the election is — is really fundamental about whether we are going to preserve our freedoms, constitutional liberties.
BAIER: I think the New York Post Twitter account is still locked out, but we’ll check that this hour.
CRUZ: Yes.
BAIER: But as far as how much the President should talk about it on this debate stage tonight, Senator, there are some Republicans worried that he needs to talk more about families, economy, jobs, the stuff that he's winning on in some of these key polls like our recent poll in the battleground states.
CRUZ: Well, Bret, I very much agree with that. I hope tonight what the President does is lays out competing visions for America and makes clear that — that what President Trump and Republicans are looking to do is reopen the economy, let small businesses reopen, let people go back to work, let them provide for their families and what Joe Biden and the Democrats are proposing and what the Democratic governors are implementing is shutdowns that are destroying millions of small businesses. You know, I listened to your interview with Chris Coons and I like Chris, I served with him on Judiciary and he talked about how he wished Congress was doing something for COVID relief. And I have to admit, I felt nervous lightning was going to strike him because he and every other Senate Democrat yesterday filibustered a $500 billion COVID relief plan and they don't get to filibuster emergent COVID relief to help parents get their kids back to school and then to go on TV and complained that nothing is passing. They’re the ones blocking it. And — and I mean, it really — and again, the media doesn't report on a word of it and — and it’s really — it's not doing the job journalists are supposed to be doing.
