After the broadcast networks ignored the House Oversight Committee hearing into Twitter’s censorship of the New York Post’s reporting of Hunter Biden’s laptop on their Wednesday night newscasts, ABC’s Good Morning America and NBC’s Today followed suit on Thursday. In contrast, CBS Mornings gave viewers two minutes and 35 seconds on the hearing that, while it barely scratched the surface, raised the bar (as opposed to mocking it as CNN did).
Before the 2:35, there was a tease to give away the surprise in the show’s “Eye Opener” from fill-in co-host David Begnaud:
BEGNAUD: And Republicans lash out at former Twitter executives over the Hunter Biden laptop story.
CONGRESSWOMAN LAUREN BOEBERT (R-CO): A sitting president was banned. Who the hell do you think that you are?
Co-host Tony Dokoupil had the lead-in to chief investigative correspondent Catherine Herriedge, saying “former Twitter executives were pressed during a combative congressional hearing, and they admitted there were mistakes in blocking a New York Post story about the President's son, Hunter Biden, just before the 2020 election.”
“However,” Dokoupil emphasized, “they deny that they were pressured to do so.”
As such, CBS ignored the reporting from the Twitter Files that showed how Twitter executives and national intelligence and law enforcement agencies were locked at the hip with frequent meetings and email chains. So, were we really supposed to believe them?
Herridge noted that Wednesday marked the “first major public hearing for the Republican-led House Oversight Committee to focus on President Biden and his family” and “[w]ith new hands on subpoena power, we’re likely to see more demands for records soon.”
She illustrated that the comments from former Twitter executives on their censorship of Hunter Biden’s laptop (which may have swung the 2020 election) could be boiled down to three words: Oops. Our bad.
Of course, they hid behind the excuse of how they (and their fellow leftist fiends) saw Russia lurking around every corner (click “expand”):
YOEL ROTH: With limited information, Twitter made a mistake.
HERRIDGE: Former Twitter executives told Congress the social media platform was wrong to suppress the New York Post reporting on Hunter Biden's laptop ahead of the 2020 election.
VIJAYA GADDE: In hindsight, Twitter should have reinstated the Post’s account immediately.
HERRIDGE: Witnesses testified they wanted to avoid a repeat of the 2016 presidential race...when Russian intelligence was blamed for hacking and sharing emails from then-candidate Hillary Clinton and the Democratic National Committee.
ROTH: Twitter noticed activity related to the laptop that, at first glance, bore a lot of similarities to the 2016 Russian hack and leak operation. Our judgment was colored by the experience of 2016.
Herridge also touched on former FBI lawyer-turned CNN contributor-turned Twitter counsel James Baker, who “denied Twitter's decisions were dictated by the bureau or the Biden campaign.”
To throw liberals a bone, Herridge played sound of Congresswoman Becca Balint (D-VT) deceptively asking Baker and Twitter’s former head of legal, policy, and trust Vijaya Gadde if “anyone from the Biden campaign or the Democratic National Committee direct Twitter to remove or take action against the New York Post story.” Naturally, both said no.
Aside from Boebert’s line in the Eye Opener, CBS completely ignored arguments made during the hearing by Republicans (including Congressman Jim Jordan noting they met with the FBI “every week” and he sensed “you guys wanted to” censor the Post).
Instead, Herridge spoke with House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) and shared that his “committee has officially requested records and communications from Hunters Biden, James, the President's brother, and their business manager.”
The lone Comer clip meant nothing in terms of substance as he merely stated how Congress can ask for information from someone voluntarily or levy a subpoena.
Giving Hunter’s team the chance to respond, Herridge said CBS “reached out,” but “there was no immediate response.”
Over at the aforementioned Post, Steven Nelson and Samuel Chamberlain had a more comprehensive recap. Here was part of what they had to say that, in essence, made clear the witnesses suddenly couldn’t recall key details of what happened in 2020 (click “expand”):
A trio of former bigwigs at Twitter told the House Oversight Committee Wednesday they could not recall major facts about the decision to suppress The Post’s bombshell October 2020 stories on Hunter Biden’s laptop — though one claimed the decision was based in part on the social media giant’s own echo chamber rather than the demands of federal law enforcement.
Under questioning led by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), former Twitter deputy general counsel James Baker, ex-head of trust and safety Yoel Roth and former policy director Vijaya Gadde took turns deflecting allegations of “collusion” between the FBI and Twitter to censor The Post.
“Simple question, did you talk to the FBI about the Hunter Biden story?” Jordan asked Baker point-blank at one point.
“To the best of my recollection, I did not talk to the FBI about the Hunter Biden story before that day,” replied Baker, referencing Oct. 14, 2020, when The Post published the first of its world-exclusive reports.
(....)
Later in the hearing, Jordan pressed Baker again, this time over whether he had any conversations with the 51 former intelligence officials who implied that the laptop was Russian misinformation.”Have you talked to any of those 51 prior to that letter being sent on the 19th [of October, 2020] or after?” Jordan asked.
“Sir, I can’t remember who’s on that group,” answered Baker, kicking off a tortuous back-and-forth.
“[James] Clapper, [John] Brennan, [Michael] Morell —” Jordan offered.
“I’ve talked to those people during the course of my career, yes,” Baker replied.
Jordan pressed, “Have you talked to them in your time at Twitter?” But Baker said, “I can’t remember who’s on that list, so I’m afraid —”
“How about the three I just mentioned?” Jordan followed up. “Did you talk with Mr. Clapper, Mr. Brennan or anyone else that he knows of who signed that letter?”
Finally, Baker said, “I don’t recall discussing that publication they did about the Hunter Biden laptop with any of those people.”
(....)
Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) told Roth that it “seems highly coincidental, knowing that the FBI had the laptop” that the authorities would warn Twitter about a potential release of hacked documents before the election.
“There is a coincidence there, and I really can’t speak to how it came about,” Roth said.
Thursday’s bias by omission was brought to you by advertisers such as Carmax (on ABC) and Progressive (on NBC). Follow the links to see their contact information at the MRC’s Conservatives Fight Back page.
To see the relevant CBS transcript from February 9, click “expand.”
CBS Mornings
February 9, 2023
7:01 a.m. Eastern [TEASE][ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Censorship Allegations]
DAVID BEGNAUD: And Republicans lash out at former Twitter executives over the Hunter Biden laptop story.
CONGRESSWOMAN LAUREN BOEBERT (R-CO): A sitting president was banned. Who the hell do you think that you are?
(....)
7:09 a.m. Eastern
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Twitter Execs Grilled Over Hunter Biden Story; Fmr. Twitter Execs Admit Mistakes in Blocking Story About Biden’s Story]
TONY DOKOUPIL: And to Washington where former Twitter executives were pressed during a combative congressional hearing, and they admitted there were mistakes in blocking a New York Post story about the President's son, Hunter Biden, just before the 2020 election. However, they deny that they were pressured to do so. Senior investigative correspondent Catherine Herridge has more for us now. Catherine, good morning.
CATHERINE HERRIDGE: Good morning, Tony. This was the first major public hearing for the Republican-led House Oversight Committee to focus on President Biden and his family. With new hands on subpoena power, we’re likely to see more demands for records soon.
YOEL ROTH: With limited information, Twitter made a mistake.
HERRIDGE: Former Twitter executives told Congress the social media platform was wrong to suppress the New York Post reporting on Hunter Biden's laptop ahead of the 2020 election.
VIJAYA GADDE: In hindsight, Twitter should have reinstated the Post’s account immediately.
HERRIDGE: Witnesses testified they wanted to avoid a repeat of the 2016 presidential race —
HILLARY CLINTON [on 10/19/16]: It's pretty clear you won't admit —
DONALD TRUMP [on 10/19/16]: No, you’re —
CLINTON [on 10/19/16]: — that the Russians have engaged in cyberattacks against the United States.
HERRIDGE: — when Russian intelligence was blamed for hacking and sharing emails from then-candidate Hillary Clinton and the Democratic National Committee.
ROTH: Twitter noticed activity related to the laptop that, at first glance, bore a lot of similarities to the 2016 Russian hack and leak operation. Our judgment was colored by the experience of 2016.
HERRIDGE: The former Twitter executives included James Baker who is the FBI's top lawyer under then-Director James Comey. He denied Twitter's decisions were dictated by the bureau —
JAMES BAKER: Sitting here today, I don't recall talking to the FBI at all about the Hunter Biden matter.
HERRIDGE: — or the Biden campaign.
CONGRESSWOMAN BECCA BALINT (D-VT): Did anyone from the Biden campaign or the Democratic National Committee direct Twitter to remove or take action against the New York Post story?
GADDE: No.
BALINT: Mr. Baker, same question to you, please
BAKER: Not to my knowledge, no.
HERRIDGE: After the hearing, Chairman Comer told CBS News his investigators are pivoting to the Biden family's finances. For the first time, the Republican-controlled committee has officially requested records and communications from Hunters Biden, James, the President's brother, and their business manager.
CONGRESSMAN JAMES COMER (R-KY): Once you’ve demonstrated a sincere effort to obtain this information and they refuse to comply, then you can take it to the next step which would be a subpoena.
HERRIDGE: And the chairman did not rule out subpoenas as early as April. CBS News reached out to the parties and lawyers for Hunter Biden for comment, and there was no immediate response. Dana?
DANA JACOBSON: All right. Catherine, thank you.
