During a discussion with liberal columnists Mark Shields and David Brooks about last week’s GOP debate, PBS NewsHour anchor Judy Woodruff strongly rejected the premise that she was “part of the liberal media.”
Shields reacted very strongly to Donald Trump’s attack on Fox News’ Megyn Kelly as the wrong person to go after:
Fox News is the validator, it's the gatekeeper for Republican, particularly conservative voters. And you don't go after -- it is not like you're attacking Chuck Todd or Judy Woodruff or some of the liberal elite establishment. You're attacking the mother church when you go after Fox.
Despite Shields’ decision to label Woodruff a member of the “liberal elite establishment” the PBS host sharply objected and insisted “let's make a distinction here, please. I’m not part of the liberal media.”
Shields attempted to walk back his labeling of Woodruff and stressed that being identified as liberal would only come from conservatives:
No, but I'm talking about by the definition of conservative America, where Fox really is the gatekeeper -- I think you would agree, the gatekeeper and the validator. And when he went after her, I think he made a serious mistake.
Although Woodruff denies being a member of the “liberal media” in 2010 the PBS anchor donated to the Clinton Foundation following the earthquake in Haiti. Woodruff’s claim that her donation was apolitical would be more credible had the money gone to, for example, the American Red Cross rather than the Clinton Foundation which came under intense scrutiny over the past several months regarding its business dealings with foreign governments.
See relevant transcript below.
PBS NewsHour
August 7, 2015
JUDY WOODRUFF: How do you size it up, Mark?
MARK SHIELDS: I don`t know where to agree and where -- no.
(LAUGHTER)
MARK SHIELDS: I agree. Donald Trump fills up the hall. There were 24 million people who watched. That`s more people than had ever watched a cable event, other than a sports event.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Huge numbers.
MARK SHIELDS: And this was a sports event. Donald Trump indicated right at the outset he is going to run as Donald Trump. And I thought it was an indication of the magic he has established, the chemistry he has with Republican voters, that the only person on the stage, candidate who would even take a shot at him was Rand Paul.
All the others ducked him, John Kasich included, Jeb Bush included, when given opportunities. Who went after him? The three Fox moderators, who were tough. They really did. And I really think he made a serious mistake by going, retaliating, attacking Megyn Kelly. First of all...
JUDY WOODRUFF: When she asked him about his comments about women.
MARK SHIELDS: Asked him about women, his misogynist comments First of all, Fox News is the validator, it`s the gatekeeper for Republican, particularly conservative voters. And you don`t go after -- it is not like you`re attacking Chuck Todd or Judy Woodruff or some of the liberal elite establishment. You`re attacking the mother church when you go after Fox.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Well, let`s make a distinction here, please. I’m not part of the liberal media.
(CROSSTALK)
MARK SHIELDS: No, but I`m talking about by the definition of conservative America, where FOX really is the gatekeeper -- I think you would agree, the gatekeeper and the validator. And when he went after her, I think he made a serious mistake.
