On CNN Newsroom during their coverage of the ongoing border dispute between Russia and Ukraine Tuesday, they quickly switched gears and slimed Fox News star Tucker Carlson and the entire Republican Party as having a "soft spot for Russia".
CNN Newsroom co-host Alisyn Camerota kicked off the slime fest by lying about Fox host Tucker Carlson claiming "one of the primetime hosts doesn't see the difference between Vladimir Putin and the leader in Ukraine, doesn't see the difference between an autocracy and a fledgling democracy." Camerota then aired a soundbite of Carlson arguing it is not in America's national interest to get in the middle of the Russia-Ukraine conflict:
Vladimir Putin is our most dangerous enemy, they scream. We can't let him hurt Ukraine. So turns out Russiagate was actually more effective even than we realized. The Steele dossier has been debunked. But in Washington, the theme remains in force: Russia Russia Russia Russia Russia is bad. Why is it disloyal to side with Russia but loyal to side with Ukraine? They’re both foreign countries that don't care anything about the United States. Kind of strange.
After hearing what Carlson had to say, Camerota asked her guest, Bill Browder, the head of the Global Magnitsky Justice Campaign why he thinks "so many right-wing Republicans here in the U.S. Have a soft spot for Putin?" Browder, realizing the simple fact that not all Republicans think the same, responded: "there are plenty of Republicans that I've worked with, in the Senate and House of Representatives that are just as tough as anybody else is on Russia."
After displaying a small dose of common sense, Browder decided to join Camerota in knocking Carlson by wailing that he "is clearly an ignorant man, he doesn't understand what Putin is up to."
Browder then listed a litany of crimes and murders Putin had committed and then ended with another broadside shot at Carlson demanding that he "keep his mouth shut when it comes to Vladimir Putin."
After that unhinged rant, Camerota brought up an unsubstantiated allegation Democrat Congressman Tom Malinowski made blaming Carlson for his constituents calling his office to request that the United States side with Russia.
I was just hearing from one of the lawmakers, Democratic lawmaker in New Jersey who was saying that his constituents are now calling him because they listen to the Fox channel or to some of these conservatives and they’re saying yeah, what’s the big deal why aren’t we siding with Russia? So it’s not–I mean–whatever’s happening, it’s taking, it’s starting to spread, it’s taking root.
Browder responded that he believed those who want to stand with Ukraine are the majority and it's a "bipartisan policy (...) to stand with Ukraine." He also added there "is not a groundswell of support for Vladimir Putin in the United States" and to say otherwise is a "red herring."
It's typical of CNN to slime conservatives as having "a soft spot for Putin." While NewsBusters does not take a position on the Ukraine conflict, it is fair to say that conservatives like Tucker Carlson who believe we should not get involved in another conflict in a foreign country is not having "a soft spot for Putin."
But of course, those nuances don't compute with the simpletons like Alison Camerota and the other leftists at CNN.
This unhinged segment of a CNN host accusing Republicans of having a soft spot for Putin was made possible thanks to lucrative sponsorships by Ensure, Subway, and AT&T. Their information is linked so you can let them know about the biased news they fund.
To read the relevant transcript of this segment click "expand":
CNN Newsroom
1/25/2022
2:47:02 PMALISYN CAMEROTA: Over on the Fox channel, one of the primetime hosts doesn't see the difference between Vladimir Putin and the leader in Ukraine, doesn't see the difference between an autocracy and a fledgling democracy. So here is what was said there on Friday.
[Cuts to video]
TUCKER CARLSON: Vladimir Putin is our most dangerous enemy, they scream. We can't let him hurt Ukraine. So turns out Russiagate was actually more effective even than we realized. The Steele dossier has been debunked. But in Washington, the theme remains in force: Russia Russia Russia Russia Russia is bad. Why is it disloyal to side with Russia but loyal to side with Ukraine? They’re both foreign countries that don't care anything about the United States. Kind of strange.
[Cuts back to live]
CAMEROTA: Bill, why do you think so many right-wing Republicans here in the U.S. Have a soft spot for Putin?
BILL BROWDER (Global Magnitsky Justice Campaign): Well, I wouldn't compare Republicans, to Tucker Carlson. I mean there are plenty of Republicans that I've worked with, in the Senate and House of Representatives that are just as tough as anybody else is on Russia. Tucker Carlson, what he said, he is clearly an ignorant man, he doesn't understand what Putin is up to. I've seen Putin up close and personal. He is a murderer, he's chased me all around the world trying to kill me, he killed Sergei Magnitsky my lawyer, he killed Boris Nemtsov the leading Russian opposition politician. He poisoned Alexei Navalny. Tucker Carlson should keep his mouth shut when it comes to Vladimir Putin.
CAMEROTA: I mean I wasn't just referring to Tucker there. Also obviously former President Trump had a soft spot for Putin. And I was just hearing from one of the lawmakers, Democratic lawmaker in New Jersey who was saying that his constituents are now calling him because they listen to the Fox channel or to some of these conservatives and they’re saying yeah, what’s the big deal why aren’t we siding with Russia? So it’s not–I mean–whatever’s happening, it’s taking, it’s starting to spread, it’s taking root.
BROWDER: Well, it is and it isn't. I mean it’s being advertised on by a small group of people who don't know what they are talking about. But the U.S. Policy -- and this is a bipartisan policy -- is to stand with Ukraine. That hasn't changed. There is not a groundswell of support for Vladimir Putin in the United States. I think that that’s -- I think that is a red herring. What’s going on right now with Russia is completely -- is completely outrageous. I don't see many people seeing otherwise in that.
CAMEROTA: And anti-democratic. Bill Broward, thank you it’s really great to get your personal perspective on all of this. We appreciate your time.
BROWDER: Thank you.
