On Tuesday night, Lori Lightfoot was the first mayor of Chicago to lose a reelection bid in over 40 years. This was mostly due to her disastrous tenure as mayor which saw crime skyrocket in the windy city by historic margins. Despite the historic nature of her loss in Tuesday’s election, ABC’s World News Tonight, CBS Evening News, and NBC Nightly News apparently had no interest in reporting that the mayor of America’s 3rd largest city was ousted for the first time in four decades.
Their respective morning shows did cover Tuesday’s mayoral election in the form of quick news briefs; ABC’s Good Morning America, CBS Mornings and NBC’s Today only managed to muster 14 seconds, 36 seconds, and 28 seconds respectively on Wednesday morning.
Apparently, the three networks thought that was enough for the day since by Wednesday evening the story was nowhere to be found. ABC’s World News Tonight, and CBS Evening News did have plenty of time to cover a building fire in Buffalo, New York, while NBC Nightly News was preoccupied with local weather forecasts.
Meanwhile, on Fox News Channel’s Special Report where real journalism takes place, correspondent Garrett Tenney kept viewers informed on the stunning upset in Chicago.
“Four years after winning every ward in the city and becoming Chicago's first black female and first openly gay mayor, Lori Lightfoot is out of a job. Becoming the first windy city mayor in 40 years to not win a second term,” Tenney reported.
He revealed how “crime and safety were the top issues in this race. And under Lightfoot's watch crime has surged to some of the highest levels in a generation.”
“Both candidates vying to replace her in an April 4 runoff are making public safety a focus of their campaign albeit with vastly different strategies to turn the city around,” Tenney added.
Among two of the candidates who beat out Lightfoot are Cook County commissioner Brandon Johnson who supports defunding the police and funneling taxpayer dollars into social programs as a way to somehow solve Chicago’s crime problem.
The other candidate, Paul Vallas is the former CEO of Chicago public schools and “argues the city needs more officers to get crime under control and wants to reverse recent policy changes that he says restricts cops from doing their jobs,” Tenney revealed.
This bias by omission from the three networks was made possible by United Healthcare on ABC, Prevagen on CBS, and Liberty Mutual on NBC. Their information is linked.
The transcript is below. Click “expand” to read:
FNC’s Special Report
3/1/2023
6:33:18 p.m. EasternBRET BAIER: Chicago is getting a new mayor. Next month’s run off between the two top finishers in yesterday's election will not include incumbent Lori Lightfoot. Correspondent Garrett Tenney is in Chicago tonight.
MAYOR LORI LIGHTFOOT: We didn't win the election today. But I stand here with my head held high.
GARRETT TENNEY: Four years after winning every ward in the city and becoming Chicago's first black female and first openly gay mayor, Lori Lightfoot is out of a job. Becoming the first windy city mayor in 40 years to not win a second term. Crime and safety were the top issues in this race. And under Lightfoot's watch crime has surged to some of the highest levels in a generation.
Both candidates vying to replace her in an April 4 runoff are making public safety a focus of their campaign albeit with vastly different strategies to turn the city around.
BRANDON JOHNSON: Well, here's Brandon.
TENNEY: Cook County commissioner Brandon Johnson, who has the backing of the politically powerful teacher's union, was a vocal supporter of defunding the police, and says if he’s elected, he’ll increase taxes and invest more in social services to address the root causes of crime.
JOHNSON: No matter where you live, no matter what you look like, you deserve to have a better, stronger, safer Chicago.
TENNEY: Paul Vallas, the former CEO of Chicago public schools is endorsed by the police union. He argues the city needs more officers to get crime under control and wants to reverse recent policy changes that he says restricts cops from doing their jobs.
PAUL VALLAS: Public safety is the fundamental right of every American. It is a civil right.
TENNEY: This race will also give us an indication of where the nation's third largest city is politically and whether voters here embrace an even more progressive candidate and agenda than Chicago’s had the last four years.
