Wednesday saw another important oversight hearing into the wreckless and disastrous policies of the Biden administration during the past two years. This time the House Foreign Affairs committee held a hearing on Biden’s catastrophic withdrawal from Afghanistan which lead to the deaths of thirteen American service members and over a hundred Afghanistan civilians. Testimony from Marine Sergeant Tyler Vargas Andrews revealed how his warnings about a potential suicide bomber were ignored by leaders. This hearing was completely ignored by ABC’s World News Tonight and NBC Nightly News.
But while CBS Evening News did cover the House Foreign Affairs hearing, they omitted Andrews relaying how his warnings that a suicide bombing was imminent were ignored by leadership. CBS also paid no mind to his criticism of the withdrawal itself.
ABC’s World News Tonight and NBC Nightly News decided they had more important stories to cover than a hearing on Biden’s botched Afghanistan withdrawal, like Tiger Woods getting sued by his former girlfriend (ABC), and a story on UFOs (NBC).
Filling in for anchor Norah O’Donnell on CBS, guest anchor Margaret Brennan reported that “active duty service members and veterans gave emotional first-hand testimony about the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.”
Adding that “Marine Sergeant Tyler Vargas Andrews spoke about the aftermath of a suicide bombing at the Kabul airport in which he was severely injured.”
Brennan then aired an edited portion of Andrews’ testimony which conveniently left out his criticism of military leadership under Biden and their failure to heed his warnings about a suicide attack at the Kabul airport:
VARGAS-ANDREWS: I opened my eyes to Marines dead or unconscious lying around me. A crowd of hundreds immediately vanished in front of me, and my body was catastrophically wounded with 100-150 ball bearings now in it.
Meanwhile, on Fox News Channel’s Special Report, anchor Bret Baier reported how Andrews “was moved to tears as he recounted how his warnings about a potential suicide bomber were ignored by leaders. Just minutes before the deadly blast at the Kabul airport during the American withdrawal from Afghanistan.”
Baier, unlike Brennan, aired the newsworthy portions of his testimony where Andrews told Congress that “the withdrawal was a catastrophe in my opinion. And there was an inexcusable lack of accountability and negligence.”
This bias by omission from the three networks was made possible by Liberty Mutual on ABC, Prudential on CBS, and Cadillac on NBC. Their information is linked.
To read the transcript of each segment click “expand”:
CBS Evening News
3/8/2023
6:40:32 p.m. EasternMARGARET BRENNAN: Today on capitol hill, active duty service members and veterans gave emotional first-hand testimony about the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Marine Sergeant Tyler Vargas Andrews spoke about the aftermath of a suicide bombing at the Kabul airport in which he was severely injured.
SGT TYLER VARGAS-ANDREWS: I opened my eyes to Marines dead or unconscious lying around me. A crowd of hundreds immediately vanished in front of me, and my body was catastrophically wounded with 100-150 ball bearings now in it.
BRENNAN: 13 U.S. Service members were killed in that suicide bombing along with more than 100 Afghan civilians.
FNC’s Special Report
3/8/2023
6:04:03 p.m. EasternBRET BAIER: Also today, a U.S. Marine Corps sniper was moved to tears as he recounted how his warnings about a potential suicide bomber were ignored by leaders. Just minutes before the deadly blast at the Kabul airport during the American withdrawal from Afghanistan. Sergeant Tyler Vargas Andrews, who was severely wounded in that attack, spoke to the House Foreign Affairs Committee today.
SGT TYLER VARGAS-ANDREWS: Then a flash and a massive wave of pressure, I’m thrown 12 feet onto the ground but instantly knew what had happened. I opened my eyes to Marines dead or unconscious lying around me. The withdrawal was a catastrophe in my opinion. And there was an inexcusable lack of accountability and negligence.
BAIER: 11 Marines one sailor and one soldier were killed in that blast at the Kabul airport.
