Media Research Center Founder and President Brent Bozell joined the Wednesday edition of the Fox Business Network’s Varney & Co. to sound off on the liberal media’s coverage of President Biden’s classified documents scandal and, for Bozell, it boiled down to six stages of behavior.
Host Stuart Varney began with highlights from Tuesday’s firecracker of a White House press briefing before asking Bozell: “[H]as the media finally turned against the White House, in your judgment?”
Bozell replied with his six stages and, in the first two, he noted it was playing defense for Biden against Republicans:
Stage one, when the story first came out, they were dismissive. CBS’s Adrianna Diaz said “the self-reporting here is probably the single most important part of this situation. It's completely different from Mar-a-Lago.” The second stage was they turned this and they complained about Republicans. Don Lemon was doing nothing but attacking about — attacking the Republicans for this.
The scandal only grew, meaning a stage three with the press “turning reluctantly against Biden after the first — after the second group of — of — of boxes were found.”
Bozell added stage four had the liberal media becoming “even more skeptical of Biden” last Thursday when Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed a special counsel ahead of five and six: “Stage five is the interesting — this is where there are right now. They've grown frustrated with the White House. They know the White House is stonewalling. They know the White House is not forthcoming. Stage six is what's going to happen next.”
Giving his prediction on where things go from here, Bozell said it will go one of two ways:
If the Republicans or if the government come up — don't come up with something, this story is going to die. It's going to flatline. If the Republicans come up with another step, another misdoing by this — this administration, the walls are going to cave in on it. The media are — it's going to be Armageddon time where the media are concerned. They're just not going to put up with this.
“Okay. It’ll be interesting to see how this thing develops because you’re right. It’s not over yet,” Varney replied.
To see the relevant FBN transcript from January 18, click “expand.”
FBN’s Varney & Co.
January 18, 2023
11:20 a.m. Eastern[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: KJP Spars with Reporters over Biden Docs Fiasco]
STUART VARNEY: Secretary of — Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, well, she’s facing intense questioning by reporters. Let me show you what happened yesterday. Roll tape.
NBC’s PETER ALEXANDER: Why shouldn't Americans be upset about documents found in a garage?
KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: That’s for — that’s for the American people to decide.
CBS’s WEIJIA JIANG: On Friday, did you or did you not know about the additional five —
JEAN-PIERRE: I already —
JIANG: — pages?
JEAN-PIERRE: — I literally just answered that question.
JIANG: You — but I missed it —
JEAN-PIERRE: I just –
JIANG: — so is it yes or no?
JEAN-PIERRE: Well, I — I mean, you’re — you’re not too far sitting next to her. [SCREEN WIPE] You guys can ask me this 100 times, 200 times if you wish. I'm going if keep saying the same thing. I hear your question. It's been asked. It's been answered.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: WH Is Not Being Transparent About Biden Documents]
VARNEY: Brent Bozell joins us this morning. He follows the media, intensely so. All right, Brent, has the media finally turned against the White House, in your judgment?
BRENT BOZELL: Well, the answer is we don't know yet. We've seen five stages. Stage one, when the story first came out, they were dismissive. CBS’s Adrianna Diaz said “the self-reporting here is probably the single most important part of this situation. It's completely different from Mar-a-Lago.” The second stage was they turned this and they complained about Republicans. Don Lemon was doing nothing but attacking about — attacking the Republicans for this. Stage three, they started turning reluctantly against Biden after the first — after the second group of — of — of boxes were found. Stage four, they became even more skeptical of Biden after Merrick Garland got involved. Stage five is the interesting — this is where there are right now. They've grown frustrated with the White House. They know the White House is stonewalling. They know the White House is not forthcoming. Stage six is what's going to happen next. I'm going to predict here.
VARNEY: Hmmm.
BOZELL: If the Republicans or if the government come up — don't come up with something, this story is going to die. It's going to flatline. If the Republicans come up with another step, another misdoing by this — this administration, the walls are going to cave in on it. The media are — it's going to be Armageddon time where the media are concerned. They're just not going to put up with this.
VARNEY: Okay. It’ll be interesting to see how this thing develops because you’re right. It’s not over yet. Brent Bozell, thank you, sir. Appreciate you being with us.
