ABC’s World News Tonight was the first network in the Big Three (ABC, CBS, and NBC) to break the broadcast news TV blackout and run some form of report for the Hillary Clinton-Uranium One scandal on Tuesday. Unfortunately, it was merely a news brief that lasted 20-seconds and wrote off the newly announced congressional investigation as “baloney.”
In framing Tuesday’s announcement of the investigation as a partisan matter, ABC Anchor David Muir declared:
Republican leaders in the House launching an inquiry into why the Obama administration allowed a Russian company to acquire U.S. uranium mines and if Russian donations to the Clinton Foundation played any role in the decision. Former Secretary Clinton calling this, quote: “Baloney.”
While Muir quoted Clinton’s rebuke of the renewed scrutiny, there was not a single quote or soundbite from the televised joint press conference with the House Intelligence and Oversight Committees. Instead of using airtime on those important aspects of the story, they used their time to run another news brief hyping the changes to the Mega Millions lottery and jackpots.
Meanwhile, on Fox News Channel’s Special Report, they ran a full report where Anchor Bret Baier led into it by noting:
Congressional Republicans say there is evidence that something was amiss when the U.S. gave up a significant block of its uranium mining capability to a Russian-controlled company with ties to Hillary Clinton and the Clinton Foundation.
“The 2010 deal is under new scrutiny after an FBI confidential informant came forward claiming there is evidence Russia sought to curry favor with then Secretary of State Clinton and her husband through the Clinton Foundation,” added Chief Intelligence Correspondent Catherine Herridge in her report.
Both CBS and NBC failed to report the new Congressional investigation just as they’ve failed to report the recent Clinton-Uranium scandal revelations made by The Hill, not a particularly partisan outlet.
Instead of reporting on more Congressional and FBI investigations into Russian meddling in U.S. affairs, CBS Evening News chose to fawn over a Baltimore Raven’s wide-receiver who was learning to do the river dance to improve his footwork.
And NBC Nightly News really showed off how warped their reporting priorities were. Instead of mentioning the investigation they ran reports about Sears no longer selling Whirlpool appliances, changes to the Mega Millions lottery, and for the second night in a row a report about the World Series being played in hot weather.
As the networks were coming on the air Tuesday evening, The Washington Post released blockbuster report exposed the Hillary Clinton campaign and the DNC as the financers of the infamous Russia dossier on Donald Trump. The story was breaking too late for the networks to cobble together a report on it (if they even wanted too), so it will be interesting to see if they omit it from their Wednesday morning programming.
ABC’s biased coverage was sponsored by their advertisers: Bank of America, Houzz, and Eliquis.
Transcripts below:
ABC
World News Tonight
October 24, 2017
6:45:18 – 6:45:48 PM Eastern [29 seconds]DAVID MUIR: Two new Congressional investigations involving former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Republican leaders in the House launching an inquiry into why the Obama administration allowed a Russian company to acquire U.S. uranium mines and if Russian donations to the Clinton Foundation played any role in the decision. Former Secretary Clinton calling this, quote: “Baloney.” And tonight, nearly a year after the election, Republicans with a separate inquiry, as well, into why the FBI decided not to charge Clinton for her use of a personal e-mail server.
...
Fox News Channel
Special Report
October 24, 2017
6:17:02 -6:19:54 PM EasternBRET BAIER: Congressional Republicans say there is evidence that something was amiss when the U.S. gave up a significant block of its uranium mining capability to a Russian-controlled company with ties to Hillary Clinton and the Clinton Foundation. And members of a separate committee, actually, two, are looking for answers from the former director of the FBI over his handling of the Clinton email probe and the decisions he made there. Democrats say it's all a diversion. Chief Intelligence Correspondent Catherine Herridge has our story.
[Cuts to video]
(…)
CATHERINE HERRIDGE: In a separate development, the House Intelligence Committee’s Republican chairman announced a joint investigation with the Oversight Committee into the 2010 uranium one deal that gave a Russian company control of a large share of the U.S. uranium supply. Congressman Nunez questions what the Obama administration knew.
DEVIN NUNES: Was there a DOJ investigation, and if so, why was Congress not informed of this matter.
HERRIDGE: The 2010 deal is under new scrutiny after an FBI confidential informant came forward claiming there is evidence Russia sought to curry favor with then Secretary of State Clinton and her husband through the Clinton Foundation. A gag order may soon be lifted.
RON DESANTIS: Where in contact with the Justice Department to release them from a nondisclosure agreement. If that doesn't work out in a timely fashion, we obviously would be able to subpoena him.
HERRIDGE: Peter king denied the investigation is being driven by politics.
PETER KING: Let me say on this. This is totally separate from the election issue and has nothing to do with the 2016 election. It goes back to dealings that went on in 2010 and 2011.
(…)
