Immediately following a dinnertime break in the marathon grilling of anti-Trump FBI agent Peter Strzok in a joint House committee hearing on Thursday, MSNBC host Chuck Todd kicked off MTP Daily by siding with the former FBI agent and argued that President Trump and the GOP were empowering Russian President Vladimir Putin. And it was more than just baseless speculation, he insinuated it was their intent.
“So this is a day that arguably, in the minds of many may, have empowered Vladimir Putin,” Todd openly declared. He then teed himself up to make the argument by rhetorically asking the audience, “Why do we say that?”
“It's not just President Trump wreaking havoc at NATO,” Todd opined, “it's also the President’s allies in the House Republicans trying at times-- sometimes looking shameless about it to undermine the investigation into Vladimir Putin's election meddling.” So, according to MSNBC’s self-declared political referee, it’s somehow helpful to Putin to question why a NATO ally was buying natural gas from Russia. And it’s “shameless” to investigate the bias of someone leading an investigation into a political figure.
Despite admitting that Strzok was vehemently anti-Trump, Todd bemoaned how “Republicans have raked one of the FBI's top agents, Peter Strzok, over the coals for sending personal anti-Trump text messages during the election as the FBI's Russia investigation was getting underway.”
“The President and his allies have seized on those texts for months as smoking gun proof of bias and corruption inside the FBI,” he continued to whine.
A short time later, Todd appeared to lay out an argument that suggested the President and Republicans had the intent to help one of America’s greatest foes. “Folks, you have to view today's hearing in light of what's happened these last 36 hours,” he prefaced. “President Trump did trash NATO, he shrugged off Putin's meddling in our presidential election and now his allies in Congress are holding what some say looks like a show trial that’s intent on undermining the investigation into Putin’s meddling.”
Todd cautioned his viewers and reminded them that President Trump was due to meet one-on-one Putin in Finland. “And right now, the President doesn't seem very interested in pressing Putin about the attack on our democracy,” he spat.
“So who benefits from everything I just mentioned,” he rhetorically asked again. “Some might say just one person, Putin. What does that say about today's hearing?” And what was Todd’s go-to piece of evidence his conspiracy theory was correct? Here's an excerpt of Strzok’s testimony:
The honest truth is that Russian interference in our elections constitutes a grave attack on our democracy. Most disturbingly, it has been wildly successful, sowing discord in our nation, and shaking faith in our institutions. I have the utmost respect for Congress' oversight role, but I strongly believe today's hearing is just another victory notch in Putin's belt and another milestone in our enemy’s campaign to tear our country apart.
If this was Todd’s actual belief, it’s quite disturbing. This wasn’t just a phenomenon on MSNBC, it also appeared on CNN during the same time frame. It’s a whole new level of hyperbolic and over the top accusations.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
MSNBC's MTP Daily
July 12, 2018
5:03:33 PM EasternCHUCK TODD: Good evening. I'm Chuck Todd here in Washington. Welcome to MTP Daily almost right on time as they take a break in an extraordinary hearing that, of course, many of you have been following all day. We've been following it all day. It's taking a little bit of a break. We expect it to come back. They have to do a little voting in the House of Representatives. We'll keep our eyes on it when the members do come back and we'll bring you some of the fireworks of what's happened in case you have missed some of the day. We know some of you actually work during the day and may have missed some of this stuff. So, if you've been following the hearing today, some of these fireworks you've already seen. But for some of you, you haven't seen it.
So this is a day that arguably, in the minds of many may, have empowered Vladimir Putin. Why do we say that? It's not just President Trump wreaking havoc at NATO, it's also the President’s allies in the House Republicans trying at time-- sometimes looking shameless about it to undermine the investigation into Vladimir Putin's election meddling.
All day, on Capitol Hill, Republicans have raked one of the FBI's top agents, Peter Strzok, over the coals for sending personal anti-Trump text messages during the election as the FBI's Russia investigation was getting underway. The President and his allies have seized on those texts for months as smoking gun proof of bias and corruption inside the FBI, which, of course, comes as the President pushes conspiracy theories about a so-called criminal deep state and a so-called rigged Russia investigation.
At this hearing, Strzok has been threatened with criminal contempt, he's been dressed down by multiple Republican committee members and one Republican invoked Strzok's failed marriage in an effort to impugn his character. Another went after his polygraph records. After a fiery exchange with House Oversight Chairman Trey Gowdy, when he specifically asked about his text messages, Strzok all but said enough of all of this. Take a listen.
(…)
5:08:05 PM Eastern
TODD: Folks, you have to view today's hearing in light of what's happened these last 36 hours. President Trump did trash NATO, he shrugged off Putin's meddling in our presidential election and now his allies in Congress are holding what some say looks like a show trial that’s intent on undermining the investigation into Putin’s meddling.
All of it comes just days before the President meets one-on-one with Putin. And right now, the President doesn't seem very interested in pressing Putin about the attack on our democracy. So who benefits from everything I just mentioned? Some might say just one person, Putin. What does that say about today's hearing? Well, here's one way to look at
PETER STRZOK: The honest truth is that Russian interference in our elections constitutes a grave attack on our democracy. Most disturbingly, it has been wildly successful, sowing discord in our nation, and shaking faith in our institutions. I have the utmost respect for Congress' oversight role, but I strongly believe today's hearing is just another victory notch in Putin's belt and another milestone in our enemy’s campaign to tear our country apart.
(…)
