During a scathing takedown of CNN for justifying the Democratic National Committee’s ban on allowing Fox News to host a Democratic debate, Fox News host Tucker Carlson reminded viewers Thursday night of why his colleagues were the bigger people. And The Hill’s media reporter, Joe Concha recalled why CNN wasn’t the most trustworthy when it came to holding debates.
Carlson kicked off his program with a rundown of how Fox News had stood on principle in defense of the First Amendment and the press by sticking up for CNN against the Trump administration’s overreaches.
“Last summer, CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins was barred from the White House event after she asked questions the administration thought were too aggressive,” he explained. “Executives here at Fox didn't hesitate. They loudly came to Kaitlan Collins's defense. So did Special Report anchor Bret Baier, so did this show.”
He then recalled how Fox News even stood in the defense of insufferable CNN chief White House correspondent, Jim Acosta:
Then the White House briefly banned CNN correspondent Jim Acosta. Jim Acosta is not a great person. He’s awful. Ask anyone who knows him. Still, Fox News stuck to principle. Even awful people ought to be allowed to cover the White House. Fox immediately filed an amicus brief supporting Jim Acosta’s return to the White House press pool. Acosta got his credentials back.
“We defend speech, even when it's unpopular, even when the person speaking has attacked us personally. Free expression is bigger than any one person or any organization. It is the very heart of this country, it's the foundation of all other freedoms. We really believe that,” Carlson declared.
“CNN and MSNBC do not believe that,” he added before playing a soundbite of CNN’s “creepy little spokesman” Brian Stelter, who supported the DNC.
And after noting how CNN president Jeff Zucker once shared his machinations about running for political office as a Democrat and how Fox News had more political diversity, Carlson stated: “You will never see anything like that on CNN or MSNBC. On those channels, people are the sum total of their voter registrations.”
When it was time for Concha to give his take, the media reporter had a correction for Carlson’s opening monologue:
You said CNN had shared a debate question with the Clinton campaign. ‘A’ singular you mentioned. That actually happened twice at two different town halls one that they sponsored with another news organization. One that they did solo. So this happened twice through Donna Bazile to the Clinton campaign. So it is interesting to hear them talk about.
Concha then pointed out how the DNC might be afraid of Fox News, but many of their candidates weren’t, because Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (HI), Senator Kamala Harris (CA), Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (NY), and businessman John Delaney were among those who had recently appeared on Fox News.
Senator Amy Klobuchar (MN) stood out in Concha’s mind because she’s been vocal about being on Fox News. “One of the reasons I came on this show is that I believe that candidates for office whether Democrat or Republican have to go not just where it's comfortable but where it’s uncomfortable. But, you know, Fox may not always be comfortable for Democrats but I want to make that point,” he quoted.
Clearly, Fox News practices what it preaches. CNN on the other hand…
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
Fox News Channel’s Tucker Carlson Tonight
March 7, 2019
8:00:23 p.m. EasternTUCKER CARLSON: Last summer CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins was barred from the White House event after she asked questions the administration thought were too aggressive. As an organization, CNN has relentlessly attacked Fox News over the years. On the other hand, reporters ought to be allowed to ask hard questions of public officials. Executives here at Fox didn't hesitate. They loudly came to Kaitlan Collins's defense. So did Special Report anchor Bret Baier, so did this show.
(…)
CARLSON: Whatever you think of CNN, Kaitlan Collins is a great person defending her was not a tough call. Then the White House briefly banned CNN correspondent Jim Acosta. Jim Acosta is not a great person. He’s awful. Ask anyone who knows him. Still, Fox News stuck to principle. Even awful people ought to be allowed to cover the White House. Fox immediately filed an amicus brief supporting Jim Acosta’s return to the White House press pool. Acosta got his credentials back.
You may dislike Fox News but there is no question about this channel's commitment to free speech. We defend speech, even when it's unpopular, even when the person speaking has attacked us personally. Free expression is bigger than any one person or any organization. It is the very heart of this country, it's the foundation of all other freedoms. We really believe that.
CNN and MSNBC do not believe that. Yesterday, the DNC announced that Fox News has been banned from hosting any of the Democratic Party's 2020 primary debates. DNC chairman Tom Perez went on television to explain that Fox News simply isn't a real news organization.
(…)
CARLSON: So that's a lie and everyone in the news business knows it's a lie. Our news anchors don't consult Donald Trump or any other politician before asking their questions. They didn't in 2016, they don't now, they never will. Tom Perez is arguing that a political party should decide who gets to cover the news. Amazingly, CNN and MSNBC agree with him. Jeff Zucker issued a public statement saying so. Zucker didn't do it in his own voice, of course. He prefers to lurk behind the curtain. Instead, Zucker dispatched creepy little spokesman to deliver the party line.
(…)
CARLSON: It's all projection. Everything the left says is projection. Whatever they accuse you of is exactly what they’re doing. Every single time. They say they are deeply worried that Fox News might rig a primary debate. Fox has never done that of course, and never would. Has anyone else done that? Well, let's see, in 2016 one of CNN's paid on air contributors leaked a debate question to Hillary Clinton before the event. CNN tried to cover it up and then they got caught. There is nothing more corrupt than that. Somehow their media reporter kid forgot to mention that scandal.
(…)
CARLSON: Fox defended CNN's right to cover the White House to cover American politics in the form of an amicus brief on behalf of Jim Acosta, who’s very hard to defend but on principle we did it anyway. And now Fox has been banned from hosting Democratic debates and they are gloating. Tell me how this works.
JOE CONCHA: Well, for one, Jim Acosta has called Fox state-run TV on several occasions. Chris Cuomo just did this week, as has its senior chief media correspondent. So, yeah, as you said it's not returned in kind. Just one thing to correct you on your monologue. You said CNN had shared a debate question with the Clinton campaign. ‘A’ singular you mentioned. That actually happened twice at two different town halls one that they sponsored with another news organization. One that they did solo. So this happened twice through Donna Bazile to the Clinton campaign. So it is interesting to hear them talk about.
CARLSON: Unbelievable. I didn't even know that that doesn't get a lot of coverage from their media critic, Zucker spokesman.
(…)
CONCHA: Just to unpack a couple things. You talked about how also said senior media correspondent talked about how Democrats are dehumanized on this network. That doesn’t quite explain how Tulsi Gabbard, who is a congresswoman from Hawaii running for president, appeared on your show last week. And then after, tweeted out to her hundreds of thousands of followers video off the segment. It doesn't explain why Kamala Harris did an interview on Fox News. Why Kirsten Gillibrand did an interview on Fox News. John Delaney. All Democratic presidential candidates all appearing on this network.
But Amy Klobuchar stands out to me the most. She said this to Bret Baier recently. “One of the reasons I came on this show is that I believe that candidates for office whether Democrat or Republican have to go not just where it's comfortable but where it’s uncomfortable. But, you know, Fox may not always be comfortable for Democrats but I want to make that point.”
And Tom Perez, the head of the DNC doesn't understand the challenge that his candidates have. There is probably going to be 20 of them with no clear frontrunner because Joe Biden, let's face it, it sucks to be white and establishment these days. They’re going to have to stand out somehow. And the way do you that is to get the voters that are in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Michigan, the states that Trump won. Florida, North Carolina, Arizona, and you don't do that by going on networks where most of the people watching are going to vote against Donald Trump anyway.
(…)
