Former Vice President Joe Biden wasn’t the only Democratic candidate the broadcast networks were actively protecting from scandals. In North Carolina, Democratic Senate candidate Cal Cunningham suffered a possible sinking blow to his campaign against incumbent Republican Thom Tillis after texts exposing his extramarital affair became public. The scandal broke last Friday, but in a week since no flagship newscast from ABC, CBS, or NBC has dedicated a single second to it.
Luckily, Fox News Channel’s Special Report did a rundown of the allegations against Cunningham and showed some the salacious tests that forced the candidate to apologize for what he did.
“The Senate race in North Carolina has the Democrat up in the average of polls, but again, the past few days, has changed dramatically because it's being sidetracked by a sex scandal,” announced anchor Bret Baier seemingly in awe of the turn the race had taken.
Instead of reporting on the Democrat’s scandal, the broadcast networks have spent their time over the last few days decrying the cutting-edge medical care President Trump received for his coronavirus, promoting a Trump-trashing doctor who wants him to resign, and embracing Trump COVID truther conspiracies. They also jabbed at how Tillis had tested positive for coronavirus.
The Fox News report was delivered by State Department correspondent Rich Edson, who began by noting the race was “upended by personal issues that have now gone public.” He also played a soundbite of Cunningham apologizing in a Facebook Live video, saying: “I am deeply sorry for the hurt that I have caused in my personal life. And I also apologize.”
“Beyond this Facebook Live statement, Democratic candidate Cal Cunningham has largely avoided the public and canceled campaign events,” Edson added. He then read from some the text the Democrat had sent to his mistress:
Fox News has obtained text messages disclosing Cunningham’s affair with public relations strategist Arlene Guzman Todd. Cunningham married with two children. In one, Cunningham writes, quote, "Would make my day to roll over and kiss you about now." And then he revealed he’s, “nervous about the next 100 days.”
In another text, Cunningham writes he wants to see Guzman Todd again, she replies "I don't think you realize the magnitude of what you're doing." And when he slows his communications with Guzman Todd, she texts another person, quote, "I'm just going to send his opponent his naked photos. That’ll teach him."
Beyond the fact that it was a sex scandal in a closely watched Senate race featuring a challenger leading the incumbent in the polls, “The military is investigating this,” as reported by Edson. “Cunningham is a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserves and extramarital affairs violate the Uniform Code of Military Justice,” he explained. “Cunningham’s campaign says the candidate will participate in the inquiry.”
To balance out the soundbite from Cunningham, Edson included Tillis talking about the scandal exposed his challenger as a hypocrite on his image he was spinning. “You can't found a whole campaign on truth, duty, and honor and then be guilty of what he's apparently guilty of, and now has apologized for. It's a hypocrisy that I think the North Carolina voters will reject,” he said.
This scandal blackout from the networks was a continuation of a trend NewsBusters has kept track of for a long time. During the 2018 midterm election, Geoffrey Dickens exposed how the networks were covering up SIX Democratic scandals. And in 2014, he wrote about how they also like to omit the Democratic affiliation when they do cover some scandals.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
Fox News Channel’s Special Report
October 8, 2020
6:34:35 p.m. EasternBRET BAIER: Finally, let's take a look at this race. And we've covered it before but it is becoming a heated race that's changing in just the past few days. The Senate race in North Carolina has the Democrat up in the average of polls, but again, the past few days, has changed dramatically because it's being sidetracked by a sex scandal. Correspondent Rich Edson has specifics tonight.
[Cuts to video]
RICH EDSON: A close Senate race in North Carolina upended by personal issues that have now gone public.
CAL CUNNINGHAM (D): I am deeply sorry for the hurt that I have caused in my personal life. And I also apologize.
EDSON: Beyond this Facebook Live statement, Democratic candidate Cal Cunningham has largely avoided the public and canceled campaign events.
Fox News has obtained text messages disclosing Cunningham’s affair with public relations strategist Arlene Guzman Todd. Cunningham married with two children. In one, Cunningham writes, quote, "Would make my day to roll over and kiss you about now." And then he revealed he’s, “nervous about the next 100 days.”
In another text, Cunningham writes he wants to see Guzman Todd again, she replies "I don't think you realize the magnitude of what you're doing." And when he slows his communications with Guzman Todd, she texts another person, quote, "I'm just going to send his opponent his naked photos. That’ll teach him."
The military is investigating this. Cunningham is a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserves and extramarital affairs violate the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Cunningham’s campaign says the candidate will participate in the inquiry.
Cunningham said last night his Republican opponent, incumbent Senator Thom Tillis is losing this race and trying to make the campaign about something other than the issues. Tillis says this is an issue.
Sen. THOM TILLIS (R): You can't found a whole campaign on truth, duty, and honor and then be guilty of what he's apparently guilty of, and now has apologized for. It's a hypocrisy that I think the North Carolina voters will reject.
[Cuts back to live]
EDSON: Tillis has his own campaign challenge, he tested positive for COVID-19. Tillis says he has been mostly symptom-free for the past five and says he expects to be cleared to return to work in the Senate early next week. Bret.
BAIER: Rich, thanks.
