During Thursday’s edition of The Ingraham Angle, host Laura Ingraham highlighted the White House’s announcement of a “bold plan to change the lives in America of some of our poorest citizens, those who live in the most distressed and sometimes the most dangerous neighborhoods,” describing the announcement as “a scene you likely did not see on one of your local or national newscasts” because they did not bother to cover it.
After slamming the few reporters present at the President’s signing of an executive order to help underprivileged areas, who decided to ignore the substance of the executive order and instead shout out questions about Michael Cohen, Ingraham pointed out that “unlike most White House events starring Trump, it was not broadcast on cable or on C-SPAN or any of the networks.” Ingraham then gave her theory as to why the executive order did not receive media coverage: “it smashes the press’s relentless drumbeat about how the President just doesn’t like black people.”
After arguing that BET Founder Bob Johnson “obviously begged to disagree with that montage,” Ingraham played a clip of Johnson speaking at the unveiling of the executive order Wednesday, thanking the President and the Department of Labor for signing an “historic document” establishing “auto portability.” Johnson explained the benefits of the establishment of auto portability: “Auto portability is designed to reduce retirement leakage among low income 401(k) account holders who tend to cash out. And Mr. President, you should know this, 60 percent of African-American and Hispanic Americans cash out of their 401(k) account. This program will put close to $800 billion back in the retirement pockets of minority Americans.” After the video concluded, Ingraham remarked that Johnson’s speech received “no coverage,” adding “I had to play that just because no one saw it.”
As Ingraham pointed out, Van Jones, CNN Political Commentator and former Obama administration employee, was present at the signing of the executive order. In perhaps the clearest case of bias by omission, Jones appeared on Cuomo Prime Time Thursday, where host Chris Cuomo did not even bother to ask him about his visit to the White House, which surely seems like a newsworthy topic. Instead, Jones appeared as a sparring partner with Trump supporter Amy Kremer as they argued about the media’s favorite topics: Michael Cohen and the Mueller probe.
A transcript of the relevant portion of Thursday’s edition of The Ingraham Angle is below. Click “expand” to read more.
The Ingraham Angle
12/13/18
10:01 PM
LAURA INGRAHAM: But first, Trump’s successes in black and white. That’s the focus of tonight’s Angle. Now, this was a scene you likely did not see on one of your local or national newscasts. The White House announcing a bold plan to change the lives in America of some of our poorest citizens; those who live in the most distressed and sometimes the most dangerous neighborhoods. Flanked by Senator Tim Scott and BET founder Bob Johnson with Van Jones looking on, you see him there, the President signed an executive order creating something called the Opportunity and Revitalization Council. Now, if you think this is just kind of another brick in the bureaucracy here in D.C., signifying nothing, think again. Led by HUD Secretary Ben Carson, it will coordinate efforts across the entire Federal government to deliver jobs, investment, and growth in underprivileged areas. By the way, it includes rural areas too. Now, this means more private-sector money will flow into some of these high-risk areas or low development areas. And what will that do? In turn, that will deliver jobs.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Isn’t it a great thing?
(APPLAUSE)
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Thank you, everybody.
REPORTER: Mr. President, any comment on the Michael Cohen sentencing?
REPORTER: Mr. President, your reaction to Michael Cohen’s sentencing?
REPORTER: Mr. President, did Michael Cohen cover up your dirty deeds?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
INGRAHAM: Of course you heard that, the few reporters who were actually on hand there, they weren’t interested in the substance of this undertaking. All they were interested in is shouting out questions out about Cohen and unlike most White House events starring Trump, it was not broadcast on cable or on C-SPAN or any of the networks. I wonder why. I will tell you why. Because Trump is delivering results for those who Democrats thought that they had forever co-opted politically. It’s all kind of, it all smashes the press’s relentless drumbeat about how the President just doesn’t like black people.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)
REP. MAXINE WATERS: What more do we need to see or hear from this racist man?
REP. BARBARA LEE: Here we have a President who has once again said racist and despicable words about African-Americans, people of color.
REP. GREGORY MEEKS: More of the policy that he has put forward has been anti-people of color. He has continued policies that I believe are racist in nature.
DON LEMON: The President of these United States is racist. All of us already knew that.
JIM ACOSTA: The President seems to harbor racist feelings about people of color.
(END VIDEO CLIPS)
INGRAHAM: It’s just despicable. Every time I watch those, I am like, I don’t even want to play them anymore. Media mogul Bob Johnson, one of the most prominent and most successful African-Americans probably on the planet, obviously begged to disagree with that montage. He was on hand to recognize the administration’s drive and commitment to help low income Americans.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOB JOHNSON: Just recently, your Department of Labor signed a historic document that created something called auto portability. Auto portability is designed to reduce retirement leakage among low income 401(k) account holders who tend to cash out. And Mr. President, you should know this, 60 percent of African-American and Hispanic Americans cash out of their 401(k) account. This program will put close to $800 billion back in the retirement pockets of minority Americans. So I just want to applaud you for that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
INGRAHAM: No coverage. I had to play that just because no one saw it. Now, you see, there are a lot of politicians out there though who traffic in bromides shining with the veneer of real compassion.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Hope is the insistence that no matter how tough our circumstances, there are better days ahead. If we persist, despite all of our individual failings and all of our inadequacies, together we can overcome.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
INGRAHAM: That’s nice. I guess that’s Nobel Prize material. But the problem is talking about hope is beautiful but it won’t bring business into your community. People who can get jobs tend to have more hope. Despair and crime in places like Chicago and Baltimore spiraled out of control during much of Obama’s eight years. But I know what you’re going to say. But Laura, Obama and the Democrats care more than Donald Trump. Look, you can see it. You can feel it. They care. Then they are going to bring up Charlottesville and the s-hole comment that Trump made to then drive their points home. Okay, even if for the sake of argument I concede those points, maybe the tonality, the wording, maybe wouldn’t have done that way, fine. But I ask the following: who cares more about America and particularly the working poor; the guy who delivers results, record low unemployment, opportunity zones and a decent chance for criminal justice reform or a party that is all talk and no action? I will take the former any day. Oh, and by the way, the press did find one angle on the opportunity zone that they…Well, they thought this part of the story was worth covering. Jared and Trump himself are only pushing these inner-city investment incentives because they will make money off their only, their own real estate holdings. Please. Secretary Ben Carson came on my radio show yesterday, and he swatted this whole thing away.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BEN CARSON: The zones were picked by the governors. They were not picked by Jared Kushner. There are all kinds of people in the country who already have real estate in those zones. Will they benefit? Probably. Why shouldn’t they benefit? Why shouldn’t everybody benefit? You know, why shouldn’t we create win-win situations?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
INGRAHAM: I want to see more of Ben Carson out there, by the way. I loved what he had to say. And once again, the media proves itself to be absolutely incapable of covering virtually anything about the work the President does to try to restore our country; not even an inkling of objectivity. And not… he didn’t do this, by the way, to benefit just a few of his pals or the people who voted for him but he is doing this to try to benefit those who have been served so poorly by politicians of both parties for decades. But I’m telling you despite everything that is swirling around him, the Democrats’ obsession with impeachment, the indictments, et cetera, et cetera, the President continues to do work that other Presidents wouldn’t do. And poor working class Americans will be better for it. And that’s The Angle.
