The most unintentionally hilarious outburst of journalistic objectivity in our times is the assumption that the Biden Department of Justice is nonpartisan. After Democrat prosecutors, federal and local, have filed 91 felony indictments against Donald Trump, none of these legal issues can be characterized as partisan politics.
On Christmas Eve, ABC Justice Department correspondent Pierre Thomas was handed the hosting duties of This Week with George Stephanopoulos, and he acted just like a Stephanopoulos. The guest was Lisa Monaco, the Deputy Attorney General, and he suggested charges of partisanship are “toxic.”
“I want to talk about the toxic environment here in Washington,” said Thomas. “You have Republicans who will say that the Justice Department is full of political operatives who are working to help President Biden, hurt President Trump, and they'll even say that the FBI should be defunded. What's your reaction to that kind of language, and what do you say on behalf of DOJ?”
This is the softest of softballs. She replied, “Those claims bear no resemblance to the Justice Department that I know.” Monaco said not only do DOJ officials work without any regard to “who’s in the White House,” but charges of partisanship “contributes to the toxicity you’re speaking about.”
Thomas asked if that includes "political threats." So Republican arguments are akin to violence. Then he added, “I know you don't want to talk about any particular candidate. But when people using words like poison the blood and calling DOJ officials thugs, is that helpful?” So he’s blurring together the lingo they call Hitlerian with anyone saying DOJ officials are partisans out to get Trump.
Hosting the Stephanopoulos show, ABC's Pierre Thomas went full Stephanopoulos, setting up Deputy AG Lisa Monaco to insist it's ridiculous (even 'toxic') to argue Biden's Justice Department is politicized. pic.twitter.com/OAvT8oO7Eq
— Tim Graham (@TimJGraham) December 27, 2023
To wrap it up, Thomas asked Monaco to deny the obvious: “Can you assure the American public that Special Counsels Jack Smith and David Weiss, Robert Hur are operating without regard to anything but the facts and the law?” Monaco said yes, even as Jack Smith insists Trump must go on trial before the election.
To underline it, he concluded: “Just for the record, so the public can hear it from a top official at DOJ, has President Biden ever raised the classified documents investigation, the probe of Hunter Biden with you or the A.G., tried to influence you? Has he ever done that in regard to President Trump?”
“No,” replied Monaco. “And the attorney general's been exceptionally clear on this point.” Never mind that Merrick Garland could read The New York Times report: “Mr. Biden confided to his inner circle that he believed former President Donald J. Trump was a threat to democracy and should be prosecuted,” but didn’t say it directly, just indirectly, in public.
ABC did not have one single question phrased in an even mildly challenging way about their anti-Trump animus. They were only asked for fact-defying assurances as the screen said “Deputy AG Defends Integrity, Independence of Justice Dept.”
Thomas then turned to Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-Ga.), and asked about parts of Monaco’s interview, but never inquired about the Biden scandals.
After that, Thomas interviewed Obama-appointed U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara (who was dismissed by Trump), and former Trump DOJ spokeswoman Sarah Isgur. They discussed Trump’s indictments, but Thomas never raised the Biden probes.
Then came ABC’s pundit panel for more talk of Trump outrages, and Trump being a “maniac,” but Thomas and the pundits never said a thing about the Biden scandals.
This entire program was a Christmas gift to the Bidens. Karine Jean-Pierre couldn’t go any softer than Pierre Thomas did with Monaco. ABC and the news networks are precisely as nonpartisan as the Biden administration.
