For viewers of the “big three” networks on Monday and Tuesday, coverage of the latest Hillary Clinton e-mail dump was all but non-existent as ABC has censored it from both their morning and evening newscasts while CBS and NBC have only given abbreviated nods in their morning shows CBS This Morning and Today.
All told, the three news cycles combined for a measly one-minute-and-45-seconds of airtime with one minute and 24 seconds coming from a segment on the Clinton campaign on Tuesday’s Today from NBC News White House correspondent Kristen Welker that twice touched on Clinton’s e-mails.
In contrast, Tuesday’s Special Report on the Fox News Channel (FNC) had two minutes and 28 seconds solely devoted to the latest revelations with host Bret Baier telling viewers that “[t]here are new questions tonight about what Hillary Clinton knew, and where she was getting her information following the Benghazi terror attacks.”
Chief White House correspondent Ed Henry detailed how some of the e-mails released in this round “may contradict her Benghazi testimony in October when she claimed to not be aware memos with sensitive information about Libya she received on her personal server from controversial adviser Sidney Blumenthal were actually put together by former intelligence official Tyler Drumheller.”
Henry then referred viewers back to Clinton’s testimony before the House Select Committee on Benghazi on October 22 and specifically how Chairman Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) pressed Clinton on “why she was not more curious about the source of information about the September 11, 2012 terror attacks and other matters, noting it was not really coming from Blumenthal.”
Following a soundbite of Gowdy and Clinton at the hearing, Henry quoted an e-mail Clinton was sent by Drumheller:
The new emails show on September 11th, 2012, the night after the attacks, Clinton received a message written by Drumheller, in which the former C.I.A. officer declared his sources, quote, “believe that the attackers having prepared to launch their assault took advantage of the cover provided by the demonstrations in Benghazi, protesting an internet production [OR VIDEO] seen as disrespectful to the prophet Mohammed.”
Putting it into a larger picture, Henry noted that this:
Rais[es] more questions about Clinton's role in pushing the White House's narrative, with National Security Adviser Susan Rice, that the video caused the attacks. Since another new document revealed by the State Department on Monday shows Clinton met with Rice on September 14th, two days before the then-United Nations Ambassador infamously appeared on five Sunday talk shows.
The transcript of the segment from FNC’s Special Report with Bret Baier on December 1 can be found below.
FNC’s Special Report with Bret Baier
December 1, 2015
6:07 p.m. Eastern[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: More Emails Released]
BRET BAIER: There are new questions tonight about what Hillary Clinton knew, and where she was getting her information following the Benghazi terror attacks. Chief White House correspondent Ed Henry tonight with the latest fallout from the Clinton e-mail scandal.
ED HENRY: Some of Hillary Clinton's newly released e-mails may contradict her Benghazi testimony in October when she claimed to not be aware memos with sensitive information about Libya she received on her personal server from controversial adviser Sidney Blumenthal were actually put together by former intelligence official Tyler Drumheller. Republican Select Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy pressed on whether the secretary of state basically had an outside intelligence network and why she was not more curious about the source of information about the September 11, 2012 terror attacks and other matters, noting it was not really coming from Blumenthal.
HILLARY CLINTON [on 10/22/15]: I don't know who wrote them. He's the one that sent them to me.
REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN TREY GOWDY (S.C.) [TO CLINTON][on 10/22/15]: Would you be surprised to know not a single one of those was from him?
CLINTON [on 10/22/15]: I don't know where he got the information that he was sending to me.
GOWDY [TO CLINTON][on 10/22/15]: Did you ask?
HENRY: The new emails show on September 11th, 2012, the night after the attacks, Clinton received a message written by Drumheller, in which the former C.I.A. officer declared his sources, quote, “believe that the attackers having prepared to launch their assault took advantage of the cover provided by the demonstrations in Benghazi, protesting an internet production [OR VIDEO] seen as disrespectful to the prophet Mohammed.” Raising more questions about Clinton's role in pushing the White House's narrative, with National Security Adviser Susan Rice, that the video caused the attacks. Since another new document revealed by the State Department on Monday shows Clinton met with Rice on September 14th, two days before the then-United Nations Ambassador infamously appeared on five Sunday talk shows.
THEN-U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N. SUSAN RICE [on Fox News Sunday, 09/16/12]: It was a spontaneous reaction to what had just transpired in Cairo as a consequence of the video.
HENRY: There are also emails with the Clinton camp's reaction to her Benghazi testimony back in 2013.
CLINTON [on 01/23/13]: What difference at this point does it make?
HENRY: Mark Penn, an adviser from Clinton's 2008 campaign, e-mailed it was a mistake, declaring, quote, “looks more like they rattled you.” While most other advisers boasted they were doing high fives, a key cheerleader being top aide Huma Abedin, who e-mailed, quote: “I’m being flood with emails about how you rocked. And you looked fabulous.” Martin O’Malley jumped on a 2012 e-mail in which Clinton writes caucuses are, quote, “creatures of the party extremes.” Might not play well in Iowa, Bret.
BAIER: Alright, Ed, thank you.
