During Wednesday’s CBS Evening News, the network ran back-to-back reports lionizing Arizona Republican Senator Jeff Flake for announcing his retirement while he denounced his party’s president. In a block of time lasting four minutes and 28 seconds, CBS bemoaned how Flake’s Republican colleagues didn’t join him in ripping President Trump and covering-up just how vastly unpopular Flake was in his home state.
“As president, Donald Trump is also head of the Republican Party, and he denied today that it is party divided, despite evidence to the contrary, including prominent Republicans yesterday calling him ‘a habitual liar’ and a ‘danger to democracy,’” touted anchor Anthony Mason.
And in opening her report, CBS White House correspondent Nancy Cordes lamented how “Flake's call the arms was met with mutiny today, as GOP colleagues refused to open fire on Mr. Trump.” “Mutiny,” a ridiculous term to use considering Flake was the one turning on the party’s leader, which Mason noted. “They're holding back partly because the Trump White House is key to their agenda on issues like tax reform,” she asserted.
Cordes then glorified Barry Black, the Senate chaplain, for hailing “Flake's courage and asked for some divine intervention.” “Lord, provide us with more patriots who will stand for right regardless of the consequences,” Black said on the floor of the Senate.
CBS played fast and loose with the facts surrounding Flake’s chances at re-election. “His poll numbers are terrible. He's didn't terribly for the great people of Arizona, a state that likes Donald Trump very much,” Trump said in a clip played by Cordes. Her framing of the President’s comments made it seems as though they were only a hyperbolic exclamations made in anger.
And to back up that fantasy, CBS’s second segment was a sit down with cherry-picked Arizona voters to get their opinions on the GOP infighting. The only problem? All four of the people they talked to were in Flake’s corner.
“Carrie King and Kristen Demong side with their Senators,” touted reporter Jim Axelrod. “I feel like our Senators lost because President Trump has a very loud base, a loud and aggressive and somewhat angry base,” King told him. And Demong argued that “the bigger thing I see is he is fighting for unity. He's asking us to unite.” Axelrod’s other two Republicans just wanted Flake to stick it out and see what would happen.
“But all four want the name-calling to stop, and all said their patience is starting to wear thin with the President, not his policies, his demeanor,” Axelrod stated.
Then Axelrod started spewing fake news when describing how Flake’s retirement threatened a GOP seat:
All four of these Republican voters say they are now a bit more concerned about the 2018 Senate race here. As well as unpopular as Flake is, his departure opens the door to the possibility of a candidate that could have an even tougher time holding on to a Senate seat that has been in Republican hands for more than two decades.
As the Media Research Center reported on Tuesday, the liberal networks (CBS included) refused to admit Flake was already on his way to an embarrassing loss in the primary. On the day of his retirement announcement, Flake’s number one challenger (in a three-way race) had nearly 60 percent of the vote while Flake was floundering at almost 30. Flake had undoubtedly lost the support of the people of Arizona and Axelrod only talked with his supporters.
CBS and the rest of the liberal media were continuing their fake news narrative that Flake was retiring because of some moral obligation to oppose Trump. When in reality, he was retiring because his primary loss was guaranteed.
Transcript below:
CBS Evening News
October 25, 2017
6:36:08 – 6:38:32 PM Eastern [2 minutes 23 seconds]ANTHONY MASON: As president, Donald Trump is also head of the Republican Party, and he denied today that it is party divided, despite evidence to the contrary, including prominent Republicans yesterday calling him “a habitual liar” and a “danger to democracy.” Here's chief congressional correspondent Nancy Cordes.
[Cuts to video]
JEFF FLAKE: Members of Congress ought to speak out.
NANCY CORDES: Arizona Republican Jeff Flake's call the arms was met with mutiny today, as GOP colleagues refused to open fire on Mr. Trump.
(…)
CORDES: They're holding back partly because the Trump White House is key to their agenda on issues like tax reform.
(…)
CORDES: The President insisted today that party friction has been overblown. He repeatedly mentioned the standing ovations he got at yesterday's lunch with Senate Republicans.
(…)
CORDES: As for Flake...
DONALD TRUMP: His poll numbers are terrible. He's didn't terribly for the great people of Arizona, a state that likes Donald Trump very much.
(…)
CORDES: But the Senate chaplain, Barry Black, hailed Flake's courage and asked for some divine intervention.BARRY BLACK: Lord, provide us with more patriots who will stand for right regardless of the consequences.
(…)
6:38:32 – 6:40:37 PM Eastern [2 minutes 5 seconds]
MASON: With the Republican President under attack by both of Arizona's Republican Senators, we talked to Republican voters in the state. Here's Jim Axelrod.
[Cuts to video]
FLAKE: I will not be complicit or silent.
JIM AXELROD: Arizona Senator Jeff Flake went after Donald Trump in Washington.
JOHN MCCAIN: For the sake of some half-baked, spurious nationalism.
(…)
MANNY CIPROT: I think the president loses credibility when he does this stuff.
AXELROD: We gathered four Republicans at The Henry, a coffee shop in Phoenix.
CARRIE KING: I feel like our Senators lost, because President Trump has a very loud base, a loud and aggressive and somewhat angry base.
AXELROD: Carrie King and Kristen Demong side with their Senators.
KRISTEN DEMONG: The bigger thing I see is he is fighting for unity. He's asking us to unite.
AXELROD: Frank Taznotti:
FRANK TAZNOTTI: I think he walked away from a fight he shouldn't have walked away from.
AXELROD: And Manny Ciprot would have liked flake to hang tougher.
CIPROT: I was disappointed that he threw in the towel. It's somewhat premature.
AXELROD: But all four want the name-calling to stop, and all said their patience is starting to wear thin with the President, not his policies, his demeanor.
(…)
CIPROT: We vote for these people, we give them our proxy to represent us, and when President Trump attacks people personally, he's attacking all of us.
[Cuts back to live]
AXELROD: All four of these Republican voters say they are now a bit more concerned about the 2018 Senate race here. As well as unpopular as Flake is, his departure opens the door to the possibility of a candidate that could have an even tougher time holding on to a Senate seat that has been in Republican hands for more than two decades. Anthony?
MASON: Jim Axelrod in Phoenix. Thank you, Jim.
