Close enough. That’s the assessment from MSNBC host Stephanie Ruhle in regard to the new book featuring incendiary quotes from ex-White House official Steve Bannon. Ruhle, like other liberal journalists, suddenly is fascinated with Bannon. She enthused on Thursday, “He was one of the most senior people in the White House, a close adviser to the President, and this book takes us inside.”
Regarding the accuracy or truthfulness, Ruhle didn’t seem too concerned: “I've spoken to people inside the White House in the last 24 hours who have said, ‘Even if not all of it is true, the spirit of the book is and it's troublesome.’” Who are these “people” And how much untruth is too much for the journalist?
Later in the day, Ruhle reiterated her sloppy definition of what news is: “Over 200 interviews conducted. A lot might not be true in the book. But, boy, even if some of it is, it’s a wow.”
Perhaps it’s the mocking content, true or not, that the host loves. She quoted from a section deriding the “semi-literate,” ignorant Trump:
In one passage, author Michael Wolff writes, quote, “Trump didn't read. He didn't really even skim. If it was print, it might as well not exist. Some believe that for all practical purposes, he was no more than semi-literate. Others concluded that he didn't read because he didn't have to, and that in fact this was one of his key attributes as a populist. He was post-literate, total television.”
In December, Ruhle insisted that it’s not an “opinion” to say that Trump is a “bully.”
On the networks, Wednesday, ABC and NBC went from slamming Bannon to praising him and his turn against Trump.
Ruhle’s tone is reminiscent of the 2004 scandal involving Dan Rather using phony documents against George W. Bush. Fake but accurate!
A partial transcript is below:
MSNBC Live
1/4/17
9:16am ETSTEPHANIE RUHLE: There's nobody we think higher of than President Trump and the agenda. So let's not let the left wing media stir that up. Don't worry, there will be no daylight between the agenda, Donald Trump and the folks at Breitbart, this show and the website.
STEPHANIE RUHLE: That was Steve Bannon on the radio reacting to his relationship with Trump and the brand of the new book Fire and Fury that is painting a troubling portrait of the Trump White House and the President himself. I want to get to one passage. But before I do, again, that was Steve Bannon this morning saying, “If the left wants to stir something up.” Let's make something abundantly clear. I had a chance to read the book. I know people have already seen a bunch of quotes. I'm going to share some. You don't need to stir, you don't need to twist. You don’t need to pontificate. You can sit in a black room and take this sucker as a book on tape and these are over 200 interviews, many of which are on the record quotes from Steve Bannon. So no one has to lift or raise anything. These are their words.
And those who say well, “Why are you raising Steve Bannon, calling him a hero?” Absolutely no one is calling him a hero. If he said or did or has said offensive, misogynistic, racist things, he still has. They're still wildly offensive, but he was one of the most senior people in the White House, a close adviser to the President, and this book takes us inside. I've spoken to people inside the White House in the last 24 hours who have said, “Even if not all of it is true, the spirit of the book is and it's troublesome. It's chaotic.” In one passage, author Michael Wolff writes, quote, “Trump didn't read. He didn't really even skim. If it was print, it might as well not exist. Some believe that for all practical purposes, he was no more than semi-literate. Others concluded that he didn't read because he didn't have to, and that in fact this was one of his key attributes as a populist. He was post-literate, total television.”
11:59pm
RUHLE: Over 200 interviews conducted. A lot might not be true in the book. But, boy, even if some of it is, it’s a wow.
