On Wednesday, ABC’s Good Morning America hyped an odd highlight from Tuesday night’s Democratic debate, hailing New Jersey Senator Cory Booker for denouncing a question to rival Joe Biden about Hunter Biden’s suspicious foreign business dealings.
“The candidates clash over health care, guns, abortion rights, take on President Trump....And call foul on questions about the President’s false attacks against Joe Biden’s son,” co-host George Stephanopoulos touted at the top of the broadcast. It was followed by a soundbite of Booker ranting at the CNN moderators: “The second issue we cover on this stage is elevating a lie and attacking a statesman. That was so offensive.”
During a report minutes later, correspondent Linsey Davis noted: “Biden also facing questions about his son Hunter’s business dealings with Ukraine, which President Trump asked the Ukrainians to investigate despite no evidence of wrongdoing.” A clip ran of the former Vice Presisdent insisting: “My son did nothing wrong. I did nothing wrong.”
Davis then highlighted: “New Jersey Senator Cory Booker defending Biden, calling out the question.” The soundbite of Booker played once again.
Following two questions to Biden about his son, Booker made a show of protesting the topic:
I’m having deja vu all over again. First of all, because I saw this play in 2016’s election. We are literally using Donald Trump’s lies and the second issue we cover on this stage is elevating a lie and attacking a statesman. That was so offensive. He should not have to defend ourselves [sic]. And the only person sitting at home that was enjoying that was Donald Trump seeing we’re distracting from his malfeasance and selling out of his office.
What made the objection particularly bizarre was that the first question to Biden about the controversy was actually a softball in which moderator Anderson Cooper tried to exonerate both Bidens: “Mr. Vice President, President Trump has falsely accused your son of doing something wrong while serving on a company board in Ukraine. I want to point out there’s no evidence of wrongdoing by either one of you.”
It’s always interesting to watch the media try to appease the left by boosting Democrat claims that the press coverage is not friendly enough. Especially when journalists blast Republicans for even mentioning media bias.
