On Sunday’s Reliable Sources, CNN host Brian Stelter skipped over his typical rampaging anti-Trump editorial and welcomed Biden campaign press secretary T.J. Ducklo for another soft interview, hailing the "seismic change for the nation." Stelter was eager to underline how Biden will not attack the press like Trump...which raises the question: Why would he? For Biden, it's like attacking your best friends. For Trump, it's like fending off people who want to destroy you. Take this Stelter softball:
STELTER: Let me ask you a question about the media and Biden's relationship with the media. Have you and your colleagues talked about what kind of tone you want to set from the very beginning, given that for the past four years President Trump has diminished and derided and demeaned the American media, calling them the enemy of the people. Have you all talked about how that new tone will be set by Biden and his aides?
Sadly, Stelter ignored examples of Biden showing hostility to the press. He doesn't care about what tone Biden takes with Fox News. But Biden also yelled at CBS producer Bo Erickson for asking in the softest way possible about Hunter Biden.
Ducklo replied "President-Elect Biden believes that the media is a critical piece of our democracy. That transparency is incredibly important...He also believes though that the media's job is to hold him accountable." Stelter still didn't bring up yelling at Fox and CBS.
Stelter then derided all sources that do not agree with the liberal media as “extremist content” and despite expressing concerns over “press freedom,” asked Ducklo if Biden has “thought” about what to do with this "poisoned" information environment....meaning more Big Tech suppression.
STELTER: Press advocacy groups like Reporters Without Borders have already said Biden should come out and immediately stand up for press freedom in a very vivid way. But how do you think he can heal the country? How can he restore trust when there is this alternative universe of information, these QAnon conspiracy theories, this extremist content all over the internet that’s all about voter fraud and all about crazy conspiracy claims? Has he thought about this information environment that is so poisoned?
DUCKLO: Well, look, I think when -- when a record number of voters showed up to vote for Vice President Biden and Senator Harris, they voted for truth. They voted -- as the Vice President likes to say on the stump, they voted for truth over lies. And so, look, it is our job to continue to stand up for truth, to continue to stand up for facts. This is going to be a White House with President Biden and Vice President Harris that will put truth and facts first, always give it to the American people straight. That is something we have done this entire campaign.
It's quite something for Stelter to imply there aren't any conservative media outlets that aren't serial misinformers -- suggesting that the only people who care to investigate voter fraud are the same ones who think Hillary Clinton runs a Satanic pedophile ring. Suppressing the New York Post isn't somehow a press freedom issue...and pushing Trump as a Russian agent is never a "crazy conspiracy claim."
Stelter also expressed concern about Biden needing to “pop the information bubble and reach” Trump voters. Ducklo responded by claiming Biden is such a healer: "Well, look, that's our job. It's our job to bring the country together. It's our job to help the country heal. And that’s -- that's who the American people sent to the White House. They sent someone who knows how to help people heal."
As always, Brian Stelter is not a reliable source.
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Read the full November 8th transcript here:
CNN Reliable Sources with Brian Stelter
11/08/20
11:03:09 AM
BRIAN STELTER: And here’s another one, talking about this as a seismic change for the nation. So let's talk about that seismic change for the nation with TJ Ducklo. He is the National Press Secretary for the Biden campaign and he is joining me now from the site of the victory, from -- from Wilmington, Delaware, right now. T.J., thank you for coming on.
TJ DUCKLO (NATIONAL PRESS SECRETARY FOR THE BIDEN CAMPAIGN): Hi, Brian. Thank you so much for having me.
STELTER: Same question Jake Tapper asked a couple of hours ago to Symone Sanders. Has the Biden campaign -- has the President-Elect heard from President Trump yet?
DUCKLO: Well, Brian, we have not heard from President Trump yet. But, look, I think what President-Elect Biden and what our campaign is now focused on is the business of the American people and you heard that from him last night. I know you just mentioned the coronavirus task force that President-Elect Biden mentioned will be -- will be meeting, and -- and we’ll be sharing more information on that tomorrow, because that's what the American people elected him to do. You know, this country is in a crisis. As you also noted at the -- at the top of the show, you know, cases and deaths continue to rise across the country. You know, this pandemic continues to spread unchecked, and the American people elected President-Elect Biden to do something about that. And so he is going to move forward with the -- with the business of the American people, with doing what we need to do to get this virus under control, you know, doing exactly what the 73 million plus people sent him to the White House to do, which is to make people's lives better.
STELTER: Does this moment remind you of 2008 when Barack Obama was elected president in the grips of a terrible economic crisis? The difference now is that Biden's facing both an economic crisis and a health crisis.
DUCKLO: Yeah, look, I think, you know, there is no one better suited for this moment than President-Elect Biden for exactly the reason you said. He was a critical part of getting the Recovery Act passed in --in 2009, a Recovery Act which passed with three Republican votes I would add. You know, he knows how to make government work for people, he knows how to get to Washington, hit the ground running and deliver results immediately. I think that's what the American people wanted when they turned out in record numbers to vote for him in this election. And, you know, I -- I think that's what our country needs in this moment. You know, it’s -- it's certainly an exciting time for the President-Elect and for our campaign and for those folks who fought for him for the last year and a half, but it's an exciting time for the country. I think as we saw last night, from his remarks and from Vice President-Harris's remarks, you know, these are -- these are leaders who are putting the American people first, who are here to serve, who are here to deliver results. That is something our country badly needs and I -- we believe that is what -- that is why folks turned out and voted in such record numbers for -- for our ticket.
STELTER: Let me ask you a question about the media and Biden's relationship with the media. Have you and your colleagues talked about what kind of tone you want to set from the very beginning, given that for the past four years President Trump has diminished and derided and demeaned the American media, calling them the enemy of the people. Have you all talked about how that new tone will be set by Biden and -- and -- and his aides?
DUCKLO: Well, President-Elect Biden believes that the media is a critical piece of our democracy. That transparency is incredibly important. You will remember we opened all of our fundraisers this campaign, opened to press so that folks could see what was going on and what was being said. He also believes though that the media's job is to hold him accountable. He’s there to do the people's work. And you know, he -- he welcomes that relationship. He welcomes their role, the media's role in our democracy. And I think it will be frankly, the polar opposite what we have seen over the last four years. The media has an incredibly important job to do. President-Elect Biden agrees that and believes that and I -- I think you’ll see -- I think you’ll see a huge change in the culture and the way that this White House treats the media.STELTER: Press advocacy groups like Reporters Without Borders have already said Biden should come out and immediately stand up for press freedom in a very vivid way. But how do you think he can heal the country? How can he restore trust when there is this alternative universe of information, these QAnon conspiracy theories, this extremist content all over the internet that’s all about voter fraud and all about crazy conspiracy claims? Has he thought about this information environment that is so poisoned?
DUCKLO: Well, look, I think when -- when a record number of voters showed up to vote for Vice President Biden and Senator Harris, they voted for truth. They voted -- as the Vice President likes to say on the stump, they voted for -- for truth over lies. And so, look, it is our job to continue to stand up for truth, to continue to stand up for facts. This is going to be a White House with President Biden and Vice President Harris that will put truth and facts first, always give it to the American people straight. That is something we have done this entire campaign.
STELTER: And we are going to hold you accountable to that. But 70 million people voted for a candidate that -- that -- I don't know how all 70 million people -- voters of Trump feel, but some probably feel alienated this weekend, right? They probably feel like they lost just like Trump lost. And I wonder if there is any chance that you can pop the information bubble and reach those voters.
DUCKLO: Well, look, that's our job. It's our job to bring the country together. It's our job to help the country heal. And that’s -- that's who the American people sent to the White House. They sent someone who knows how to help people heal, who knows how to fight through grief and -- and fight through darkness and get to the light on the other side. You know, Joe Biden has been doing that his entire career. He has done it in his personal life through unimaginable tragedy and now he is going to do it for the American people. He is going to go to the White House and get through this moment of chaos and divisiveness and darkness to -- to the light on the other side. And I -- I think the American people -- the country is incredibly proud to -- to have someone like him in the White House. And, you know, the excitement we saw yesterday in the streets all across the country, I think folks are ready for it. That's why they sent him there and that's what he is going with to do.
STELTER: TJ thank you very much for being here. Great to see you.
