Tuesday night, NewsBusters asked if the broadcast networks would care to cover the newly revealed police body camera video featuring Georgia Senate candidate Raphael Warnock (D) as they responded to a domestic dispute. Despite the alleged incident being contemporaneous and including video from the police response, ABC, CBS, and NBC omitted the story from their flagship morning and evening news programs in the 24 hours since the story broke on the Fox News Channel’s Tucker Carlson Tonight.
There’s no doubt that if either of the Republicans running in the Georgia Senate race (Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Purdue) were involved in a domestic dispute, it would be the media’s new flavor of the week to use against them.
Luckily, Fox News spent Wednesday repeatedly highlighting the body camera video. “I've tried to keep the way he acts under wraps for a long time, and today he crossed the line. So, that is what is going on here. He is a great actor, he is phenomenal at putting on a really good show,” Ouleye Warnock can be heard saying to the Atlanta police officer.
Political correspondent Jonathan Serrie had some new details to share about the alleged incident during an appearance on Outnumbered Overtime:
The alleged incident took place during a verbal argument that Warnock was having with his then strained wife, Ouleye, over a combination of divorce papers, and also a document she wanted him to sign that would allow her to take their children out of the country to attend a funeral.
According to Raphael’s statement to the officer, their kids were in the car when she started screaming about him running over her foot.
“Yeah, Warnock said he didn't believe it at the time and medical professionals found no evidence of injury,” Serrie added. “Police filed no charges. Warnock spoke with local media about the incident back in March shortly after it happened.”
And in the Warnock campaign’s official response to the video, spokesperson Michael J. Brewer did some mental gymnastics to claim it was a new attack from Loeffler, against his family. As reported by Serrie:
And while the video that recently surfaced raises no new allegations, Republicans are hoping it raises doubts about Warnock less than two weeks away from his runoff against Senator Kelly Loeffler. A Warnock campaign spokesperson tells Fox News, “This is desperate and shameful. Kelly Loeffler has spent her entire campaign attacking Reverend Warnock and has now stooped to a new level of attacking his family."
Instead of reporting on this, the broadcast networks continued to bash President Trump’s opposition to the COVID relief bill; mischaracterizing his critiques and completely omitting the wasteful spending on foreign counties and liberal pet projects.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
Fox News Channel’s Outnumbered Overtime
December 23, 2020
1:15:05 p.m. EasternMOLLY LINE: We’re learning brand-new details about a domestic dispute between Senate candidate Raphael Warnock and his ex-wife. With those high stakes and runoffs in Georgia just around the corner. Take a listen.
OULEYE WARNOCK: I've tried to keep the way he acts under wraps for a long time, and today he crossed the line. So, that is what is going on here. He is a great actor, he is phenomenal at putting on a really good show.
LINE: Jonathan Serrie is live in Atlanta with the details on this. Jonathan?
JONATHAN SERRIE: Yeah, good afternoon to you. The alleged incident took place during a verbal argument that Warnock was having with his then strained wife, Ouleye, over a combination of divorce papers, and also a document she wanted him to sign that would allow her to take their children out of the country to attend a funeral.
RAPHAEL WARNOCK: I start to move slightly, thinking she's here. I'm thinking she is clear, and I barely moved. And all of sudden she's screaming, that I ran over her foot. I don’t believe it.
SERRIE: Yeah, Warnock said he didn't believe it at the time and medical professionals found no evidence of injury. Police filed no charges. Warnock spoke with local media about the incident back in March shortly after it happened.
And while the video that recently surfaced raises no new allegations, Republicans are hoping it raises doubts about Warnock less than two weeks away from his runoff against Senator Kelly Loeffler. A Warnock campaign spokesperson tells Fox News, “This is desperate and shameful. Kelly Loeffler has spent her entire campaign attacking Reverend Warnock and has now stooped to a new level of attacking his family."
(…)
