Horrific was the only way to describe the statistic that broke Wednesday showing over 12 American cities had broken their all-time-high homicide rate so far in 2021, with Philadelphia, Pennsylvania topping 523, breaking their previous record of 500 from 1990. But this wasn’t deemed newsworthy by ABC’s World News Tonight and the CBS Evening News. Nor were the top law enforcement officers in those cities blaming “stupid” “progressive policies and practices.”
Instead of covering soaring homicides nationwide, ABC anchor David Muir spent 1 minute and 25 seconds gushing about Hillary Clinton crying as she pathetically read from the 2016 victory speech Americans denied her.
NBC Nightly News was the only network from the big three to report on the disgusting homicide rate, but they downplayed the outsized role progressive bail reform played. “The debate over why is raging. Some experts blame the pandemic in part, bail reform keeping more criminals out of jail, more guns, and fewer officers,” deduced national Gabe Gutierrez.
Meanwhile, on Fox News Channel’s Special Report, the soaring murders across America were the top story and garnered two back-to-back reports from national correspondent Bryan Llenas and chief correspondent Jonathan Hunt respectively, spanning nearly five minutes (4:54) of airtime.
Llenas started by showing New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) trying to gaslight residents with claims the city was the safest, “despite startling headlines like the murder of a Columbia university student stabbed to death in a city park Sunday, or the NYPD's own statistics showing crime is up 3.4 percent in the big apple compared to last year. While murders are nearly the same, felony assaults are up about nine percent, auto grand larceny is up more than 14 percent, and hate crimes have nearly doubled.”
He also had a soundbite of New York City Police Commissioner Dermont Shea specifically condemning progressive bail reform. "When you have mass amounts of people put back on the streets that have traditionally been held in jail, you’re seeing some of that permeate here as well. I mean, that's just a fact," he said on a local news station.
After noting Philly’s record-setting murders, Llenas highlighted city District Attorney Larry Krasner claiming “a crisis of violence” didn’t exist and some of the pushback:
LARRY KRASNER (Philadelphia DA): Basically, we don't have a crisis of “lawlessness” [finger quotes]. We don't have a crisis of crime, we don't have a crisis of violence.
LLENAS: Philadelphia's former Democratic mayor, Michael Nutter called Krasner's comment “ignorant and insulting. I have to wonder what kind of messed up world of white wokeness Krasner is living in to have so little regard for human lives lost.”
Gutierrez did note this ridiculous assertion from Krasner and identified him as a “progressive.”
At the top of the newscast, anchor Bret Baier noted that Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon was “defending himself against criticisms of his progressive policies and practices.” And when they got to Hunt’s report, he noted Gascon was “expressing pride in judicial reform measures. Critics say those are measures are leading to spiking crime levels.”
“The Los Angeles County DA has been in office for exactly one year. A year that has been marked by a surge in violent crime,” reported Hunt. “The murder of a high-profile philanthropist in her Beverly Hills home last week, just one of a burst of killing that has seen the murder rate rise by almost 45 percent so far in 2021 over the same time period in 2020.”
Further, he highlighted L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva, who didn’t shy away from calling out Gascon and questioning his intelligence:
VILLANUEVA: The message he has delivered to the criminal community they’ve heard him loud and clear.
HUNT: And the Sheriff says there has to be change.
VILLANUEVA: He’s going to be recalled. And that's the change we need. I cannot see him, you know, doing a 180 and saying, “well that was bad idea.” No, he is going to double down on stupid.
The network blackout of record-setting homicides and downplaying progressive bail reform was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from PacificLife on ABC, Crest on CBS, and Liberty Mutual on NBC. Their contact information is linked so you can tell them about the biased news they fund.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
Fox News Channel’s Special Report
December 8, 2021
6:00:41 p.m. EasternBRET BAIER: Breaking tonight, America's crime crisis. Officials in the nation's two largest cities are dealing with skyrocketing violent crime that’s gripping the country, including in many places, soaring homicide figures and also high-profile holiday season smash and grab robberies.
We have Fox team coverage tonight. Jonathan Hunt in Los Angeles where the county district attorney is defending himself against criticisms of his progressive policies and practices. But we start with correspondent Bryan Llenas in New York. Good evening, Bryan.
BRYAN LLENAS: Bret, good evening. Numbers don't lie. Tonight, crime statistics are validating how many people feel in cities across the country. Crime is up across the board and leaders are struggling to find solutions and silver linings.
[Cuts to video]
MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO (D-NYC): New York City, the safest of the top 20 big cities.
LLENAS: New York City’s mayor, Bill de Blasio painting an optimistic portrait today of crime in the big apple, despite startling headlines like the murder of a Columbia university student stabbed to death in a city park Sunday, or the NYPD's own statistics showing crime is up 3.4 percent in the big apple compared to last year. While murders are nearly the same, felony assaults are up about nine percent, auto grand larceny is up more than 14 percent, and hate crimes have nearly doubled.
NYPD commissioner Dermot Shea says the problem is Progressive bail reform laws.
DERMOT SHEA (NYC police commissioner): When you have mass amounts of people put back on the streets that have traditionally been held in jail, you’re seeing some of that permeate here as well. I mean, that's just a fact.
LLENAS: Nationwide, at least 12 major cities have reportedly broken all-time high homicide records in 2021. Including Philadelphia, where 523 people have been murdered this year. That is up 13 percent compared to last year and breaking the previous record set in 1990. Despite this, Philly's progressive district attorney Larry Krasner says there is no crime crisis.
LARRY KRASNER (Philadelphia DA): Basically, we don't have a crisis of “lawlessness” [finger quotes]. We don't have a crisis of crime, we don't have a crisis of violence.
LLENAS: Philadelphia's former Democratic mayor, Michael Nutter called Krasner's comment “ignorant and insulting. I have to wonder what kind of messed up world of white wokeness Krasner is living in to have so little regard for human lives lost.”
Philadelphia's top cop, Danielle Outlaw says the DA refuses to prioritize illegal gun and narcotics charges to reduce crime.
DANIELLE OUTLAW (Philadelphia police commissioner): We absolutely have an issue with violent crime.
[Cuts back to live]
LLENAS: Police in Portland, Oregon are so short-staffed and so overwhelmed by record number of shootings and homicides, that they warn residents calling 9-1-1 Monday to expect delays in responses. Bret.
BAIER: Bryan Llenas, New York. Bryan, thank you.
The district attorney of Los Angeles County is expressing pride in judicial reform measures. Critics say those are measures are leading to spiking crime levels. Chief correspondent Jonathan hunt has details.
[Cuts to video]
GEORGE GASCON (LA County district attorney): We have made incredible progress, even in this unprecedented times.
HUNT: The Los Angeles County DA has been in office for exactly one year. A year that has been marked by a surge in violent crime. The murder of a high-profile philanthropist in her Beverly Hills home last week just one of a burst of killing that has seen the murder rate rise by almost 45 percent so far in 2021 over the same time period in 2020.
Armed robberies, while down in the early part of the year, have also recently shot up. But the District Attorney called today's press conference to announce he would be, quote: “Outlining accomplishments during his first year in office.”
GASCON: I am proud of our entire team in the L.A. County District Attorney's Office. We cannot prosecute our way out of social inequalities, income inequalities, the unhoused, the desperation that we have.
HUNT: The reasons for the crime surge are, obviously complex and can't be entirely placed at one person's door. Put L.A. County sheriff told us today the DA has to accept some blame.
SHERIFF ALEX VILLANUEVA (L.A. County): The message he has delivered to the criminal community they’ve heard him loud and clear.
HUNT: And the Sheriff says there has to be change.
VILLANUEVA: He’s going to be recalled. And that's the change we need. I cannot see him, you know, doing a 180 and saying, “well that was bad idea.” No, he is going to double down on stupid.
[Cuts back to live]
HUNT: The District Attorney and his supporters point out that voters elected him on the basis of the policies he promised and is now implementing. The Sheriff acknowledges that, too. And says it should serve as a reminder to voters that elections have consequences. Bret.
BAIER: Jonathan Hunt in Los Angeles. Jonathan, thank you.
