Appearing on Fox Business Network’s Varney & Co. Monday morning, Media Research Center President Brent Bozell hammered the White House Press Corps for not demanding President Biden answer their questions when he routinely turns his back on them and rushes out of the room. Earlier in the segment, he noted how even CNN was starting to call out the administration for it’s “huge mistake” on handling COVID.
“Do you think there’s some acknowledgment in the mainstream media that this is a president who tries to avoid the camera at all costs and when he does face the cameras, he makes a statement and then high tails it off the stage?,” fill-in anchor Ashley Webster asked. Bozell urged journalists to actually do their jobs and hold the President accountable:
You know, I’m wondering when a reporter is going to start behaving like a reporter. When – especially the Washington news media – when they’re going to start asking questions? Aren’t reporters supposed to be doing this? Aren’t they supposed to be inquisitive? When a man turns their back and he always says, “Well, somebody told me to leave.” You know, they should be yelling at him, saying, “Mr. President, turn around and answer the damn question.” I mean, the American people deserve answers from this person.
He then added: “So yeah, they’re seeing it, but the fact that no one, virtually no one’s calling him out on it is very, very troubling. It just tells you that they are hook, line and sinker invested in his administration, although they don’t like what they’re seeing.”
At the top of the segment, Webster highlighted how “A CNN panelist, no less, is blasting the White House for the approach to COVID testing.” A soundbite ran of CNN analyst and Washington Post columnist Paul Kane telling fellow panelists on Sunday’s Inside Politics: “They have a policy problem and a messaging problem....they had all the money in the world for testing and they just didn’t focus on it, and that was a huge mistake.”
Webster wondered: “Brent, is the media’s honeymoon with President Biden over?” Bozell replied:
No, but there are definitely cracks that are developing. Look, it's almost unheard of that there is, that there can ever be consensus left and right on anything, but when there is, then, the middle, the party that they’re targeting better be careful....When you talk about this testing, this COVID testing , it’s hugely important that what you just heard could have been heard on Fox News. It’s almost never that there can be an agreement on those networks.
Webster also pointed out: “The Washington Post taking on Supreme Court Justice Sonya Sotomayor. She said that more than 100,000 children are in serious condition with COVID, but the Post debunked that claim, giving it four Pinnochios.” Bozell credited the paper but wondered what the rest of the media were waiting for: “Well good for The Washington Post but where’s everyone else?”
Here is a full transcript of the January 10 segment:
11:18 AM ET
ASHLEY WEBSTER: Now this. A CNN panelist, no less, is blasting the White House for the approach to COVID testing. Roll that tape.
PAUL KANE [WASHINGTON POST COLUMNIST]: It’s the worst kind of problem. They have a policy problem and a messaging problem. This administration, with all the money in the world, from the bipartisan deals of 2020 and the unilateral Democratic $1.9 trillion bill in March, they had all the money in the world for testing and they just didn’t focus on it, and that was a huge mistake.
WEBSTER: I wonder if he’s gonna be invited back to be on a panel. We’ll see. But Brent Bozell joins me now. Brent, is the media’s honeymoon with President Biden over?
BRENT BOZELL: Hi, Ashley. No, but there are definitely cracks that are developing. Look, it's almost unheard of that there is, that there can ever be consensus left and right on anything, but when there is, then, the middle, the party that they’re targeting better be careful.
Take for example, anti-trust legislation. When I hear Elizabeth Warren and Ted Cruz both talking about it, I know there’s something very serious that could happen. When you talk about this testing, this COVID testing , it’s hugely important that what you just heard could have been heard on Fox News. It’s almost never that there can be an agreement on those networks.
When it’s there – here’s something else to consider. Talk about an alliance that could be held between tens of millions of white people and the majority of blacks that don’t want to be vaccinated. It’s an interesting concept there, and I think this is a very, very important development.
WEBSTER: It’s interesting, isn’t it? Also, Brent, The Washington Post taking on Supreme Court Justice Sonya Sotomayor. She said that more than 100,000 children are in serious condition with COVID, but the Post debunked that claim, giving it four Pinnochios. Look at that. Four of them. What do you make of that?
BOZELL: Well good for The Washington Post but where’s everyone else?
WEBSTER: Yeah, right.
BOZELL: You’ve got a Supreme Court Justice, they’re reviewing a monumental case that will affect 100 million employees around the country. The Supreme Court Justice put out – it was a lie, Ashley, it was a lie – to be off by 5% or 10%, but she was 20 times as much. What if Neil Gorsuch had said that, “Well as you know, no child is ever put in the hospital.” Do you think the media would stop talking about it? They’d all be talking about it. This is, to me, it’s the silence of everyone else, it’s not the good work of The Washington Post. And good for them though.
WEBSTER: Yes, exactly. You know, we had a guest on, Matt Schlapp, earlier who called Joe Biden the hermit president. Do you think there’s some acknowledgment in the mainstream media that this is a president who tries to avoid the camera at all costs and when he does face the cameras, he makes a statement and then high tails it off the stage?
BOZELL: You know, I’m wondering when a reporter is going to start behaving like a reporter. When – especially the Washington news media – when they’re going to start asking questions? Aren’t reporters supposed to be doing this? Aren’t they supposed to be inquisitive? When a man turns their back and he always says, “Well, somebody told me to leave.” You know, they should be yelling at him, saying, “Mr. President, turn around and answer the damn question.” I mean, the American people deserve answers from this person.
So yeah, they’re seeing it, but the fact that no one, virtually no one’s calling him out on it is very, very troubling. It just tells you that they are hook, line and sinker invested in his administration, although they don’t like what they’re seeing.
WEBSTER: Yes, they are. And those cracks are definitely appearing. Brent, thank you so much, great insight as always, we appreciate it.
BOZELL: Thank you, Ashley. Happy New Year.
WEBSTER: Now let’s get back to these markets – yeah, same to you, thank you very much.
