Imagine this scenario. An adult admits that after a political argument with a teenager whom he described as a "Democrat extremist," he ran the teenager down with his car, killing him. Think CNN would have reported the political affiliation of the victim and what the accused called him?
Rhetorical question. Not only would those facts have been stressed, but there'd be much handwringing over how comments by Donald Trump are provoking political violence by "MAGA extremists."
But in a segment on the death of an 18-year-old North Dakota Republican, after a man admitted intentionally running the teenager over with his car after a "political argument," and called the teenager a "Republican extremist," CNN never mentioned the political affiliation of the victim or what the accused called him. This ignores the CNN.com article:
Brandt told a 911 dispatcher the victim was "part of a Republican extremist group," according to court documents.
This is the mirror image of the omission Morning Joe made earlier this month regarding another killing. There, the show suppressed the fact that an elected official accused of murdering a journalist who had written stories exposing his misconduct is a Democrat. Here, it's the political affiliation of the victim that a liberal media outlet is suppressing.
Both omissions serve the same purpose: shielding the Democrat party from blame in connection with heinous crimes.
Note: CNN correspondent Adrienne Broaddus reported that authorities are saying that there is "no evidence" that a political argument preceded the killing. That is false. The accused admitted that there had been a political argument. And far from being exculpatory, that argument revealed a motive for the killing. So it was an admission against interest, and therefore very probative.
CNN's New Day failing to mention that the teenager killed after a political argument was a Republican was sponsored in part by Amazon, Samsung, AT&T, Flonase, and United Healthcare.
Here's the transcript.
CNN's New Day
9/23/22
6:27 am EDTBRIANNA KEILAR: So, this morning, police in North Dakota say a man has confessed to fatally hitting a teenager with his car after a political argument. CNN's Adrienne Broaddus is live in Chicago with more. Adrienne, tell us what happened here.
ADRIENNE BROADDUS: Well, Brianna, unlike that story that John just shared with us, this driver did not return to the scene. And authorities are saying, at least at this point, there's no evidence showcasing there was a political argument before that teen was killed.
Here's what we do know. 41-year-old Shannon Brandt has been charged with criminal vehicular homicide. Now, he did call police and told investigators he hit a pedestrian. He was later arrested at his home for driving under the influence. His blood alcohol content was above the legal limit. He did consent to a breath test at his home.
He told investigators he feared that teen was calling people to come get him. By contrast, those who knew the teen say they were surprised to hear all of this unfolding.
LOCAL RESIDENT: It's just impacted the community like nothing I've ever seen before. What bothers me, and a lot of people, the most is it has become something political. Which it shouldn't be. This is nothing more than a person who took another person's life.
BROADDUS: And this morning, that family is trying to figure out what exactly happened and why. It's unclear if the teen and the 41-year-old who was charged knew each other. Brianna.
KEILAR: All right, Adrienne, so many questions here. Adrienne Broaddus, thank you for that report.
