On Monday, Fox News Channel’s Special Report revealed that a group of pro-life advocates had their constitutional rights violated by being unjustly barred from entering two separate public museums in Washington D.C. because they were wearing clothing in support of the pro-life cause. All three of the evening news broadcasts outrageously ignored this story. It goes without saying if the shoe was on the other political foot, ABC’s World News Tonight, CBS Evening News, and NBC Nightly News would be howling over the violation.
Instead of reporting on the violation of the First Amendment rights of pro-life Americans, the three leftist news networks wasted time on local weather reports during their respective nightly newscasts.
Teasing the segment, Special Report anchor Bret Baier revealed that “a group of pro-life advocates is accusing federal government employees of harassing them during the March for Life weekend in late January. Visitors say they were targeted at two major Washington attractions.”
Baier then tossed to correspondent David Spunt who reported that pro-life advocate “Wendilee Lassiter and others were in Washington for March for Life. Lassiter says when she and the group walked into the National Archives an employee confronted them.”
Lassiter explained that the National Archives employee “said I had to take my sweatshirt off before I could enter the building. And I was just kind of like, what? This is America. Things like this shouldn’t happen.”
Worse yet, Lassiter “also claims pro-choice activists were allowed to wear their ideological clothing in the building. Lassiter and others are suing National Archives,” Spunt reported.
What’s also noteworthy is that the National Archives wasn’t denying the allegations and issued the following statement of apology:
As the home to the original Constitution and Bill of Rights, which enshrine the rights of free speech and religion we sincerely apologize for this occurrence. We are actively investigating to determine what happened.
Yet pro-life activists and conservatives weren’t backing down and letting it go despite the apology. American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) Chief Counsel Jordan Sekulow observed that “these apologies they issue they only issue after we come out to the public and say what happened so these are not proactive apologies.”
Spunt also noted how “the National Archives is not alone. A similar incident happened the same day at the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum.”
On the February 2, 2023 edition of Hannity on the Fox News Channel, a student, and March for Life attendee Patrick Murphy told his story about how he
and a group of his fellow students were thrown out of the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum for wearing a beanie that said “Rosary Pro-Life.”
The Smithsonian also issued an apology for the incident and was facing a lawsuit by Sekulow and the ACLJ on behalf of Murphy and others involved.
This latest example of bias by omission from the three networks was made possible by United Healthcare on ABC, Liberty Mutual on CBS, and Prevagen on NBC. Their information is linked.
To read the relevant transcript click “expand”:
FNC’s Special Report
2/13/2023
6:31:59 p.m. EasternBRET BAIER: A group of pro-life advocates is accusing federal government employees of harassing them during the March for Life weekend in late January. Visitors say they were targeted at two major Washington attractions. Correspondent David Spunt takes a look tonight from the Justice Department.
DAVID SPUNT: Behind these walls, the Declaration of Independence and United States Constitution. Beacons of free speech. What happened inside this building three weeks ago raises questions about the First Amendment, freedom of speech.
WENDILEE LASSITER (PLAINTIFF): To be told I can't wear my shirt in there, that those documents guarantee that right is just mind-boggling.
SPUNT: Wendilee Lassiter and others were in Washington for March for Life. Lassiter says when she and the group walked into the National Archives an employee confronted them.
LASSITER: He said I had to take my sweatshirt off before I could enter the building. And I was just kind of like, what? This is America. Things like this shouldn’t happen.
SPUNT: She also claims pro-choice activists were allowed to wear their ideological clothing in the building. Lassiter and others are suing National Archives. The agency out with a statement saying its policy typically allows such expressive clothing. ‘As the home to the original constitution and Bill of Rights, which enshrine the rights of free speech and religion we sincerely apologize for this occurrence. We are actively investigating to determine what happened.’
JORDAN SEKULOW (AMERICAN CENTER FOR LAW AND JUSTICE): These apologies they issue they only issue after we come out to the public and say what happened so these are not proactive apologies.
SPUNT: The National Archives is not alone. A similar incident happened the same day at the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum.
PATRICK MURPHY (ON HANNITY): I then said this is a violation of our First Amendment right. This is a government-funded building. How are we paying for this with our taxes and I'm not allowed to wear this hat?
SPUNT: The Smithsonian issued a similar apology and is also facing a lawsuit.
