Late Wednesday, CNN’s Paula Reid revealed the FBI had conducted multiple searches of President Biden’s records at the University of Delaware from his Senate tenure (and “documents...sent...in recent years") that have been held in secret since their donation in 2012. While they reportedly didn’t find any classified documents, it was worth sharing as it marked another chapter in his classified documents scandal, but CBS Mornings and NBC’s Today saw no reason to mention it on their Thursday editions.
ABC’s Good Morning America wasn’t much better as they snuck in an 11-second brief on the search, which topped the 18 seconds spent on their overnight show, America This Morning. In contrast, NewsNation’s flagship AM show Morning in America had a full report in each of their three hours.
On GMA, co-host and former Clinton official George Stephanopoulos had the brief:
Also the latest on the investigation into President Biden’s handling of classified documents. The FBI conducted two additional searches of his papers at the University of Delaware. No documents with classified markings were uncovered, but the materials will be subject to review.
Left out of this was a key detail in Reid’s reporting, which was that “[t]he previously undisclosed searches were conducted in recent weeks,” meaning there’s now another instance of the White House misleading the public in failing to disclose the visits to a collection of documents inside “more than 1,850 boxes.”
NewsNation, however, showed its commitment to straight, unbiased reporting with their three segments totaling seven minutes and 42 seconds. Morning in America fill-in host Mitch Carr began the first report by calling the search “another twist” involving Biden’s “alma mater and also the home to a trove of records from his time in the Senate.”
Tossing to White House correspondent Allison Harris, he asked: “[D]o we have any indication anything was found? We seem to know that there was a search, but they get anything?”
Harris replied that “some materials [were] found” and will be analyzed, “but none with classified markings” with the searches having been “consensual, that it was coordinated similar to the other FBI searches...with representatives for the President.”
“The President’s personal attorney, who has been sharing some information about these incidents of documents being discovered, is not speaking about this either as of this morning,” she added.
Harris went on, recapping the previous searches and reminding viewers that the documents at the First State’s flagship university “have not been made available to the public” despite having been there since 2012 (click “expand”):
Now, we do know that the President has donated papers photos, videos, and files from his decades as a senator to the school and those donations came more than a decade ago back in 2012. They have not been made available to the public. One report says the number of materials donated add up to 1,800. We don’t know whether those materials were of interest to the FBI, if that’s possibly what they were looking for. Now, President Biden has delivered several commencement addresses at the university. He even graduated from the college back in the 1960s.
This would be just the latest search by the FBI. Authorities have already searched both his Delaware properties. We’re talking about those in Wilmington as well as in Rehoboth Beach and the President’s private office here in Washington, D.C., at the Penn Biden Center. Materials have been found in each of those locations, some from his time as — as senator, others from his time as Vice President. Classified documents specifically have been found at his Wilmington home in his private office in DC but no classified documents found at his Rehoboth home. But remember, Mitch, they did take materials from that home to further review. It’s a lot to keep track of here.
Instead of giving even a brief to this, CBS Mornings had a full report eagerly anticipating the partial release of a Fulton County, Georgia grand jury report about the 2020 election and NBC’s Today trotted out a full story on never-before-seen underwater footage of the Titanic.
Thursday’s bias by omission was brought to you by advertisers such as Ashley Homestore (on CBS) and Citi (on NBC). Follow the links to see their contact information at the MRC’s Conservatives Fight Back page.
To see the relevant NewsNation transcript from February 16, click “expand.”
NewsNation’s Morning in America
February 16, 2023
7:01 a.m. Eastern [TEASE][ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Classified Document Search]
MITCH CARR: Plus the FBI searches, the University of Delaware looking for more classified documents from President Biden’s time in the Senate. What led them to the President’s alma mater and how the White House is responding today.
(....)
7:08 a.m. Eastern
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Developing Story; Reports: FBI Searched Univ. of Delaware in Biden Docs Probe]
CARR: And now to another twist in the ongoing investigation into classified documents found at President Biden’s home and office. We now know the federal government has searched another location linked to the President for any potential classified material. Multiple outlets are reporting that the FBI searched the University of Delaware. Now, that’s the President’s alma mater and also the home to a trove of records from his time in the Senate. White House correspondent Allison Harris has the latest and Allison, my first question to you is do we have any indication anything was found? We seem to know that there was a search, but they get anything?
ALLISON HARRIS: So some materials found. But none with classified markings. And that is according to a report that NewsNation has not been able to independently confirm this reporting that the FBI has searched the University of Delaware for classified documents that belonged to President Biden. The report does state the search was consensual, that it was coordinated similar to the other FBI searches that we’ve seen pertaining to this President and it was coordinated with representatives for the President. Again, materials were taken, according to reporting, to be further reviewed. But those materials do not contain classified markings. And this morning, the White House is referring questions about this to the Justice Department as the DOJ special counsel investigation is underway. The President’s personal attorney, who has been sharing some information about these incidents of documents being discovered, is not speaking about this either as of this morning. Now, we do know that the President has donated papers photos, videos, and files from his decades as a senator to the school and those donations came more than a decade ago back in 2012. They have not been made available to the public. One report says the number of materials donated add up to 1,800. We don’t know whether those materials were of interest to the FBI, if that’s possibly what they were looking for. Now, President Biden has delivered several commencement addresses at the university. He even graduated from the college back in the 1960s. This would be just the latest search by the FBI. Authorities have already searched both his Delaware properties. We’re talking about those in Wilmington as well as in Rehoboth Beach and the President’s private office here in Washington, D.C., at the Penn Biden Center. Materials have been found in each of those locations, some from his time as — as senator, others from his time as Vice President. Classified documents specifically have been found at his Wilmington home in his private office in DC but no classified documents found at his Rehoboth home. But remember, Mitch, they did take materials from that home to further review. It’s a lot to keep track of here.
CARR: I was going to say the exact same thing. So many different searches and so many different locations. A lot to keep track of. That’s Allison Harris at the White House kind of keeping score for us. We appreciate it.
