Media watchdogs think Democrats’ behavior during Attorney General William Barr's testimony before the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday echoed the mainstream media’s coverage of recent protests, as both liberal lawmakers and reporters continue to insist the demonstrations have been peaceful.
“Like clockwork, the liberal broadcast networks diligently did their job as the propaganda wing of the Democratic Party and pushed their baseless slander,” Media Research Center news analyst Nicholas Fondacaro wrote before citing examples.
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“’CBS Evening News’ anchor Norah O’Donnell was particularly enthusiastic about bashing Barr as she led into the segment,” Fondacaro observed, noting that O’Donnell said Barr is accused by Democrats of “doing President Trump's political bidding and of a double standard by using federal agents against protesters in Portland, while ignoring armed militias who took over Michigan's capitol building earlier this year.”
The MRC news analyst noted that O’Donnell and CBS chief congressional correspondent Nancy Cordes did not mention that the protesters in Michigan “never tried to destroy the Capitol building” like the demonstrators in Portland have done.
“Over on ABC’s ‘World News Tonight,’ chief Justice correspondent Pierre Thomas touted how ‘Barr [was] under fire on several fronts,’” Fondacaro wrote. “Thomas also decried how ‘Republicans [were] helping Barr make his case’ that the riots in Portland were out of control by detailing how violent and extreme they were.”
Many conservative viewers grew frustrated that Barr was rarely allowed to answer a question. The Free Beacon and Daily Caller both put together video montages of Democratic lawmakers cutting him off throughout the hearing.
Two journalists from The Washington Post and PBS were even slammed by critics for cheering on Democratic lawmakers during the testimony. PBS NewsHour White House correspondent Yamiche Alcindor shared a quote from Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-La. -- who chastised Barr for expressing respect for the late congressman John Lewis and told the attorney general not to mention his name -- complete with a fire emoji, something critics say indicates approval of Richmond's snarky remark.
Washington Post reporter Carol Leonnig highlighted a fiery exchange between Barr and Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., who pressed the attorney general on what she perceived was a double standard between the DOJ's treatment of Black Lives Matter protesters versus the armed anti-lockdown demonstrators who stormed Michigan's Capitol building earlier this year. "She was taking no prisoners," Leonnig reacted on Twitter.
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"Maybe I am just a right-wing crank, but I think we would be better served by having a press that did not also double as a cheer squad for a political party," conservative commentator T. Becket Adams responded to the tweets.
“The same news media that had a cow over the Benghazi hearings have spent today going ’YAAAS QUEEN’ over Democrats acting like petulant children and lecturing AG Barr about subjects outside the DOJ's mission and spouting off conspiracy theories,” NewsBusters managing editor Curtis Houck tweeted.
MSNBC host Joy Reid was also mocked on social media for her attempt to combat Barr's condemnation of Antifa violence that has taken place in Portland, Ore. in recent weeks. At one point, Barr refuted Democratic chairman Jerry Nadler's claim that the existence of Antifa is a "myth" created in Washington D.C., testifying that the group has been an element in Portland's riots.
Reid, however, felt the need to explain to the attorney general what Antifa actually stands for.
"Say the whole word, Barr. What does "ANTIFA" stand for? Spell it out? Ok, I'll do it for you: Anti-Fascist. Now. Do go on..." the ReidOut host tweeted.
Critics ridiculed the MSNBC host for using Antifa's literal name in defense of the violent group.
The Hill media reporter Joe Concha joined “Fox & Friends” to offer his thoughts on the coverage of Barr’s hearing.
“The coverage is much like the way Democrats treated Barr, which is to take the exact opposite position of the president, in terms of the protests, for instance,” Concha said, noting that the mainstream media has been labeling often violent protests as “peaceful” on a regular basis.
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ABC News was recently mocked for describing a California protest that featured demonstrators setting fire to a courthouse, vandalizing a police station and shooting fireworks at police officers, as “peaceful.”
“Whoever wrote that tweet... will need a chiropractor for twisting and turning in terms of the way they’re putting this together at this point. They’re not peaceful. Some are, yes, but for the most part we’re seeing violence on our screens every night,” Concha said. “The pictures tell the whole story.”
Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, used his opening statement of Tuesday’s hearing to put an emphasis on mainstream media’s efforts to paint sometimes violent protesters as “peaceful” when he played a powerful video featuring a variety of CNN and MSNBC personalities such as Don Lemon, Chuck Todd and Rachel Maddow.
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The video also featured MSNBC host Ali Velshi famously declaring a gathering was “not, generally speaking, unruly” as a building burned behind him.
“It was very, very telling,” Concha said, noting that MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle didn’t push back when Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., insisted federal agents have used chemical weapons on demonstrators during an interview on Tuesday.
“It is dangerous because we’re in a very divisive, violent time right now in this country’s history and the media is doing no favors in pushing back on lawmakers who are making these absolutely ludicrous claims,” Concha said.
Fox News' Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report.
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