Last Thursday morning, as the government shutdown began it's second day, House Speaker Mike Johnson was holding a news conference and speaking on various aspects of the issue. But a funny thing happened to Speaker Johnson, and to those watching him on both CNN and MSNBC. He was interrupted, taken away, replaced by, and then "corrected" by the anchors in place at each respective network. Why? To prevent the distribution of "misinformation" by Johnson! I kid you not.

Both MSNBC's Anna Cabrera and CNN's Pamela Brown cut away for the same reason, just about a minute or so apart.

Let's start with MSNBC. Speaker Johnson was explaining the Republican position, why they believe that some illegal aliens are in fact receiving tax ayer benefits. "They say that we're making this up....it's a talking point they say....Joe Biden used executive orders and he expanded benefits, health care to illegal aliens in his four year term." And it wasn't long before Cabrera decided, or it was decided for her, that she would put a stop to Johnson's platform, as he continued, "That was an outrageous violation of the existing federal law....." 

Enter Cabrera who proudly announced, "Okay I want to pull out to just make sure we don't offer misleading information when it comes to what the facts are and what the laws are. I can tell you that the U.S. law prohibits undocumented immigrants from gaining federally subsidized health care, whether that's Medicaid, affordable care act, children's health insurance program or otherwise."

And she wasn't done. "It's actually a 1996 law that establishes that, and the Democrats aren't looking to change that law. As far as the Affordable Care Act subsidies, there is no access for undocumented immigrants to get Obamacare, that's just the fact right now." 

Over on CNN, Pamela Brown, co-host of The Situation Room, also interrupted the same Johnson presser, for the same reason, but just at a slightly different point. Johnson was explaining the same situation, health care funds for illegals. "..Now why are we saying that they want to return and restore taxpayer funded (health) benefits to illegal aliens? Because that's exactly what they did.  When they rejected the clean 'CR' that we sent over, the Senate filed...." 

Pamela Brown had heard enough, and just had to set her viewers straight with the truth! "We're listening here to Speaker Johnson. He's trying to frame the shutdown as a Democratic shutdown. He's also falsely claimed that Democrats want to give health care, extend health care to illegal immigrants, That is not true. Illegal immigrants are not eligible for federal health care programs."

This is so outrageous but certainly not unfamiliar. How many times have these two networks either cut away from  a Donald Trump speech or Q & A session? How many times have they not broadcast any of it at all?  When have we ever seen CNN or MSNBC cut out of a Joe Biden, or Kamala Harris or Chuck Schumer presser, or cut away from Hakeem Jeffries, or any Democrat, to "prevent misinformation" from being dispersed? When have we seen CNN or MSNBC anchors say, "that's just not true", following a claim from a Democrat?

It certainly looks like the instructions were out. For CNN and MSNBC to cut away from Mike Johnson while he was discussing one particular topic, and to have their similar "disclaimers" ready to go seems like more than just a coincidence. What is wasn't, was journalism.