NRPLUS MEMBER ARTICLE {C} nn this past week published an egregious example of news media deferring to power — one that stands out in a sea of such examples in recent years.
On September 12, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced that he is launching a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden to investigate allegations of obstruction, corruption, and abuse of power by the chief executive. Later that day, the White House sent a 14-page memo to editors at the biggest and most powerful newsrooms in the United States, urging them to “ramp up [their] scrutiny of House Republicans for opening an impeachment inquiry based on lies.”
On September 13, CNN published a remarkable 2,300-word “fact check” of McCarthy’s announcement. It’s remarkable because, despite CNN’s best efforts, the fact check failed to find any factual fault with what the speaker said. CNN can’t point to any specific falsehood or even a misstatement. The fact check merely posits, repeatedly, that no one has proven the allegations that have led to the impeachment investigation, which is a thing that everyone already understood given that the inquiry is for the purpose of investigating the allegations.
That the CNN article’s main points align closely with the Biden administration’s 14-page memo to media is either evidence of a grotesque partnership between members of the press and the state, or one of the unluckiest coincidences in recent memory.
“House Speaker Kevin McCarthy made several unproven claims Tuesday while announcing the opening of a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden,” the CNN story begins. “House Republicans have not presented any proof that Joe Biden ever profited off his son’s business deals or was influenced while in office by his son’s business dealings.”
The report, which carries three bylines, reviews six specific claims Speaker McCarthy made on Tuesday.
- “Bank records show that nearly $20 million in payments were directed to the Biden family members and associates through various shell companies.”
CNN concedes this is a factual statement but then goes on to argue there’s no “direct evidence” showing the president himself profited personally from his son’s business dealings. But McCarthy isn’t quoted as having said that. In fact, the speaker explained this week that the investigation is for the explicit purpose of exploring whether there’s more to the story than has already been uncovered, including that “nearly $20 million in payments were directed to the Biden family members and associates.” CNN’s fact-checkers are dinging McCarthy for something he didn’t say, which, if this were an episode of Columbo, would be the part where Peter Falk chomps harder on his cigar.
- “A trusted FBI informant has alleged a bribe to the Biden family.”
CNN concedes once again that this is a true statement — but it still feels the need to go on for 200-plus more words, protesting that “the underlying allegation that the Biden family was given a bribe is totally unproven.”
- “Eyewitnesses have testified that the president joined on multiple phone calls and had multiple interactions — dinners resulted in cars and millions of dollars into his son’s and his son’s business partners.”
To this, CNN responds, “McCarthy’s claim omits key context about what was — and wasn’t — reportedly discussed in the calls and dinners. A Hunter Biden associate testified that even though Joe Biden was on these calls and at these dinners, he didn’t discuss business.”
Again, though, McCarthy didn’t say Biden discussed business with his son’s business partners. McCarthy said that “eyewitnesses have testified” that the president joined multiple calls with his son’s business partners. This is a true statement. A key former business associate of Hunter Biden has testified to this exactly. CNN is once again fact-checking something that the speaker didn’t say.
For good measure, the article reiterates that “Republicans have not presented any evidence that Joe Biden himself benefited financially from his appearances at the dinners or on the calls.”
Readers already got the point. It seems strange to repeat it a third time, as if CNN doesn’t trust anyone to believe it.
- “The Treasury Department alone has more than 150 transactions involving the Biden family and other business associates that were flagged as suspicious activity by US banks.”
CNN’s “facts first” fact check reads thus: “The existence of these suspicious activity reports don’t prove wrongdoing on their own.”
What are we even doing here? What is the purpose of this article?
- “Biden used his official office to coordinate with Hunter Biden’s business partners about Hunter’s role in Burisma, the Ukrainian energy company.”
In response, CNN observes that “there is no public evidence that Joe Biden abused his government powers to help his family.”
The “public” qualifier here is an interesting choice, but, again, it’s a bit tedious reading a self-described fact check where actual facts aren’t in dispute.
- “The President did lie to the American people about his own knowledge of his family’s foreign business dealings.”
This is a stone-cold fact. Biden claimed repeatedly during the 2020 election that he had “never discussed” with his son “anything having to do with [his] businesses. Period.” Evidence has since emerged proving that the president did indeed interact with his son’s overseas business partners. Biden also claimed that his son had “not made money” dealing with China. This was shown later to be an outright lie.
Amazingly, this is how CNN’s fact check responds: “Joe Biden’s unequivocal denials of any business-related contact with his son have been undercut over time.”
One can only admire “undercut over time” for the delicacy of its phrasing, especially to describe the president’s being caught in a web of serious lies.
The CNN article then reminds readers once again, “But so far there is no public evidence that his occasional interactions with Hunter Biden’s business partners led to him getting substantively involved in his son’s financial arrangements.”
Out of the more than 2,300 words published by CNN, not one points to a single falsehood, lie, or even inaccuracy spoken by McCarthy during his announcement. In fact, the article concedes nearly all the speaker’s chief points. Instead of fact-checking McCarthy as the article promises, the reporters dedicate their efforts to reminding readers, repeatedly, that eyewitness testimony and suspicious bank activities are not necessarily evidence that the president engaged in an international influence-peddling operation.
CNN may call this a “fact check,” but it obviously is not one. It’s an opinion article whose mission is to find fault with Biden’s opponents — even if fault cannot be found.