OPINION
Premium

PolitiFact Denies Kamala's Own Words While the Associated Press Debunks Itself on the Harris Heritage

Brad Slager
Brad Slager  |  Aug 02, 2024
The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Townhall.com.



Pathological Media Amnesia – ASSOCIATED PRESS

  • We have to assume it was not racist back then…?

There was a media uproar when Donald Trump dared suggest that Kamala Harris had not initially been known as a black politician, but one of Indian extraction. This was deemed racist — of course — and the news outlets were not shy in their rebuke of Trump’s comments. The Associated Press was right there along with the others delivering scorn.

The AP states that it was false and misleading for Donald Trump to suggest Kamala Harris was known to be an Indian-American. Yet when Harris was emerging as a Democratic candidate in 2016, there was the news syndicate stating she was exactly that.

Recommended

Watch Scott Jennings Slap Down This Shoddy Talking Point About the Spending Bill Matt Vespa
Biden Was Too 'Mentally Fatigued' to Take Call From Top Committee Chair Before Afghanistan Withdrawal Sarah Arnold


Body Checking The Fact Checkers – POLITIFACT

  • The list of revised Kamala policy positions grows.

The latest revamp of Kamala Harris’ history now involves healthcare for illegal immigrants. She is on the record backing this, and even at the Democratic debate raised her hand to show she supported giving illegals access to Medicare. So just how in the hell does PolitiFact call this "Mostly False"?

Well…you see…she never actually SAID she would give it to them for free. It just…would be free.

  • It’s true that Harris supported allowing immigrants residing in the U.S. to obtain public health insurance regardless of legal status. During the first 2019 Democratic presidential primary debate in Miami, Kamala Harris raised her hand when a moderator asked candidates to raise their hands if their government health plan would cover immigrants who are in the country illegally. But that doesn’t mean Harris specifically said she supported taxpayer funding for the benefits or that the health coverage would be free.


Low Octane Gas Lighting – CNN

  • This is what happens when a reporter buys into the “Vance Is Weird” narrative.

J.D. Vance made a campaign visit to southern Texas because the immigration crisis is a primary concern in this election cycle. So, of course, CNN was on the scene and needed to deflect away from that border issue — while at the border — and instead tried to pepper Vance with accusatory questions about Donald Trump’s comments at the black journalist conference.

Steve Contoro tried pinning down Vance, even invoking his own bi-racial children, in an effort to paint Trump as racist. Vance was deft as he answered calmly, diffused the accusation, and managed to steer it back to the border, in a completely rational manner.


Glossary Over Things – NEW YORK TIMES

  • It is starting to look like being shameless is a job requirement at major news outlets.

NY Times columnist Michelle Goldberg makes little effort to hide her hackery. As an opinion writer, sure, she can take sides. But her opposition to facts and slavish devotion to Democrats is the focus here. In her praise of Kamala Harris, there is nothing critical seen about the numerous issues she has shifted from – yet Goldberg just recently wrote of the problem with J.D. Vance supposedly remaking himself.

So it is understandable she would be gushing over Kamala, but it is no less hilarious to see the fawning desperation as she declares what Harris is experiencing is a “Kamalanomenon”. Puh-lease…


Legalized Press-titution – NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO

As we have been seeing, it continues to be the case that all of this hype for Kamala allegedly taking place is entirely rooted in the media. Look at the very fact that since she had been tabbed to lead the party, Harris still has not given a press conference or sat for an interview. All we have seen is the press insisting she is brilliant and vibrant, based on prepared speeches and spoon-fed talking points.

Case in point – she spoke at the eulogy for the recently passed away politician Shiela Jackson Lee, and as NPR tells us, Harris has already become our “Consoler-in-Chief”.


Artisanally-Crafted Narratives – MSNBC

  • A lack of embarrassment is also seemingly a job requirement.

With the news of the prisoner exchange that brought back Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, former Marine Paul Whelan, and numerous others from various countries there has been contention between Donald Trump and Joe Biden over the length of time spent getting them back. Katie Phang clearly is on the side of Joe Biden, but not on the side of common sense.

One main issue for Phang’s quip is that most of the Americans — Gershkovich, Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, and American green-card holder Vladimir Kara-Murza — were all imprisoned during the Biden administration. When apprised of this significant detail, Phang was unbowed, suggesting that Trump, as a citizen, should have been able to negotiate an international prisoner transfer. Because she is a journalist, you see.


Race To The Bottom – AXIOS

  • My, this outlet is having a tough go of things lately…

More fallout from Trump’s visit to the National Association of Black Journalists. This time it is Emily Peck pogo-sticking on a rake, taking on Trump’s comment about how he delivered the creation of more black jobs while president. Peck tries to come out with the declaration that there is no such thing as “black jobs,” despite Trump’s comment clearly being about black employment numbers, hinging on the technicality of there being no requirement for race with labor. 

This is a ridiculously pedantic argument, made more ridiculous by the fact that Trump made his comment before a room filled with black journalists. (For the record, “journalist” is, in fact, a job.)