CNN's Brian Stelter, the host of "Reliable Sources," asked his panel one simple question: has the media pushed the idea of impeaching President Donald Trump? The responses to the question are seriously nothing shy of amazing... or rather delusional.
"I have a kind of provocative question here: Is the press rooting for impeachment? Do journalists want to see the president impeached?" Stelter asked. "...is there something to the idea, Sam, that newsrooms, journalists, want to see impeachment hearings?"
According to Samantha Vinograd, President Obama's former Senior National Security Advisor, there's a difference between journalists and analysts. Journalists report straight news and analysts, like her, are paid to provide their commentary and opinions.
"There have been a number of prominent congressional Democrats, including [Speaker] Nancy Pelosi, who have said, 'it's the media making all this noise,' Max. For example, the media really focuses on pro-impeachment Democrats and interviews them quite often. Do you think that's a real critique she's making?" Stelter asked.
According to Washington Post columnist Max Boot, Democrats and analysts are divided on the issue, the Washington Examiner reported.
"No, I think that's, again, blaming the messenger. The real impetus is coming from a lot of liberal members of Congress, especially a lot Democratic presidential candidates who are appealing to the base, and I think there is a split in the media. There’s not a monolithic view," Boot said. "Leaving reporters aside, who are just supposed to to be just reporting the news, and even looking at analysts and opinion mongers like me, personally, I'm ambivalent about it."
Boot said Democrats and analysts are split on the issue because while they believe Trump should be impeached, they know it's not possible with a Republican-controlled Senate.
Stelter asked Washington Post columnist Margaret Sullivan why impeachment has been continually talked about.
"Let's look at the data. Cable news conversations, the number of mentions about impeachment, have clearly been on the rise," Stelter said. "You can clearly see it here. Spring of 2017 verses spring of 2018 verses this spring. What do we attribute that to, Margaret?"
"Well, I mean, it's in the air and I don't think the media put it in, what President Trump has done, the release of the Mueller report, all of these things, add to, you know, the political and cultural environment that brings impeachment to the floor," Sullivan replied. "But do not hear, talking to the straight news journalists, that there's a push. I mean that's just really an anathema to the way we do business."
"What about the business model though? Don't websites want those clicks? Don't television networks want those ratings that would come from impeachment hearings?" Stelter asked.
"Well, they may, but I don't think that that's a reason- I have not heard journalists talking that way. So, you know, that may be going on in the background or in corporate offices, but I don't think that journalists really even think that way," Sullivan explained.
Are you kidding me? Networks like CNN and MSNBC spent the last two-and-a-half years telling the American people that the Mueller report was the smoking gun. That at least Democrats would have solid proof that President Trump and his campaign colluded with Russia. And guess what happened? Mueller found nothing. No collusion and no obstruction.
It's not surprising that the people who are saying there's no coordinated media effort to push for impeachment are columnists from the Washington Post. The Post, along with the New York Times, have become known as anti-Trump media outlets. They'll run with anything and everything that could potentially make Trump look bad.
Journalists who are supposedly reporting "straight news" may not flat out say what their opinions are but they're still pushing their own political bias. They just do it by asking coerced questions, cherrypicking what facts they report or using misleading headlines.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member