Sen. Ted Cruz’s Cancun trip was “politically stupid” amid extreme weather and an energy crisis in his state, but in no way is it a scandal or anywhere close to the one New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is embroiled in, and yet, the media are treating it that way.
ABC “World News Tonight” gave Cruz’s Cancun trip four times more coverage Thursday than Cuomo’s nursing home scandal despite revelations this week that the Democrat is under a federal investigation and was called out for bullying a fellow Democrat and threatening to “destroy” him.
NBC covered the two politicians similarly.
"World News Tonight" dedicated nearly four minutes to the GOP senator's round trip snafu and just 55 seconds to the Democrat's growing legal controversy.
NBC's "Nightly News" similarly gave Cruz more coverage during its broadcast than Cuomo, devoting two minutes and eight seconds to the senator and one minute and 41 seconds to the governor. (Fox News)
CNN is giving tougher coverage to Ted Cruz for taking his family and leaving his freezing house than they're giving Andrew Cuomo who enacted a disastrous nursing home policy, lied about it, hid the results from the DOJ, and is now threatening officials who won't tell his lie. pic.twitter.com/S4UNKDAQ5y
— Eddie Zipperer (@EddieZipperer) February 19, 2021
CBS was the exception, however.
CBS' "Evening News" was the only network evening news program to dedicate more time to the nursing home scandal, giving it nearly two minutes as opposed to the one minute and seven seconds it devoted to the Cancun episode. (Fox News)
The trend continued on Twitter.
How is it possible that blue check Twitter is spending more time trying to destroy Ted Cruz taking a family trip but refuses to focus on Gov Cuomo’s lies, coverups, and strong arm tactics that killed thousands?
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) February 18, 2021
You will note, of course, that the Twitter mob have completely reversed this order.
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) February 19, 2021
As many on the right observed, it was definitely not good optics and Cruz should've known better, but it is not a scandal.
The Cruz thing is a gaffe. Politically stupid. Looks bad. Unforced error. A politician violating his or her own lockdown order is a scandal. Abuse of power. Corruption. Deceit.
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) February 19, 2021
There’s a difference. A pretty big difference. People are pretending not to see the difference.