Avlon Gloats Over Sussmann Verdict in Irony-Rich ‘Reality Check’

If you ever feel like being lectured by someone who thinks you have the mental capacity of a toddler, look no further than CNN’s John Avlon. On Wednesday’s Day of the NewAvlon decided that he would use his monologue of five minutes. Reality Check to gloat over the acquittal of Clinton campaign lawyer Michael Sussmann and ironically tout CNN as “reality-based media” as opposed to “partisan media.”   

Avlon could barely contain his glee as he recounted, “Yesterday, the hammer was supposed to finally come down. . .But instead, it was time to cue the sad trombone soundtrack, as the jury came back with an acquittal for the Clinton campaign lawyer Michael Sussmann, who’d been charged with a single count of lying to the FBI.” 

Avlon compared the Durham probe with the Mueller investigation, which “took less than two years, and it resulted in prison sentences for five members of the Trump circle, including Paul Manafort and longtime political advisor Roger Stone — both of whom Trump later pardoned — as well as former consigliere Michael Cohen.”

He then decided to take a swipe at CNN’s rival (and much more popular) network, “The folks over at Fox News obligingly hyped up the Durham investigation big time. You’ll be surprised to learn that they have mentioned the Durham investigation at least 625 more times since 2019, according LexisNexis transcripts. This repetition is a reflection of the alternative reality created by partisan echo rooms.”

While we’re on the subject of hyping up investigations, what of the liberal media’s incessant cheerleading of the Mueller investigation? Avlon’s cartoonish record as being above the fray is another question.

Avlon continued, “As it became evident that the trial was going sideways, right-wing media was already primed to explain away an acquittal, blaming the jury as biased and saying it contained Hillary Clinton donors. This was not a close decision. It was a fast six-hour deliberation followed by a unanimous verdict.”

Do you think Avlon believes that pointing out clear conflicts of interest and the speed at which decisions are made will help people to trust D.C.?

Because no coverage of this story would be complete without an attack on those who didn’t buy the media’s 2016 Russia collusion hysteria, Avlon urged his audience to educate these unenlightened rubes by, “refer[ring] them to the five-volume report authored by the GOP-led Senate Intelligence Committee, which independently established Russia’s attempts to influence the election on Donald Trump’s behalf.” Spoiler: Avlon’s tacitly suggesting Trump was an illegitimate president.  

Combine this snide remark with the media’s equivocation of Russian election interference with the Trump campaign’s collusion with said interference, and one is left with the impression that the Intelligence Committee confirmed that the Trump campaign had been colluding with the Russians, while the actual report makes no such claim.

Avlon concluded by lamenting that his words will not be heeded with the trust they so obviously deserve, “Because the alternate facts crowd has their own echo chamber and amplification system. These partisan allegations without any evidence must be treated with extreme suspicion and actual verdicts recorded.” 

Maybe we’ll listen to Avlon once CNN breaks out of its own echo chamber and stops amplifying “partisan accusations.” But until then, we’ll let Avlon condemn his own network with his own words. 

The shining example of network hypocrisy made possible by Consumer CellularAnd Allstate. The following links provide their contact information.

Click “Expand” to see the relevant transcript.

CNN’sNeue Day
06/01/22
7.53.46 AM ET

BRIANNA KEILAR : An investigation is underway into Russia and Trumpworld. John Avlon, our Reality Check. 

JOHN AVALON: Yesterday was the supposed day that the hammer finally fell. This is the long-awaited, much-hyped verdict on the Durham case. But instead, it was time to cue the sad trombone soundtrack, as the jury came back with an acquittal for the Clinton campaign lawyer Michael Sussmann, who’d been charged with a single count of lying to the FBI. After more than 3 years of investigations, the special counsel who has been involved in this probe’s biggest accomplishment was to get a former FBI attorney to admit that he doctored an email. The sentence was community service and probation. 

Now, by comparison, the Mueller investigation took less than two years, and it resulted in prison sentences for five members of the Trump circle, including Paul Manafort and longtime political advisor Roger Stone — both of whom Trump later pardoned — as well as former consigliere Michael Cohen. 

Let’s just refresh our memory. The Durham investigation was started by Bill Barr, ex-Attorney general, who was relentlessly pushed by Trump to make it the crime of century. The goal of this investigation was to find out who the investigators were, which is a deflected and project strategy that has been aided by the presidency’s power. 

Fox News was a generous host and hypnotized the Durham case. According to LexisNexis transcripts they have mentioned the Durham investigation at least 625 more times since 2019. This is a reflection of the alternative reality created by partisan echo rooms. Right-wing media had already prepared to excuse an acquittal when it became clear that the trial was going wrong. 

This was not a close call. After a six hour deliberation, there was an unanimous decision. Trumpland should feel this blow. As New York Magazine’s Jonathan Chate wrote, “John Durham tried to prove Trump’s Russiagate theory. Instead he debunked it.” And, as The Daily Beast’s Will Sommer point out, “The verdict undercuts the whole ‘lock her up’ chant we’ve been hearing for years.” 

This wasn’t the first smackdown of yesterday. BuzzFeed News obtained the findings of a Freedom of Information Act inquiry. They showed that an investigation by Trump’s DOJ found no evidence of Obama officials interfering with unmasking General Michael Flynn. Flynn was briefly National Security Adviser. A second baseless allegation has been made that is breathlessly worse than Watergate. 

But it could. However, reality-based media is different from partisan media. There are many partisans still believing that Russia interfered in the 2016 elections. If you meet one of those folks — and I’m sure you have — remind them this isn’t a matter of opinion, it’s an established fact. You can refer them to the report, five volumes, authored by GOP’s Senate Intelligence Committee. This independent document demonstrates Russia’s attempt to interfere in Donald Trump’s election. We must remember that Russian interference, and not reporting is the main offense. After all, politics ain’t beanbag, or as Michael Zeldin a former Federal Prosecutor, told CNN’s Marshall Cohen, “Criminalizing political opposition research-related activity of this type serves no criminal justice purpose.”

The key question here is how the Durham probe will proceed. Remembering that it’s continued its efforts under the Biden administration-led Justice Department, presumably because of a desire to de-politicize the DOJ, and the belief this investigation would run out of steam on its own. It is an honorable approach, but I’d be surprised if it succeeds in stopping the conspiracies. Each alternate truth crowd has its own echo and amplifying system. This is why partisan accusations that lack evidence need to be treated seriously and real verdicts documented. We must find another way to work from common knowledge of the facts. As a nation that can think together. And that’s your Reality Check.