Bozell: When Will Reporters Tell Biden to ‘Answer the Damn Question’?

Appearing on Fox Business Network’s Varney & Co.Monday morning’s Media Research Center president Brent Bozell attacked the White House Press Corps, blaming them for failing to ask President Biden questions while he routinely ignores them and rushes off. Earlier in the segment, he noted how even CNN was starting to call out the administration for it’s “huge mistake” on handling COVID.

“Do you think there’s some acknowledgment in the mainstream media that this is a president who tries to avoid the camera at all costs and when he does face the cameras, he makes a statement and then high tails it off the stage?,” fill-in anchor Ashley Webster asked. Bozell asked journalists to be honest about their work and hold President Trump accountable.

You know, I’m wondering when a reporter is going to start behaving like a reporter. When – especially the Washington news media – when they’re going to start asking questions? Aren’t reporters supposed to be doing this? Aren’t they supposed to be inquisitive? When a man turns their back and he always says, “Well, somebody told me to leave.” You know, they should be yelling at him, saying, “Mr. President, turn around and answer the damn question.” I mean, the American people deserve answers from this person.

He then added: “So yeah, they’re seeing it, but the fact that no one, virtually no one’s calling him out on it is very, very troubling. It just tells you that they are hook, line and sinker invested in his administration, although they don’t like what they’re seeing.”

At the top of the segment, Webster highlighted how “A CNN panelist, no less, is blasting the White House for the approach to COVID testing.” A soundbite ran of CNN analyst and Washington Post columnist Paul Kane telling fellow panelists on Sunday’s Inside Politics: “They have a policy problem and a messaging problem….they had all the money in the world for testing and they just didn’t focus on it, and that was a huge mistake.”

Webster wondered: “Brent, is the media’s honeymoon with President Biden over?” Bozell replied:

But there is no doubt that cracks are emerging. Look, it’s almost unheard of that there is, that there can ever be consensus left and right on anything, but when there is, then, the middle, the party that they’re targeting better be careful….When you talk about this testing, this COVID testing , it’s hugely important that what you just heard could have been heard on Fox News. It’s almost never that there can be an agreement on those networks.

Webster also pointed out: “The Washington Post taking on Supreme Court Justice Sonya Sotomayor. She said that more than 100,000 children are in serious condition with COVID, but the Post debunked that claim, giving it four Pinnochios.” Bozell credited the paper but wondered what the rest of the media were waiting for: “Well good for The Washington Post but where’s everyone else?”

Below is the complete transcript from the January 10, 2010 segment.

11.18 am ET

ASHLEY WEBSTER says: This is it. CNN panelist, not less than a CNN panelist is praising the White House over its approach to COVID Testing. That’s it.

PAUL KANE [WASHINGTON POST COLUMNIST]: It’s the worst kind of problem. There is a problem with their messaging and policy. This administration, with all the money in the world, from the bipartisan deals of 2020 and the unilateral Democratic $1.9 trillion bill in March, they had all the money in the world for testing and they just didn’t focus on it, and that was a huge mistake.

WEBSTER: I wonder if he’s gonna be invited back to be on a panel. We’ll see. Brent Bozell, however, joins me here. Brent, is the media’s honeymoon with President Biden over?

BRENT BOZELL: Hi, Ashley. But there is no doubt that cracks are emerging. Look, it’s almost unheard of that there is, that there can ever be consensus left and right on anything, but when there is, then, the middle, the party that they’re targeting better be careful.

Anti-trust legislation is one example. When I hear Elizabeth Warren and Ted Cruz both talking about it, I know there’s something very serious that could happen. When you talk about this testing, this COVID testing , it’s hugely important that what you just heard could have been heard on Fox News. It’s almost never that there can be an agreement on those networks.

When it’s there – here’s something else to consider. Talk about an alliance that could be held between tens of millions of white people and the majority of blacks that don’t want to be vaccinated. It’s an interesting concept there, and I think this is a very, very important development.

WEBSTER: It’s interesting, isn’t it? Also, Brent, The Washington Post taking on Supreme Court Justice Sonya Sotomayor. Although she claimed that COVID has affected more than 100,000 children, the Post disproved that assertion and awarded it four Pinnochios. This is what you see. There are four of them. How do you interpret that?

BOZELL: Very good. The Washington Post but where’s everyone else?

WEBSTER: Yeah, right.

BOZELL: You’ve got a Supreme Court Justice, they’re reviewing a monumental case that will affect 100 million employees around the country. The Supreme Court Justice put out – it was a lie, Ashley, it was a lie – to be off by 5% or 10%, but she was 20 times as much. What if Neil Gorsuch had said that, “Well as you know, no child is ever put in the hospital.” Do you think the media would stop talking about it? They’d all be talking about it. This is, to me, it’s the silence of everyone else, it’s not the good work of The Washington Post. They are very fortunate.

WEBSTER: Yes, exactly. We had Matt Schlapp as a guest earlier, who called Joe Biden “the hermit president”. Do you think there’s some acknowledgment in the mainstream media that this is a president who tries to avoid the camera at all costs and when he does face the cameras, he makes a statement and then high tails it off the stage?

BOZELL: You know, I’m wondering when a reporter is going to start behaving like a reporter. When – especially the Washington news media – when they’re going to start asking questions? Aren’t reporters supposed to be doing this? Aren’t they supposed to be inquisitive? When a man turns their back and he always says, “Well, somebody told me to leave.” You know, they should be yelling at him, saying, “Mr. President, turn around and answer the damn question.” I mean, the American people deserve answers from this person.

So yeah, they’re seeing it, but the fact that no one, virtually no one’s calling him out on it is very, very troubling. It just tells you that they are hook, line and sinker invested in his administration, although they don’t like what they’re seeing.

WEBSTER: They are. These cracks will definitely be visible. Brent, Thank you for all your insight. It is greatly appreciated.

BOZELL: Thank you, Ashley. We wish you a happy new year.

WEBSTER: Now let’s get back to these markets – yeah, same to you, thank you very much.