During an appearance on Fox News’ MediaBuzz Sunday, former Special Report anchor Brit Hume blasted the media for its over-the-top reaction to recent comments Dr. Ben Carson made about guns in the wake of the Oregon shooting.
Hume observed that “some of the reactions to his statements were bordered on hysterical” and while he stressed that Carson needs to be able to take hits from the press “that doesn't make it fair or right that they do, but that's the playing field you're on, and the smart, and able politicians plan for that, prepare for that and are ready for that.”
Host Howard Kurtz then asked Hume what his reaction was to Senator Ted Cruz who argued the media “ have served, I believe, as the Praetorian Guard protecting Barack Obama and this presidency. And I think no one is more ready for Hillary than the mainstream media.”
Hume stressed that by in large the media will be less harsh on the Democratic nominee than who the GOP picks in 2016:
A lot of the mainstream media are biased. And when it gets down to it in the fall campaign, we will see this, the Democratic nominee, whoever that will be is going to get more favorable coverage, or at least much less unfavorable coverage than the Republican nominee. That has been true for as long as I can remember and it will be true here.
See relevant transcript below.
Fox News’ MediaBuzz
October 18, 2015
HOWARD KURTZ: We just saw Ben Carson and he’s really gotten into it with the press lately, over his answer on whether he would advocate a Muslim president, on his answer on what he would do if he was faced with a mass shooter, and then it kind of went into what Jews could have done if they were armed in Nazi Germany, and he believes the press is unfair to him.
BRIT HUME: I thought some of the reactions to his statements were bordered on hysterical, you know. I see long articles being written that say, well no, actually the guns would not have helped the Jews, and there would be some sort of social science study or something that would suggest that. So I think he's got a legitimate beef there, but this is true too, this is the NFL, you get hit harder up at this level--
KURTZ: And you got to be able to take the hits.
HUME: And you have to be able to take it and you got to be able to anticipate it, and you got to be very careful how you phrase things or these things will happen to you.. Now that doesn't make it fair or right that they do, but that's the playing field you're on, and the smart, and able politicians plan for that, prepare for that and are ready for that.
KURTZ: Right. That’s certainly what Ted Cruz has said for a long time and he doesn’t expect the media to be fair to Republicans.. That he believes the GOP are portrayed as kind of either stupid or evil. Here's what he said to me a while back.
TED CRUZ: Look, the mainstream media is not fair and impartial. They have served, I believe, as the Praetorian Guard protecting Barack Obama and this presidency. And I think no one is more ready for Hillary than the mainstream media.
KURTZ: But is that an overstatement? All of the mainstream media? I mean it’s the same mainstream media that has reported aggressively on Hillary’s e-mails--
HUME: Well that’s right, and that’s the point, that’s exactly what I was thinking when he said that. A lot of the mainstream media are biased. And when it gets down to it in the fall campaign, we will see this, the Democratic nominee, whoever that will be is going to get more favorable coverage, or at least much less unfavorable coverage than the Republican nominee. That has been true for as long as I can remember and it will be true here.
