NewsBusters managing editor Curtis Houck hopped on Newsmax Monday night during Eric Bolling: The Balance alongside New York Post columnist and 2023 MRC Bulldog Award winner Karol Markowicz to sound off on the ebullient liberal media’s coverage of the second Trump indictment and their continued penchant for hurling venom at Trump supporters.
After a lead-in from Bolling and a mash-up of clips from the liberal media’s reactions, Markowicz went first and observed “they couldn’t be happier” and “can barely contain their glee” with one notable example being the seemingly endless numbers of people crammed into a CNN panel.
“[I]t really does betray how politicized the whole media system is...[O]bviously, conservatives never think that the media will ever be fair to them. They'll never be fair to a Republican, but it's kind of just jarring to see it so out in the open,” she added.
While Bolling cued in on a clip of Keith Olbermann calling for Trump to face execution for his alleged crimes surrounding classified documents, Houck said the clip he “honed in on” was MSNBC host “Katie Phang saying voting for Donald Trump means you support political violence.”
Houck then touched on a major trend he’s noticed in the coverage, which has been an adamant refusal to have any discussion or give credence to the double standard between charging Trump, but not any number of Democrats in recent memory:
[T]he thing that I've also noticed in the coverage is I go back to the Lindsey Graham Interview with George Stephanopoulos yesterday, and Vivek Ramaswamy with Dana Bash on CNN, which is completely shut down any and all discussions of Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, Sandy Berger. They get offended like it's just blatant like attempted censorship in election interference to try and say, “oh, we cannot talk about any of this at all, how there's been a double standard and we live in a two tier justice system.” It's all derided as conspiracy theories
Houck concluded it’s ironic how, in CNN’s case, one of the “totally discredited” people sent to dispatch with this comparison has been Andrew McCabe. Bolling agreed, wondering how we’re supposed to “listen to this guy who should be in jail for some of the things that they're accusing Trump of doing.”
Moments later, Markowicz astutely pointed out the liberal media “are doing Trump a favor” because their grab bag of insults leveled at Trump voters not only failed to drive people away from the former President, but arguably bolstered his winning coalition in 2016.
Houck had the final word and concurred with Markowicz in that the liberal media continuing to demean Americans will only further impugn their credibility and send them to alternative forms of media (like Newsmax).
In the end, Houck explained, the liberal media are like this famous GIF depicting a scene in The Simpsons with Principal Skinner: “You know, it's the Simpsons GIF with the principal asking, you know, ‘no, it's the children that are wrong.’ ‘I'm not out of touch.’”
To see the relevant transcript from June 12, click “expand.”
Newsmax’s Eric Bolling: The Balance
June 12, 2023
8:49 p.m. EasternERIC BOLLING: The headline of the latest indictment on Donald Trump is that there’s a presidential race in progress and, right now, Trump is leading it. If Democratic Party and their partners in the media are allowed to take out the presidential front-runner, the main threat to their power, that precedent will live on forever and ever. So, on cue, the mainstream media, at the direction of the Democrat Party, is celebrating the demise of Donald Trump. They’re claiming he is a threat to democracy. One political hack named Keith Oberman is even calling for the death penalty. Watch.
JOHN BOLTON [on CNN This Morning, 06/12/23]: This really is a rifle shot, and I think it's — it should be the end of Donald Trump's political career.
DAVID FRUM [on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, 06/12/23]: So we can see violence again. That is silly. Clearly, something he wants.
KEITH OLBERMANN: I am sorry only that this is not a capital case. The indictment underscores it. Donald Trump is treacherous, traitorous, treasonous.
ERIC HOLDER [on MSNBC’s Inside with Jen Psaki, 06/11/23]: I would hope that an impeachment proceeding might be considered, not only considered, brought, and ultimately, he would be removed from office
CONGRESSMAN HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY) [on MSNBC’s PoliticsNation, 06/12/23]: And what we're seeing from some of these calls to violence coming from some of the more extreme members of the right wing in this country is an abandonment of democracy and that should frighten everyday Americans.
KATIE PHANG [on MSNBC’s The Katie Phang Show, 06/10/23]: At this point, though, would somebody like Donald Trump winning the nomination for the GOP at the primary be a clear endorsement of political violence?
BOLLING: Yeah, Simply voting for Donald Trump is inciting political violence? We shouldn't be surprised by this. The media just spent over two years lying to the public about Donald Trump's role in the January 6th stuff. This latest indictment is a turning point for the country, but wrecking your own country isn't considered a crime in Washington. Criticizing the ruling class is what they indict you for. Joining me now to assess Karol Markowicz of the New York Post and Curtis Houck, the managing editor at NewsBusters. Karol, this — you saw it, the media has a massive case of Trump Derangement Syndrome. What say you?
KAROL MARCOWICZ: They couldn't be happier. They're just — they can barely contain their glee. The first night after the indictment, CNN had like a panel like 13 people on. Like every CNN employee that's ever worked there was there to weigh in on Donald Trump getting indicted. They're so happy and you know, it really does betray how politicized the whole media system is. And I mean, something we know obviously, conservatives never think that the media will ever be fair to them. They'll never be fair to a Republican, but it's kind of just jarring to see it so out in the open.
BOLLING: Yeah. What is — what — what about it, Curtis? I mean, Olbermann saying this should be a capital case, meaning he should be hung if found guilty?
CURTIS HOUCK: Yeah, I mean, Eric, the thing that I honed in on as well is Katie Phang saying voting for Donald Trump means you support political violence. Excuse me? I mean, and the thing that I've also noticed in the coverage is I go back to the Lindsey Graham Interview with George Stephanopoulos yesterday, and Vivek Ramaswamy with Dana Bash on CNN, which is completely shut down any and all discussions of Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, Sandy Berger. They get offended like it's just blatant like attempted censorship in election interference to try and say, “oh, we cannot talk about any of this at all, how there's been a double standard and we live in a two tier justice system.” It's all derided as conspiracy theories and the person saying it's a conspiracy theory are people that are totally discredited. CNN bringing on Andrew McCabe?
BOLLING: Yeah.
HOUCK: I mean, really? Andrew McCabe.
BOLLING: I saw the irony in that as well, Curtis. I was listening to that. Like really. We're gonna listen to this guy who should be in jail for some of the things that they're accusing Trump of doing? Take a listen to Joe Scarborough assess it in his Joe Scarborough away.
JOE SCARBOROUGH [on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, 06/12/23]: He stole nuclear secrets —
MIKA BRZEZINSKI [on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, 06/12/23]: There is —
SCARBOROUGH [on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, 06/12/23]: — allegedly —
BRZEZINSKI [on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, 06/12/23]: — is there a difference?
SCARBOROUGH [on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, 06/12/23]: — in his own words —
BRZEZINSKI [on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, 06/12/23]: Is there a difference?
SCARBOROUGH [on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, 06/12/23]: — and he knew what he was doing. He's on tape.
BRZEZINSKI [on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, 06/12/23]: And then, he hid —
SCARBOROUGH [on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, 06/12/23]: They got him dead to right. He hid it. He lied to the FBI. [SCREEN WIPE] 64 percent of Donald Trump's Republican Party. They don't think it's a bad thing to steal nuclear secrets. [SCREEN WIPE] You keep narrowing down your base until you have insurrectionist weirdos and freaks. And that's where we are.
BOLLING: Okay, Karol, um, the only problem is, uh, whatever these indictments are perceived as a persecution, not a prosecution, and his poll numbers are going up. Quick thought on that.
MARKOWICZ: Well you know, I don't know about the poll numbers, but I do know that these media personalities are doing Trump a favor. Because look, basket of deplorables, calling his supporters that really did you know, propel Donald Trump to the presidency in 2016 when Hillary Clinton did that? So, I think Scarborough, you know, calling his supporters names — what happened was that they called their supporters every name possible and it didn't work. So, now, they're trying some new names — insurrectionist, cetera, freaks whatever. And I don't think that that's going to work either. And I don't think it should. I think that people should vote for who they want to vote for, and the idea that we vote for Donald Trump, you're a bad person, I think, 2016 sort of wiped that out.
BOLLING: Okay, Curtis, final thought.
HOUCK: Yeah I gotta agree with Karol. I mean, the more that the media demean the American people for simply going against, you know the way that they want to, the more the American people are just going to say, you know what? I don't — I don't need you. I have alternative forms of media like Newsmax. I have other candidates that I can support. And, you know, and again, the media turn around and say, “why don't people trust us?” You know, it's the Simpsons GIF with the principal asking, you know, “no, it's the children that are wrong.” “I'm not out of touch.”
BOLLING: We’re going to leave it right there. Karol Markowicz, Curtis Houck. Thank you both for being here so much.
MARKOWICZ: Thank you so much.
HOUCK: Thanks, Eric.
