In an energized appearance on the Fox News Channel's Tucker Carlson Tonight Monday to talk about the pompous White House Correspondents Dinner, Westwood One-syndicated talk radio host Chris Plante blasted the liberal media for their hypocrisy in how they covered the Obama and Trump administrations (and considering each regime's record on the First Amendment).
On top of that, he described how he left his job at CNN because they were “tube feeding” lies and deceit to America.
Plante talked about how he grew up in “a media household, a news household,” which taught him to believe and respect the First Amendment and journalism. “It’s one of the reasons I had to leave CNN and journalism, because I really believed in facts. I believe in the truth,” he explained.
He added: “The truth, it's a crazy idea. And the lies that were being tube fed – the American people are being tube fed on a daily basis are truly an outrage. And these are the people that are tube feeding us the lying. You listed several of them, there are many more.”
Circling back around to the WHCD, Plante mocked the liberal media for the ridiculous rewards they give themselves:
Covington Catholic. CNN hilariously was given an honorary mention the other night at the correspondence dinner for their coverage of the Brett Kavanaugh hearings. I'm not making this up. They were given honorary mention because they couldn't get it one of the big awards. They were given an honorary mention and the big award went to a Washington Post reporter for reporting the story – and they were talking about how brave he was to report this story Durbin told him about where President Trump used a bad word in a closed-door meeting with adults in a secure room in the White House.
“When Trump is gone, it will be clear that there is nothing left of the media. Really, they have destroyed themselves,” host Tucker Carlson responded.
Earlier in their discussion, Plante reminded viewers of how horrible President Obama was to the press and the First Amendment, despite the media’s infatuation with him. “But for eight years, President Obama racked up what has to be, and what the ACLU described as one of the worst First Amendment records and presidential history,” he said. “The ACLU described him as a terrible First Amendment president, all right. A terrible First Amendment president.”
Plante recalled how the Obama administration tried to force Fox News out of the press pool by denying them interviews and the same access to information as the other news outlets. He also recounted how Obama targeted the Associated Press and a Fox News reporter (click “expand”):
The Obama administration also spied on the Associated Press because there was a leak that they were not happy with. They liked to control their leaks. So, phones used by at least 100 reporters with the Associated Press were taped. The records were – Listened to the conversations, but they got the phone records to see who they’re talking to.
The Associated Press called it an unprecedented intrusion, and it was, in fact, an unprecedented intrusion. They spied on James Risen at The New York Times because he reserved a leak. They spied –and phone records and other communications and so on. And at The New York Times and his work and home email and phones were targeted. James Rosen, who you know, formerly of the Fox News Channel now. They spied on – you mentioned— They spied on his parents, who live in New York. They got phone records.
And the media’s response to all that? According to Plante, “for eight years, they cheered him, they toasted him, and they had tears in their eyes and nobody mentioned it.”
The transcript is below, click “expand” to read:
Fox News Channel’s Tucker Carlson Tonight
April 29, 2019
8:06:17 p.m. Eastern(…)
TUCKER CARLSON: Chris Plante hosts the Chris Plante Show right here in Washington, and he joins us here tonight. And I should also say, by the way, you’re a member of the media of the White House press corps, actually, of 30 years standing. This seems like the one group that ought to be defending free speech but that isn't.
CHRIS PLANTE: No. It's a catastrophic fail. I didn't watch it live, but I did DVR the dinner and I’ve been to many of the dinners, as you have, over the years. And I watched it yesterday morning, and I took notes because it's my job. And I'm really embarrassed for them. I think they’re unembarrassable.
But for eight years, President Obama racked up what has to be, and what the ACLU described as one of the worst First Amendment records and presidential history. The ACLU described him as a terrible First Amendment president, all right. A terrible First Amendment president.
They -- on the campaign, they had three newspapers on the press plane for Obama in 2008 that did not endorse Barack Obama for president, but endorsed John McCain for president. All three of those reporters— those three newspapers were kicked off of Barack Obama's campaign plane. That was in 2008. That was just sort of getting the ball rolling.
During the course of the eight years, they squeezed out Fox News. Anita Dunn, who was the communications director for Obama. Refuse to allow Fox to participate in very important conference calls having to do with Benghazi, CIA briefings having to do with Benghazi. They know where their bread is buttered. And those people at the dinner are lackeys for the Obama administration and for the Democrat Party. Fox News didn't sing from the sheet music, so they were targeted by the Obama administration.
The Obama administration also spied on the Associated Press because there was a leak that they were not happy with. They liked to control their leaks. So, phones used by at least 100 reporters with the Associated Press were taped. The records were – Listened to the conversations, but they got the phone records to see who they’re talking to.
The Associated Press called it an unprecedented intrusion, and it was, in fact, an unprecedented intrusion. They spied on James Risen at The New York Times because he reserved a leak. They spied –and phone records and other communications and so on. And at The New York Times and his work and home email and phones were targeted. James Rosen, who you know, formerly of the Fox News Channel now. They spied on – you mentioned— They spied on his parents, who live in New York. They got phone records.
This is the Obama administration, which is the heartthrob, still of the news media.
CARLSON: I don't remember anybody standing – And like you, I’ve been to these dinners, I mean, for almost 30 years. I don't remember anybody standing at the head of the room lecturing President Obama about this.
PLANTE: No, for eight years, they cheered him, they toasted him, and they had tears in their eyes and nobody mentioned it. Look, I mean, he also bombed more countries than any president since World War II. He targeted and killed Americans overseas without due process. Nobody seems to mind any of this stuff. Eight years of Obama and it was a lovefest at the White House Correspondents Dinner year after year after year.
And now suddenly, the First Amendment is under threat, not because the President has kicked news organizations that provide him with unfavorable coverage off of Air Force One or out of the press pool.
They have that Jim Acosta problem. But honestly, CNN, if it were an actual news organization would have pulled Jim Acosta out of the White House long ago. He’s not a legitimate reporter. He can't be seen as a legitimate reporter.
(…)
PLANTE: You also mentioned Twitter and others banning voices that deviate from really from the party doctrine. Capital “T” Capital “P”, The Party.
CARLSON: Exactly.
PLANTE: The Party controls – I mean, it is very Orwellian. It’s quite disturbing; it should be disturbing to the people in that room, but they don't stand for the first amendment. They don't stand for freedom of speech or the press or for any of it. Sometimes they kick their feet if somebody gets in their way when they are barging through a doorway, but that's about it. I mean, it’s all self-interest. And it's about the party. Let's face it. Let’s just call it what it is.
CARLSON: But we need someone to stand up for actual speech, which really is under attack.
PLANTE: I can tell you, I do it on my show, You do it on your show.
CARLSON: I mean it.
PLANTE: It really is under threat. I grew up in a media household, a news household. And I believed in the First Amendment. I believed in journalism. It’s one of the reasons I had to leave CNN and journalism, because I really believed in facts. I believe in the truth.
The truth, it's a crazy idea. And the lies that were being tube fed – the American people are being tube fed on a daily basis are truly an outrage. And these are the people that are tube feeding us the lying. You listed several of them, there are many more.
Covington Catholic. CNN hilariously was given an honorary mention the other night at the correspondence dinner for their coverage of the Brett Kavanaugh hearings. I'm not making this up. They were given honorary mention because they couldn't get it one of the big awards. They were given an honorary mention and the big award went to a Washington Post reporter for reporting the story – and they were talking about how brave he was to report this story Durbin told him about where President Trump used a bad word in a closed-door meeting with adults in a secure room in the White House.
CARLSON: When Trump is gone, it will be clear that there is nothing left of the media. Really, they have destroyed themselves.
PLANTE: Appalling.
