Brian Stelter: So SAD the Trump Trial Shows the GOP Is a Cult That Repeats Fox Talking Points

Tim Graham
May 16th, 2024 2:34 PM
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As part of MSNBC’s never-ending Trump trial coverage, former CNN host Brian Stelter arrived on The Beat with Ari Melber on Tuesday to mock all the politicians and Fox News hosts showing up at the courtroom. Brian tweeted out his proudest soundbite.

STELTER: I’m just trying to imagine if any Democrats are going to show up at the trial of Bob Menendez, the senator, or or the trial of Joe Biden's son Hunter -- both of which are gonna happen in the next few weeks! And we’re not gonna see any of this, and that tells you everything you need to know about the differences between these two parties in 2024.

To which there is an obvious rejoinder: We’re just trying to imagine if any Democrat-servant networks are going to show up at the trials of Senator Menendez or Hunter Biden. No one expects they will be doing gavel-to-gavel coverage for those trials, and that tells you everything you need to know about the Democrat-servant networks. 

Stelter is trying to argue that Trump has a "cult" of celebrity, but it's also true that the leftist media's obsessive coverage makes it a more high-profile event for Trump supporters to show up and be seen. No Democrats will want to add any sliver of news-worthiness to the Democrat trials. 

Trump has tried to turn these partisan prosecutions around, as he did with endless scandal probes while he was president. He doesn't have the luxury of a broad media establishment that will bury embarrassing stories. 

Stelter can’t wait for Showtime or HBO to do a Trump-trial movie: “I can't wait to see the actual real-life movie that's going to be made of this trial. Because today was the stuff of actual drama! And people should see it. It's a shame we don't have cameras!” Once again, Showtime and the rest aren’t making a Biden docudrama.

He continued:

STELTER: But I do think the Republicans suddenly belatedly showing up to support Trump is in some ways the most interesting thing that happened today. Where were they for the last three weeks? Where were Trump’s friends? People are focused on why isn't his family coming? None of his friends showed up until this week. Now all of a sudden, they're all popping up, whether it's for the veepstakes or because he's pressuring them to be there.

But it is so revealing and so sad about the state of the Republican party that they're all belatedly showing up. Did you see what Lisa Murkowski said today? One of these establishment Republican senators? She was asked why aren't you going to New York City to be at the trial. She said, don't we have something better to do around here than to watch stupid boring trials? And the reality is, Ari, no. The GOP lawmakers have nothing better to do, right? Than to sit around, and take their talking points from Fox.

Stelter added that "far right" networks like Fox News tried to ignore the trial, but the "big story" coverage of networks like MSNBC have forced them to acknowledge this is big. Once again, just like with the Pelosi-Picked Panel on January 6, Fox is going to carry some of the same "big stories" as the leftist press with a different spin. It's a little harder to skip stories that 37 national media outlets are obsessing over.

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