Dem. Sen. Bob Menendez Threatens To Call Police on Reporter Asking Questions He Doesn't Like
President Donald Trump has repeatedly been accused of being some kind of tyrant who is actively shutting down a free press … by a press that provides more than 90 percent negative coverage of him.
CNN’s Chief White House Correspondent Jim Acosta has been among those who have attacked Trump over his hits against the “fake news” media. He’s even written a book about it.
We are not the enemy of the people. And the truth is worth the fight… more coming soon… https://t.co/SpjoSBO2oD pic.twitter.com/QMoEuUSr4g
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) January 24, 2019
So, if the establishment media believes so much in a free press, naturally anyone who threatens that would come under their fire, right? To do otherwise would be biased and hypocritical.
It appears, however, that if the free press is threatened by someone on the left it is … okay.
When the Daily Caller’s Capitol Hill reporter Henry Rodgers tried to ask Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez about the Green New Deal, things got ugly fast. Rodgers relayed the details of the encounter on Twitter:
“Not interested. I have nothing to say to the Daily Caller. You’re trash. I won’t answer questions to the Daily Caller, period! You’re trash! Don’t keep harassing me or I’ll call Capitol Police!,” Sen. Bob Menendez told me earlier today when I asked about the Green New Deal…
— Henry Rodgers (@henryrodgersdc) February 13, 2019
Rodgers added that Menendez had also said it to Daily Caller intern Paul Ingrassia.
Hours later, Ingrassia gave an update, explaining that he got another opportunity to ask Menendez about the Green New Deal. Apparently this time there was no threat to call the Capitol Hill police, just a refusal to answer the question.
JUST NOW: I had a chance to ask Senator Menendez about Green New Deal, who AGAIN refused to answer the same question. @DailyCaller
— Paul Ingrassia (@PaulIngrassia) February 14, 2019
Why did Menendez refer to the Daily Caller as “trash?” One explanation appeared on Twitter that may raise some eyebrows.
And the question was simple. @SenatorMenendez could have answered it simply. Instead he flew into a tirade in front of reporters who weren’t even around when the Caller exposed the contemptible behavior. https://t.co/Uj0jhgyhYz
— The Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) February 14, 2019
In the meantime, where are the establishment media champions of a free press? Acosta sent out mostly Trump-bashing tweets in the time period following Menendez’s exchange.
Not one sentence, not one tweet was made to condemn Menendez’s behavior or threat against a free press. Not even one from Acosta who has been incredibly public and vocal about the need for a free press.
Of note, Rodgers tweeted that he would appear on Fox New’s The Ingraham Angle at 10 p.m. ET on February 14 to discuss the exchange he had with Menendez. So while Fox News is giving attention to the situation, where are all the establishment media on this? Apparently nowhere to be found.
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