Watch: CNN Host Sweats Bullets When Colleague Talks About Media Cover-Up
CNN'sBrian Stelter embarrassed himself in a super awkward moment when host S.E. Cupp slammed the media for ignoring, even lying about, the Hunter Biden laptop story. For good reason. Stelter dismissed the story as 'Russian propaganda' and played a small role in the case not being investigated.
After debating the controversy surrounding Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas's wife, Ginni Thomas' text messages about the 2020 presidential election, Stelter turned to Cupp: "do you see an imbalance of outrage this week on the story?" Cup argued that the outrage surrounding the text messages is warranted, but noted that people "in conservative circles have known about Virginia Lamp Thomas' political leanings for decades."
Cupp then changed speeds and Stelter became visibly uncomfortable.
"You don't have to look far to find a very similar story that was really ignored by the media and, in fact, called false over and over and over again and that's the Hunter Biden laptop story. Hunter Biden is a relative of a very famous person the way Ginni Thomas is a relative of a very powerful famous person and, you know, my Twitter feed is clogged with blue check reporters who are instantly believing that there is some tie between Ginni and Clarence. You know, the rush to dismiss Hunter as not a relevant story by lots of reporters I think is hard to ignore."
Shocked into silence, Stelter passed the question.
"The Hunter Biden story is Hunter Biden is being investigated by the Justice Department and by the IRS as I understand it at this point and so it seems that there's no shortage of legal interest in Hunter Biden and yet we have not seen the Ginni Thomas has been called by the January 6 committee because there's been such sensitivity about not calling a Supreme Court justice's wife."
Cupp jumped back in: "yes, but the legal interest in the Hunter Biden story would make the journalism interest, I think, even more, warranted." Stelter replied "to raise it", Cupp agreed, saying "yeah." Stelter then quickly moved on to the confirmation hearings for Judge Katanji Brown Jackson.
Transcript:
BRIAN STELTER: S.E., do you see an imbalance of outrage this week on the story?
S.E. CUPP: Listen, the outrage is warranted. We in conservative circles have known about Virginia Lamp Thomas' political leanings for decades and the conflicts have been, you know, questioned by everyone including like Sean Hannity at one time questioned her conflict. The outrage is warranted, those texts are very troubling and we should be looking at whether Clarence Thomas knew or if that's a conflict. But, listen, you don't have to look far to find a very similar story that was really ignored by the media and, in fact, called false over and over and over again and that's the Hunter Biden laptop story. Hunter Biden is a relative of a very famous person the way Ginni Thomas is a relative of a very powerful famous person and, you know, my Twitter feed is clogged with blue check reporters who are instantly believing that there is some tie between Ginni and Clarence. You know, the rush to dismiss hunter as not a relevant story by lots of reporters I think is hard to ignore.
STELTER: I wonder, Jane, do you have a reaction to that?
STELTER: Jane, can you hear us?
JANE MAYER: You asked me? Sorry, the sound is a little bad here.
STELTER: As an investigative reporter do you look at the Hunter Biden story and say there is a lot more to dig into here?
MAYER: I mean, the Hunter Biden story is Hunter Biden is being investigated by the Justice Department and by the IRS as I understand it at this point and so it seems that there's no shortage of legal interest in Hunter Biden and yet we have not seen the Ginni Thomas has been called by the January 6th committee because there's been such sensitivity about not calling a Supreme Court justice's wife. There's talk of subpoenaing her, but I would say if anything they've been, you know, leaning over in the other direction in order not to take action on her because of the complicated issues that have to do with the three branches of government and one not want to go interfere on the other.
CUPP: Yes, but the legal interest in the Hunter Biden story would make the journalism interest, I think, even more, warranted.
STELTER: To raise it.
CUPP: Yeah.