MSNBC panel launches into full Trump conspiracy mode over Barr. Swiftly burned by DOJ

(Video screenshots)

On Wednesday so-called “reporters,” commentators and guests at MSNBC theorized that Attorney General Bill Barr’s plan to hold a press conference prior to the release of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report on Russian collusion Thursday afternoon was President Donald Trump’s idea. They also called for Mueller’s full report to be released without any required legal redactions.

“I think the DOJ should put out the report unredacted,” former Obama-era Defense Department chief of staff Jeremy Bash said. “We don’t need any more press conferences, summaries, spin. We need to see the words of the report. We need to see the work of the special counsel, period.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that the president directed him or at least suggested to him that he have a press conference. It’s very Trumpian — it’s sort of like get out ahead of it, tell your story so we can have our narrative and we can claim no collusion,” he added.

Listen to the full discussion below:

 

That was a blatant conspiracy theory — one that was later disproved by the facts. But instead of pushing back on this theory, fellow panelist Los Angeles Times “reporter” Eli Stokols concurred with it.

“It’s very believable,” he said. “We don’t know that, but it fits within this pattern of Trump wanting all of the people in his administration on television. Everything in this presidency is televised, that’s the medium he communicates through, that’s how he makes personnel decisions.”

Actually, many of the president’s decisions are announced via Twitter

“He’s hired I don’t know how many people from Fox News to serve in various government agencies. So I just think, we don’t know, but all the pieces fit together that they see this as a TV story.”

Again, this was pure speculation based on nothing but MSNBC’s usual dose of sometimes insane but always false conspiratorial musings. In fact, a couple of hours after the panel discussion, the Department of Justice issued a statement clearing things up:

“It was the Department of Justice’s decision to do the press conference tomorrow.”

Dovetailing back to the discussion on MSNBC, former congresswoman Donna Edwards, a Democrat, continued it by questioning why Barr, who’s the attorney general, and Rod Rosenstein, who’s the deputy attorney general, will be holding the press conference.

“It’s kind of untenable that not only do you have the attorney general, but you have Rod Rosenstein, who’s actually part of the investigation, answering questions about that investigation. We need the full, unredacted report,” she said.

It’s unclear why the top leaders of the Department of Justice shouldn’t be allowed to hold a press conference about an investigation conducted by their own department.

It’a also unclear why apparently everybody at MSNBC is incapable of understanding that publishing the unredacted version of the Mueller report would be illegal and dangerous.

According to PBS, the redacted information will include:

Grand jury information that cannot be disclosed “according to Title III, Rule 6 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure.”

Classified information that cannot be disclosed because doing so would mean disclosing “secret intelligence sources and methods” and putting certain intelligence operatives at risk.

Information related to a plethora of ongoing investigations linked to the Mueller probe that cannot be disclosed because the release of said information would contaminate the cases.

And confidential information regarding “peripheral third parties” that cannot be disclosed as per “a long-standing Justice Department precedent to not release damaging information about uncharged individuals because they cannot defend themselves in court.”

HERE’S WHAT YOU’RE MISSING …

MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace, who envisions herself as some sort of journalist, mentioned none of this to her guests. Instead she trotted out her own conspiracy theory.

“When I wanted to present something as more credible than I was or my boss, I would have the person with more credibility do it,” she said, referencing her past as former President George W. Bush’s White House communications director. “The person between Barr and Mueller with more credibility is Mueller. So if Mueller didn’t want to stand there, just putting out the papers and going up to your office was the better strategic communications decision.”

Again there seemed to be a suggestion that Thursday’s press conference was purposefully planned by Trump and his White House officials. This theory has already been confirmed to be false.

Granted, this isn’t the only example of MSNBC’s hosts and guests pushing conspiracy theories, according to a number of keen-eyed social media users:

It seemingly never ends with MSNBC.

HERE’S WHAT YOU’RE MISSING …

DONATE TO BIZPAC REVIEW

Please help us! If you are fed up with letting radical big tech execs, phony fact-checkers, tyrannical liberals and a lying mainstream media have unprecedented power over your news please consider making a donation to BPR to help us fight them. Now is the time. Truth has never been more critical!

Success! Thank you for donating. Please share BPR content to help combat the lies.
Vivek Saxena

Comment

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.

BPR INSIDER COMMENTS

Scroll down for non-member comments or join our insider conversations by becoming a member. We'd love to have you!

Latest Articles