Fox News contributor Juan Williams penned a scathing op-ed column for The Hill on Monday in which he scorched right-wing media for its double standard with regards to the actions of Pres. Donald Trump and former President Barack Obama.
Williams cited an editorial from the Wall Street Journal that compared Trump's refusal to let go of the story that former Pres. Obama had wiretapped Trump Tower to a drunk clinging to "an empty gin bottle."
"Wow," wrote Williams on Monday. "The Journal was sharply critical of Obama but never said he had the credibility of a drunkard."
For Williams this shift is long overdue, given the outrageousness of the current president's actions and statements. In his editorial, he wondered whether right-wing talk radio will ever follow suit.
"Imagine the reaction from far-right talk radio -- the people who raised hell and their ratings by attacking Obama daily with accusations about fake scandals -- if the 44th president had lied about his predecessor or if people in his circle had been taking money from Russia," Williams said.
He continued, "Imagine the outburst from Rush Limbaugh -- the king of conservative talk radio -- if the Justice Department told Obama that his National Security Advisor had lied about discussing sanctions with Russian government officials and Obama had waited three weeks to demand that person’s resignation."
He went on to ask what right-wing voices like Hugh Hewitt and Lars Larson would say if Obama's advisors had taken payouts from the Russian government or companies linked to it.
Congressional Republicans like Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA), Williams said, aren't doing their party any favors as they "busily sweep dirt from the Russia scandal under the White House carpet."
Meanwhile, Trump's poll numbers are sinking lower and lower, Williams said, thanks to the public's eroding trust in his word.
"A whopping 70 percent of voters do not believe Trump’s claim that Obama wiretapped him last year. Just 19 percent believe -- in the face of the evidence -- that Obama did so," he said.
Williams pointed to the Journal editorial's question, “If President Trump announces that North Korea launched a missile that landed within 100 miles of Hawaii, would most Americans believe him? Would the rest of the world? We’re not sure, which speaks to the damage that Mr. Trump is doing to his Presidency with his seemingly endless stream of exaggerations, evidence-free accusations, implausible denials and other falsehoods.”
"President Obama," said Williams, "please accept the right wing’s many apologies."
