On Thursday night, Fox News host Martha MacCallum welcomed guests Katie Pavlich from conservative blogging hub Townhall.com and Emily Tisch Sussman from progressive think tank the Center for American Progress Action Fund.
The right-wing network has alternated between pretending the Russia scandal isn't happening and blaming the whole mess on the so-called liberal media. On Thursday, Mediaite.com noted, MacCallum got irate when Sussman put forth a barrage of facts that conflicted with MacCallum's predetermined narrative.
MacCallum tried to bait Sussman, saying, "Emily, let me start with you: The president is a Russian agent, uh, obstruction of justice and has only 14 months left in his presidency, apparently? How are any of those statements fair at this point?"
"I think a lot could be said about the president," Sussman replied. "What we do know is that he's tried to derail any attempt to look into any connections between his campaign and the Russia investigation. His spokespeople have not been truthful about the fact that he disclosed confidential information to the Russians."
All of this is objectively factual. The White House deputized House Intelligence Committee head Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) to ink the waters of the House's investigation into Russia and Trump himself, as we know from the New York Times, told now-former FBI Director James Comey to "back off" the investigation of disgraced ex-national security adviser Michael Flynn.
We also know that Trump from Israeli sources monitoring the threat from ISIS in the Middle East. Israeli spy officials are furious about this and say Trump isn't competent to run "a corner store."
MacCallum and Pavlich, however, insisted angrily that Sussman was lying.
"I’m looking for facts,” MacCallum complained. “We’re trying to stay in 'Fact Land.'”
"We would love facts," Sussman said.
“Because there’s a lot of things that are outside 'Fact Land,'” MacCallum said. “We know that he has every right to say whatever he wants to the Russians. He has total ability to declassify if he decided to do so. And I didn’t hear any facts in what you just said.”
MacCallum's argument hinges on the fact that yes, technically the president has the right to declassify whatever he wants, but it was a terrifically stupid move on his part to reveal this information to a delegation from a hostile state and could actually endanger the safety of operatives in the field and hinder the country's ability to gather data on ISIS. It was illegal before it came out of the president's mouth and if he was any other government official, he would lose his job and possibly go to federal prison.
But don't tell that to the "fair and balanced" crew over in Fox News' "Fact Land." They'll call you liar.
Watch the video, embedded below:
