Ross: The media got it wrong
Jun 10, 2021, 6:10 AM | Updated: 9:25 am
(Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
It was a year ago on June 1, 2020, that we all saw the U.S. Park Police clear Black Lives Matter demonstrators out of Lafayette Park across from the White House, followed a short time later by video of President Trump walking to the park for that famous photo op holding a bible.
Well, the official report on that incident was released yesterday, and it concludes the decision to clear the demonstrators had nothing to do with the photo op.
It was done so that a security fence could be installed.
The timeline shows the plan to install the fence was underway several hours before the Park Police knew the president was headed there, and the Park Police knew nothing about the bible photo.
And on Fox, Sean Hannity was triumphant:
“Remember these fake news headlines last summer? NPR: Peaceful protesters tear gassed to clear the way for Trump church photo op. New York Toilet paper Times: Trump’s idea for a photo op led to havoc in a park.”
Talk host Mark Levin agreed completely that the New York Times just lied outright:
“They covered up the Holocaust, so of course they’re gonna lie about what took place in Lafayette Park.”
And he quoted what candidate Joe Biden said at the time:
“When Americans peacefully protest outside the White House, this president tear gassed them for a photo op. Liar!”
So there you have two conservatives – and it doesn’t get more conservative than Hannity and Levin – saying the “mainstream” media got it wrong, and Biden got it wrong. And who got it right? The impartial inspector general for the Department of the Interior.
Well, it occurs to me this is the EXACT type of independent investigation that the House approved for the January 6 attack. This tells me there’s a chance it, too, might completely vindicate Trump. Imagine how much trouble the mainstream media would be in then!
So, here’s my idea for getting Republicans to support it:
The inspector general who led the Lafayette Park investigation – the investigation that left Hannity and Levin deliriously joyful – is a career official by the name of Mark Lee Greenblatt. He was appointed by Trump two years ago, and confirmed on a voice vote, utterly uncontroversial.
Put HIM in charge of the January 6 investigation. How could Hannity be against that? Heck, how could Trump be against that? He appointed the guy! That’s my idea. And if that doesn’t get Republican support, then they MUST have something to hide.
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