That secretly recorded audio of Devin Nunes speaking at a fundraiser? Fox News buried the entire incident as if it never happened.
On Wednesday, August 8th, Rachel Maddow played audio of House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, and it contained a lot of noteworthy items.
*How he felt many of Trump's tweets were cringe-worthy.
*How using stolen emails from a foreign govt like Portugal was criminal.
*How House Republicans needed to be reelected because they are the only body stopping Robert Mueller'a special counsel against Trump.
*How the Freedom Caucus introduced a motion to impeach Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein so that Trump could appoint someone who would be willing to fire special counsel Robert Mueller.
*How the leadership wants to delay Rosenstein’'s impeachment until after Brett Kavanaugh is confirmed to the Supreme Court because if Rosenstein were impeached right now, the Senate would be forced to drop everything and try Rosenstein.
This set the political world on fire, including much of cable news. Except for one network.
After searching TVEyes closed caption service and scanning many programs myself, I found only Sean Hannity mentioned the Maddow blockbuster on the following Thursday evening during his opening and then it was never mentioned again.
Hannity opened his show by smearing Mueller and claiming to have more damaging information on the DOJ and anti-Trumpers trying to destroy Trump.
Hannity said, "And don't expect, by the way, to hear this over at conspiracy TV MSNBC where they're to the left of Mao, their words, conspiracy theorist, Rachel Maddow, is pushing, and busy pushing, more bizarre anti-Trump conspiracy theories and lies. This is 24/7."
"Tom Brokaw, pay attention, this is your NBC News. And, last night's show, well, she broke another bombshell report because there is a secret recording from the House Intel Committee Chairman Devin Nunes where he warned about the consequences if Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats take back the House in November.," he said.
He continued: "Let's take, for example, conspiracy TV, MSNBC. You are going to love this tape. Now, this is not the case. They are more interested in pushing salacious rumors, lies, accusations. Tom Brokaw, you spent your entire career. This is your NBC news. And nowhere is this more true than their chief conspiracy theorist Rachel Maddow. Last night, after her old tricks, literally making something out of nothing. Whipping these left-wing viewers into a frenzy over a secret recording of the House Intel Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, where he warned a room full of donors that if Republicans lose, all deep state investigations will be halted and Democrats will try to impeach Trump. We've been saying this literally every night..."
And that was it. No other coverage on any Fox program that we can find.
Hannity's words were played again when Fox News re-aired the same program.
Even on Thursday's edition of Shepard Smith Reporting, there was no mention of the new Nunes tapes. Outnumbered, America's Newsroom, Overdrive, The Five and so on were silent.
To be honest, I was surprised because I expected more Fox News personalities to refute the tape and defend Nunes, but that never happened because Fox News never allowed them to address it.
It's like Rep. Devin Nunes was never at Cathy McMorris Rodgers fundraiser at all.
Any other mention of Nunes' name came about when a host like Maria Bartiromo said Rep. Nunes dismissed claims of collusion between Trump and the Russians or to mention him in context with Diane Feinstein's Chinese spy story.
This is how state-sponsored television works at the Roger Ailes-built platform. Constantly defend and glorify Donald Trump and his presidency and gloss over, reinterpret or ignore any story that undermines that narrative. And poke the competition.
