"Fox News is aiding a White House “cover-up” relating to special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe. "
Legendary reporter Carl Bernstein, who was half of the duo that exposed President Richard Nixon’s involvement in the Watergate break-in, said Fox News is aiding a White House “cover-up” relating to special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe.
Speaking on CNN, Bernstein said attacks by conservative news hosts, primarily on Fox News, are helping members of the Trump administration conceal alleged crimes under investigation by Mueller.
“Yes, it abets a cover-up, because there is a cover-up going on in the White House and among President Donald Trump’s aides and former aides relating to the investigations,” Bernstein stated, in response to a question from host Brian Stelter. “We don’t know what the cover-up is about, whether it constitutes an obstruction of justice or a criminal conspiracy at this point.”
He continued, “But yes, because the commentators that you are hearing and showing are not open in any way to the best obtainable version of the truth, to facts, context, who seem to be oblivious to the serial lying of the president of the United States and members of his family and staff. They are abetting a cover-up.”
He accused right-wing news hosts of operating a smokescreen—making the conduct of everyone, including Mueller, “the issue, except the president of the United States.”
Fox News hosts have attacked the Mueller probe since charges were filed against former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn—who has admitted to lying to the FBI about his contact with the Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak ahead of Trump's inauguration.
Top-rated host Sean Hannity last week called Mueller and his team of investigators an "utter disgrace." He claimed that the investigation poses a "direct threat to you, the American people, and our American republic," and he called for Mueller to resign.
Lou Dobbs called for former President Barack Obama to be investigated because the Russian interference "occurred under his administration," while Fox’s Gregg Jarrett even called for Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who recused himself from matters relating to the Russia probe after misleading Congress about contact with Russian officials, to “un-recuse himself” to get rid of “partisans” like Robert Mueller.
Mueller recently dismissed FBI agent Peter Strzok from the Russia probe after he was found to have sent anti-Trump text messages. Many have cited Strzok as evidence of partisan bias in the investigation.
A series of Trump allies have appeared on the network to attack Mueller, including former House Speaker Newt Gingrich—who defended Mueller’s appointment in May but last week described Mueller and the “senior FBI” as “corrupt.”
Bernstein has previously compared the Russia investigation to the Watergate scandal that resulted in the resignation of President Richard Nixon in 1974.
In November, he said at an event in Chicago that if Trump colluded with Russia to win the presidency, it is “worse than Watergate.” Last week, in an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper, he called Trump’s “authoritarian” behavior more “egregious” than Nixon’s.
“Richard Nixon is a criminal president who abused his authority in secret throughout his presidency and had to leave office because of it,” Bernstein explained.
“Donald Trump, by contrast, is a president of the United States who has claimed authoritarian powers for himself and exercised them not in secret but openly, and now because of that it looks like he may well have obstructed justice, among other possibly illegal acts.”
Bernstein and fellow Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward were awarded the Pulitzer Prize for their investigation into the Watergate break-in, and the Nixon White House's role in the subsequent cover-up.
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He accused right-wing news hosts of operating a smokescreen—making the conduct of everyone, including Mueller, “the issue, except the president of the United States.”
Tell us something we don't already know Carl.
I think Bernstein is a little hot under the collar that the idea of a witch hunt has finally taken hold in public opinion. He really cant blame Fox News for that. We have an investigation without an initial crime, maybe based on a piece of opposition research. We have an independent counsel because a fired FBI director knew a way to initiate one. We have people who worked for the President's campaign for about 4 months being indicted for unrelated activities. We have a number of conflicts of interests going on within the investigation and within the FBI itself. So yes, people are questioning the credibility of the investigation.
Bernstein know's is gathering momentum and he dosen't like it.
One way to end it is for Mueller to put up or admit this whole thing was a false narrative created by the Clinton campaign.
We have a president who is a pathological liar.
We have a president who has undisclosed financial ties to Russian crime figures (includes the Putin oligarchy).
We have a first son who is recorded in an email saying he would love it if a Russian emissary to the Trump campaign could deliver dirt on Hillary Clinton.
We have 40 years of Donald Trump being a dishonest scumbag.
We have the US intelligence services saying Julian Assange is aligned with Russian hackers.
We have first son in communication with Assange after the world had been warned about Russian meddling in the campaign.
I'd say it was based on opposition actions, not research.
Don't forget that these charges aren't linked to the campaign. They took place either before or after. None during.
You aren't supposed to acknowledge stuff like that. You might trigger somebody.
Those supporting this farce of an investigation seem to be just stomping their feet crying "Trump" through the night.
Skirting the CoC [ph]
That's what it appears to be about
These "conflicts of interest" are imaginary, and the constant promotion of them is dishonest to the nth.
I do believe Mueller wants to get Trump, but not because he is a Democrat or liberal (he isn't either) , but because he is a patriot who logically wants the travesty of Trumpism to come to an end.
So is the MSM. It has nothing to do with the investigation.
We have a president who has undisclosed financial ties to Russian crime figures (includes the Putin oligarchy).
You mean legal business?
We have a first son who is recorded in an email saying he would love it if a Russian emissary to the Trump campaign could deliver dirt on Hillary Clinton.
That's true, but they weren't successful, however, the Clinton Campaign was - paying millions for "the Steele Dossier", which may have been improperly used
We have 40 years of Donald Trump being a dishonest scumbag.
Whatever you think he was - it dose'nt involve the investigation
We have the US intelligence services saying Julian Assange is aligned with Russian hackers.
Um-hum and that still dose'nt involve Trump
We have first son in communication with Assange after the world had been warned about Russian meddling in the campaign.
Again that dose'nt mean much. You just told us Assange got the info from the Russians and it was Assange alone who released the info.
Thank you for confirming the Mueller investigation still has no evidence of collusion. So I guess Comey was right not to include Trump in his investigation.
We don't know all what Mueller has. There is more than enough smoke to have a continuing investigation.
As far as Trump being a pathological liar having nothing to do with him being investigated, lol. He cannot be trusted. His words 'no one from my campaign met with Russians' are meaningless.
As you can see from your own article and this discussion - the investigation is losing credibility. If Mueller wants to drag it out he does so at his own peril.
BTW it has just been revealed that the wife of deputy Attorney General Bruce Ohr WORKED for Fusion GPS! More & More is coming out about the actions of Clinton campaign officials & Obama officials as well as the FBI. It's a scandal alright but not a Trump scandal
Imaginary? An IT person that installed Clinton's server is imaginary?
How about the "lead investigator" in with Clinton and Obama in the Uranium One sale?
And we can't for get Peter Strzok.
Seems your imaginary conflicts of interest are more real than the President's actual collusion.
Speaking on CNN,
And credibility lost.
Anyone who thinks Fox News is more credible than CNN needs to have their head examined, literally. Something is wrong up there.
And so give us all the sordid details, instead of offering up a wimp-assed general statement.
You are irrelevant Rex. The next interesting comment you make you be your first.
Maybe CNN should stop reporting fake bombshells that it constantly has to retract if it wants to be taken seriously.
Another day, another story retracted.
CNN, at the behest of it's left wing allies, has been pushing the "collusion" narrative since the election. Mueller was appointed to investigation collusion. To date, despite all the hyperventilation, there has been zero actual evidence of collusion published despite the hysterical coverage.
This would be like Fox spending a year on Clinton's private server without having any evidence whatsoever that she even owned a server.