ABC News has a George Stephanopoulos problem

No one likes to see reporters ask hard questions of politicians more than I do.  And when politicians evade hard questions, it’s great to see a real journalist press them.  Unfortunately for ABC News, George Stephanopoulos is about as far from a real journalist as it’s possible to be.

Stephanopoulos is a relentless advocate for Democrats and left-wing causes. 

He is the poster boy for “gotcha” questions that may have little relevance to issues.  As a former member of the Clinton War Room, he badgers Republicans, trying to get them flustered and get something on tape that Kamala Harris could use.

This is not a good look for the “Face of ABC News,” but ABC is a Disney company and Disney is as far to the left as Stephanopoulos is.  Perhaps it’s a match made in Heaven, but if I were a politician, I wouldn’t go near ABC News.

Audio: Random Samplings of a Logical Mind

Stephanopoulos’ interview with House Speaker Mike Johnson on ABC’s “This Week” was a train wreck.

I watched in amazement and disbelief.  Stephanopoulos had a burr under his saddle about Eric Trump, who blames Democrat Party rhetoric for two assassination attempts against his father.  That’s understandable to most people – imagine someone trying to kill your father – but the Face of ABC News was in the mood to pounce.

Video:  From ABC’s “This Week” Sunday, October 6, 2024 – a total trainwreck

Speaker Johnson was likely expecting questions about Hurricane relief for victims of Helene, but that did not interest Stephanopoulos.  He played a clip of Eric Trump, and demanded that Johnson repudiate it.  Johnson, who now knows better than to go on ABC News ever again, didn’t want to talk about it.  He said he hadn’t seen the speech in context, but that both parties should lower the rhetoric.

That did not work for the Face of ABC News. 

The Face was trying to put Johnson into a corner and trap him there.   And yes, conservative commentators from Tucker Carlson to Cardle & Woolley have commented on the impeachments against Trump, the lawfare, and the assassination attempts as Democrats stop at nothing to keep Trump out of the office.  But The Face only wanted to smear conservatives.

Speaker Johnson is too nice to go up against The Face.  There’s a lot he could have said – – that I would have said – but he kept to the high road.  He could have said:  Republicans use violent language from time to time, but Democrats are in a class by themselves.  Here’s just a few examples:

• Maxine Waters urging Democrats to get in Republicans’ faces.
• Ted Cruz and Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh being run out of Washington restaurants.
• Rand Paul and his wife almost being murdered by a left-wing mob after leaving an event at the Rose Garden.
• Paul being brutally attacked by his next-door neighbor.
• A Democrat shooting Republicans at the congressional baseball game.
• Black Lives Matter/Antifa left-wing violence during the Summer of 2020.
• Joe Biden constantly telling Americans that Donald Trump is a threat to “Our Democracy.”
• Biden’s “red,” anti-Trump speech at Independence Hall in Philadelphia.
• Chuck Schumer’s despicable rant on the steps of the Supreme Court that lead to an attempted assassination of Justice Kavanaugh.
• The constant lawfare against Trump that seems to be never ending.

Video:  Trump’s lawyer plays a video of Democrats and celebrities advocating violence at impeachment trial

And one more thing.  The softball questions being handed to Kamala Harris are embarrassing as well. 

On the ABC News debate, ABC World News Tonight anchor David Muir and Linsey Davis embarrassed ABC by fact-checking Trump, but not Harris.  America has a journalism problem and ABC News has a Stephanopoulos problem.  Our country needs hard-hitting reporters.  It doesn’t need political operatives disguised as journalists and shilling for one party.

RELATED:  ABC’s Jonathan Karl is only the latest Journalist to shill for Democrats

I’d be fine with the Face of ABC News acting as a paid contributor taking the side of left-wing causes.  Of course, that’s assuming the network also had someone as a counter to him.  With Disney in control, that’s not likely to happen.   So let me make two recommendations.

First, if you’re a politician such as Speaker Mike Johnson, or Donald Trump, simply don’t go on ABC News.  No interviews, no appearances, and no debates.   Muir and The Face have ruined that.

Second, if you’re a consumer of television news, avoid the Big Three networks.  ABC News, with Stephanopoulos at the helm, appears to be the worst of the three, but that isn’t saying much for CBS and NBC — although CBS’s Bill Whitaker did a nice job interviewing Kamala Harris on 60 Minutes.  Whitaker asked her tough question about Israel, the border, and the economy and he pressed her with follow-up questions.  She was incapable of providing intelligent answers, but Whitaker did his job.

Video:  Watch Bill Whitaker ask Harris a real question and watch her deflect.

Whitaker showed how a network journalist ought to grill a politician. 

His co-workers at CBS, Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan, took a different approach at the vice-presidential debate.  The anchor of the CBS Evening News and the host of Face the Nation turned in an embarrassing performance compared to Whitaker’s.  Certainly, David Muir and The Face could learn from Whitaker’s approach.

Video:  At the vice presidential debate, JD Vance took exception to Margaret Brennan’s fact-checking.

That is to say that a true journalist is not concerned with the political party of the person being interviewed.  There’s always room for a lighthearted moment, but for the most part, a serious interview is about issues that matter – not the unfair and unrelenting badgering that The Face inflicted upon Speaker Johnson in order to score political points for Democrats.

RELATED:  MSNBC Anchor Joy Reid Becomes the Face of Racism on Cable TV 

Please understand – I’m not asking the networks to pitch softballs to Republicans.  On the contrary, they must be challenged.  But it can’t be exclusive.  Democrats must be asked hard questions too.  ABC, CBS, and NBC have become propaganda networks for the Democrat Party at a time when the county needs hard-hitting journalism.

The three fiction books by Lynn Woolley

Lynn Woolley is a Texas-based author, broadcaster, and songwriter.  Follow his podcast at https://www.PlanetLogic.us.  Check out his author’s page at https://www.Amazon.com/author/lynnwoolley. 

Order books direct from Lynn at https://PlanetLogicPress.Square.Site. 

Email Lynn at lwoolley9189@gmail.com.

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