In a brazen attempt to influence the free press, the Biden administration has dispatched a memo to major news outlets such as CNN, the New York Times, the Associated Press, and Fox News. The letter is a response to the House GOP’s recent announcement of an impeachment inquiry into President Biden’s alleged involvement in his son’s businesses and tells the press to cover it skeptically.
The letter’s author, Ian Sams, is a Special Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor to the White House Counsel’s Office. He urges news organizations to increase scrutiny of the House GOP’s actions, accusing them of initiating proceedings based on falsehoods.
“It’s time for the media to ramp up its scrutiny of House Republicans for opening an impeachment inquiry based on lies,” the letter states.
“Covering impeachment as a process story – Republicans say X, but the White House says Y – is a disservice to the American public who relies on the independent press to hold those in power accountable,” Sams wrote, pushing for the press to not report in a neutral way.
“And in the modern media environment, where every day liars and hucksters peddle disinformation and lies everywhere from Facebook to Fox, process stories that fail to unpack the illegitimacy of the claims on which House Republicans are basing all their actions only serve to generate confusion, put false premises in people’s feeds, and obscure the truth,” Sams added
Sams uses the fact that some House Republicans think there is no evidence of wrongdoing on President Biden’s part that it should “set off alarm bells for news organizations.”
Considering the investigation into President Biden involves looking at ways he uses his influence to profit from and influence business matters, the White House’s attempt at directing editorial strategies has been received with criticism from commentators across the political spectrum.
Notable journalist Matthew Keys expressed his vehement disapproval, posting, “This is not okay. The White House should not be encouraging, influencing, or interfering in the editorial strategies of America’s newsrooms, including CNN and the New York Times.”
Keys added, referring to a report by CNN’s Oliver Darcy, that such tactics could inadvertently lead to Donald Trump’s re-election in the next year.
The White House castigates the Republicans as habitual liars and con men, asserting that their actions serve only to generate confusion and obscure truths. He also demands the media do away with what he and the Biden’s consider false equivalency reporting.
Stemming from allegations of corruption related to Hunter Biden’s foreign business deals, the House GOP led by Speaker Kevin McCarthy have initiated steps to impeach President Biden.
McCarthy, accusing the president of “abuse of power and involvement in a culture of corruption,” has announced a formal impeachment inquiry.
President Biden has consistently denied his involvement in his son’s business dealings. Despite this, the Republicans say they have clear evidence that at least a dozen Biden family members could have financially benefited from his public office.
The coming days are anticipated to see subpoena orders for the bank records of President Biden and his family.
