NBC attacks Republicans for noticing Biden’s cruelty toward his granddaughter
Jack Elbaum
Video Embed
It seems that some in the corporate press have made covering for President Joe Biden’s many faults a priority.
The latest example comes from NBC, which wrote, “President Joe Biden’s family story has long been one of his greatest strengths politically. Republicans are starting to think they can turn it into a liability.” How do they plan to do that? By pointing out that Biden categorically rejects one of his seven grandchildren, presumably because his son had her with a stripper. He says he loves his six grandchildren. But he has seven.
LACKS THE VOTES, HAS THE JOB: BIDEN KEEPING JULIE SU AS ACTING LABOR SECRETARY INDEFINITELY
The piece continues: “That [the attacks] have now boiled over to the presidential campaign trail and focused on this young girl and her role in the Biden family underscores how Republicans are leaning into a deeply personal issue for the president — and that it isn’t going away.”
The framing is notable: It suggests the real story is Republicans attacking Biden over refusing to acknowledge the existence of his granddaughter rather than, you know, the cruelty of Biden doing so in the first place. The title of the piece, “Republicans up the personal attacks on Biden and his family,” all but confirms this.
The reporter deserves credit for including a number of quotes from analysts quite critical of the president in the piece, rightly pointing out that his image as a simple family man is far more complicated than often assumed. However, they are buried further down in the piece. The initial framing is what most people will read, and it is undeniably slanted to focus on the reactions of Republicans rather than the actions of Biden.
It is a perfect illustration of what has become known as the “Republicans pounce” trope, which refers to “a headline in a newspaper or other article that describes Republicans (or other right-leaning individuals) attacking a Democrat (or other left-leaning individual) when that Democrat commits a misdeed. Always written by a reporter with left-wing political views, it will attempt to frame the Republicans as overzealous, and will either downplay, ignore, or excuse the Democrat’s misdeed.”
Such framing has been used over and over by the legacy media. Politico characterized Republicans’ reaction to the Biden administration trying to infuse the controversial and historically questionable 1619 Project into federal rules as engaging in a “culture war.” Charles Cooke at National Review pointed out, “Almost invariably, the press assumes that what the Democrats are doing is normal and that what Republicans are doing is not — even when it is the Democrats who are proposing big changes.”
The same tactic was used with respect to the Chinese spy balloon, gas stoves, inflation, crime, train derailments, the Green New Deal, inflation again, climate regulations, and many more topics.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
While the occasional outlet will use similar phrasing to refer to Democratic opposition to a given GOP plan, it is not done in a way that makes it seem that such opposition is imminently unreasonable. Why? It’s hard to say. After all, it’s not just Republicans who attack their opponents — even sometimes in an over-the-top way.
But I guess we have to trust the media: It’s just (D)ifferent.
Jack Elbaum is a summer 2023 Washington Examiner fellow.