CNN and MSNBC Helped Russia Sow Discord by Promoting Fake Anti-Trump Rally

Newsbusters ^ | 2/19/2018 | Rich Noyes

[simpson96]

One of the revelations in Friday’s indictment handed down by Special Counsel Robert Mueller was that alleged Russian attempts to sow disunity in 2016 included the organization of both pro- and anti-Trump rallies in New York City on the Saturday after Election Day.

A check of their November 12 coverage showed both CNN and MSNBC gave enthusiastic coverage to the Russian-organized anti-Trump rally that day, with live reports every hour. Correspondents celebrated the idea that it was “a love rally,” and repeated the marchers’ anti-Trump mantras, such as: “We reject the President-elect.”

While the two liberal anti-Trump networks offered heavy coverage of the anti-Trump rally throughout the day, a check of coverage between noon and 5:00 p.m. Eastern found that the Fox News Channel offered only a short re-cap (66 seconds) at the start of their 4:00 p.m. Eastern hour.

(snip)At one point, MSNBC anchor Alex Witt credulously responded to the ridiculously alarmist rhetoric: “That woman, when she’s saying she’s concerned that black people will be shot in the street....Is that a legitimate concern for her? Because, that’s scary.”

Correspondent Morgan Radford cheerfully played along: “Alex, it’s not only a legitimate concern for her, it’s a legitimate concern for a lot of people I’ve spoken to....They’re wondering if this [Trump’s election] is almost a license to carry in terms of hate.”

If the goal of the secret Russian organizers was to inject nonsense like that into the American political dialogue, then their unwitting helpers on CNN and MSNBC certainly gave them plenty of assistance that day.

Both CNN and MSNBC talked about who they thought was organizing the rally. On MSNBC a few minutes before the march began, anchor Alex Witt asked Radford: “Hey, Morgan, can you tell who has organized this rally?...Is there someone

[bray]

Well, they have been Russia’s spokesmen for the past 50 years.

[Flick Lives]

CNN = Russian Propaganda Stooge

[Common Sense 101]

I think the words “knowingly” and willingly” are missing from the title...

[House Atreides]

My God! CNN and MSNBC are COLLUDING WITH RUSSIA. ;-)

[ThomasMore]

CNN = Communist News Network

[txrefugee]

CNN and MSNBC have always been Russian agit-prop agencies. They are enemies of our country, just as President Trump called them.

[DaveA37]

Looks like Mueller failed to add those two networks on his inditement list.

[basalt]

wish Trump would tweet about this..the ultimate fake news..plus it would drive them up a wall.

[seawolf101]

I still cannot understand why some people still watch CNN and PMSNBC.

[Vaduz]

Somebody is asleep at the FCC CNN and MSNBC and so called network news needs to be classified as fiction news or newstoons.

[merkava]

Of course they helped russia, cnn, nbc and others are communist entities. They don’t have to be told, they are like obama and the fbi,nsa,irs and doj. They just know what is needed to destroy their enemies.