The FBI has been plagued by bias and conflicts of interest in the Russia investigation, but according to the establishment media it’s just a conspiracy theory cooked up by Republicans.
WATCH:
Recently released text messages from top FBI agent Peter Strzok and his FBI lawyer mistress revealed that not only was Strzok constantly discussing his distaste for Trump during the 2016 election, but he was also interested in implementing an “insurance policy” in case of Trump’s victory and saw himself as someone who could “protect the country” from Trump. Strzok was a top investigator on both the Hillary Clinton email and Trump-Russia investigations and interviewed key witnesses in the email probe. (RELATED: ‘We Can’t Take That Risk’ — FBI Officials Discussed ‘Insurance Policy’ Against Trump Presidency)
Media pundits on CNN and MSNBC have chosen to focus on the least damning parts of Strzok’s texts to gaslight concerned Republicans. They report on Strzok’s texts calling Trump an “idiot,” but routinely refuse to discuss the texts about an “insurance policy” or “protect[ing] the country from that menace.”
Selectively focusing on certain messages has allowed the media to dismiss Strzok’s deeply entrenched bias as private political opinions rather than an indication he might assert his own version of justice against Trump in the Russia investigation.
“There has been this whole to-do about these text messages with FBI investigators, on conservative media you can pick up on this huge campaign to discredit the Mueller investigation,” MSNBC political analyst Sam Stein said, “by going after people who have been assigned to it by going after their previous political affiliations or donations.”
“We’ve now seen 375 messages…and they’re trashing a variety of political figures,” CNN reporter Laura Jarrett stated, ignoring the texts about insurance policies. “Everyone from Bernie Sanders to Chelsea Clinton to House Speaker Paul Ryan.”
They have also pointed out that Mueller demoted Strzok when he found out about the messages, ignoring the fact that he had already exerted serious influence over the investigations.
“[Strzok’s demotion] has not satisfied House Judiciary Committee Republicans,” MSNBC’s Mika Brzezinski complained. “Yesterday they questioned the Mueller probe’s supervisor, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.”
Others fretted over the idea that the text messages were not authorized to be released and were “leaked,” despite constantly reporting on leaks that are damaging to the president.
“Then you have strange things happening at the Justice Department, these text messages that were improperly leaked, because now the Justice Department admitting everyone inside there has the right to hold their own political opinions,” MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough whined.
“POLITICO reports the DOJ released those text messages to a small group of reporters before handing them over to lawmakers,” MSNBC anchor Stephanie Ruhle echoed. “The DOJ now acknowledges the release of those messages was not authorized. Hmm.”
While the text messages are important, there are also a number of other examples of bias in the FBI that have hardly been touched by the establishment media.
For example, a “pitbull” attorney for Robert Mueller went to an election-night Hillary Clinton party and praised Acting Attorney General Sally Yates for her defiance of President Trump’s travel ban. (RELATED: Mueller’s ‘Pit Bull’ Attended Clinton’s Election Night Party)
One DOJ official was demoted after it was discovered he met with Christopher Steele, the author of the Trump-Russia dossier that was funded by the DNC, during the campaign. It was recently discovered that the official’s wife worked for Fusion GPS at the same time. (RELATED: Wife Of Demoted DOJ Official Worked For Fusion GPS During The Campaign)
Jeannie Rhee, one of the attorneys handling George Papadopoulos’ case, served as a deputy assistant attorney general in the Obama administration and contributed $5,400 to Clinton’s campaign during the 2016 cycle. (RELATED: Anti-Trump Text Messages Show Pattern Of Bias On Mueller’s Team)
“At least nine of Mueller’s prosecutors have donated to Democratic political candidates,” The Daily Caller’s Chuck Ross reported. “And all of the legal actions taken so far in Mueller’s investigation have involved pro-Democrat prosecutors.”
These developments led a White House spokesperson to accuse the FBI of having “extreme bias” during a Friday interview. (RELATED: White House: FBI Has ‘Extreme Bias’ Against Trump)
Nonetheless, the media claims that Trump and Republicans are just interested in discrediting the Russia investigation and are undermining democracy by questioning the political leanings of the FBI and the DOJ.
“He’s trying to attack fundamental institutions in the United States…anyone who they see as trying to oppose the president’s agenda or himself because he’s having an existential crisis–he’s afraid of the Mueller investigation,” MSNBC contributor Tim O’Brien said Friday.
“Russians are focused on undermining faith in our democracy,” Samantha Vinograd, a CNN national security analyst, warned on Thursday. “When we see the President of the United States start poking at the credibility of our Department of Justice or FBI, we are starting to undermine faith in our own institutions and that’s playing right into President Putin’s hands.”
