First, Fox News cast doubt on Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman’s allegiance to the U.S ahead of his congressional testimony. Now hosts on the network are taking issue with the New York Times’ reporting on his actual testimony.
During a segment on Fox’s “Outnumbered” Wednesday afternoon, the hosts went after the Times for reporting that Vindman, who listened in on President Trump’s July call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on July 25, testified Tuesday that the White House left out some details from the conversation in the memorandum it released of the call.
Co-host Melissa Francis particularly took issue with the Times’ reporting that she said “felt like a bombshell” and didn’t live up to the hype.
“I read this New York Times article closely because that is a big charge. And I hate to say it, but it’s The New York Times. They have reported stuff like this before that felt like a bombshell, and then it’s turned out not to be true,” Francis said, without clarifying the bombshells she was referring to. “So I don’t know in reading … you need someone to corroborate this. I didn’t see that, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.”
Co-host Emily Compagno agreed with Francis’ sentiment, saying that Francis was “illustrating a pattern that keeps repeating itself, which is word of a bombshell and then we wait with bated breath while the details don’t necessarily support it.”
“Because the information that we have at this point doesn’t have that specificity that we need,” Compagno said. “So you failed to correct it, well then remember, we are hearing reports that he struggled to identify exactly where, and then what exactly was omitted? Or what was mischaracterized? We need that specificity for the average American to understand what’s going on. At this point we are simply being led along without knowing the truth.”
Both NBC News and CNN confirmed the Times’ reporting.
Watch the Fox News segment below:
Fox News hosts say New York Times' report on Vindman testimony can't be trusted pic.twitter.com/Q4qVWM5mcZ
— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) October 30, 2019
Earlier Wednesday, Donald Trump Jr. continued the attacks against Vindman’s testimony by accusing the National Security Council official of being a “leftist” during a segment on “Fox & Friends.”
“You only get total absolution if you are a leftist veteran. Not a veteran, just a leftist. If you’re on their side, you can do no wrong,” Trump Jr. said, before “Fox & Friends” co-host Brian Kilmeade abruptly pointed out that “we don’t know if he’s a leftist.”
Watch Trump Jr.’s remarks below:
Trump Jr. attacks Vindman's testimony pic.twitter.com/yKu8f3hwmZ
— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) October 30, 2019
h/t Mediaite
