Staff Reports
This week, news writers observed the three major network Sunday public affairs shows putting an effort to defend President Joe Biden’s recent actions against Israel by comparing them to former President Ronald Reagan’s decisions. The writers noticed that the hosts of these shows were suggesting that Biden’s recent actions were just following a pattern set by Reagan, which drew criticism.
Liberal Media Scream: Networks shamefully use Reagan to defend Biden https://t.co/Y8K0XxYqZx
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) May 14, 2024
The hosts of the network talk shows pointed out that both Reagan and Biden had held back weapons from Israel, but they emphasized that Reagan’s decisions were usually for diplomatic reasons, whereas Biden’s was for domestic political reasons in response to campus protests by pro-Hamas protesters. The hosts also noted that neither Reagan nor President Bush had faced the same level of scrutiny when they withheld military aid to Israel.
The ABC, NBC, and CBS Sunday morning interview shows all had moments where they brought up Reagan’s decisions regarding Israel to make a point about Biden’s actions. For example, one host asked a representative, “What would Ronald Reagan do?” and another host questioned why it was acceptable for Reagan to withhold weapons from Israel but not for Biden.
Senators and representatives from the Republican Party were quick to assert their party’s support for Israel, expressing their disapproval of Biden’s actions. They argued that Reagan’s decision to pause the delivery of fighter jets in the 1980s was different from what Biden did and highlighted the dire circumstances under which Israel is currently fighting against Hamas.
Critics have pointed out the sudden respect for Reagan’s policies from the hosts of the network shows and suggested that they might be repeating talking points from Biden campaign allies to challenge their Republican guests.
Overall, this coverage received a rating of THREE out of FIVE SCREAMS from conservative news writers, indicating a noticeable bias in favor of Reagan’s policies and against Biden’s recent actions toward Israel.
