J6 Finale Triggers Right Wing Media’s Tri-Polar Disorder
By Kevin Howley, Dec. 22, 2022
Pop psychology and political punditry go hand in glove. For good or evil. Probably both.
News coverage of the final public meeting of the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the US Capitol vividly illustrates this truism.
For the majority of U.S. journos, the committee’s decision to issue four, count ‘em, four criminal referralsagainst former president Donald J. Trump, was nothing short of historic.
Not so conservative media pundits. Coverage in right wing media veered from rare but noteworthy straight up reporting, to characteristically Trump-inspired histrionics – leavened with a generous helping of “there’s nothing to see here” items for MAGA enthusiasts eager to change the conversation. In short, conservative outlets are having a hard time formulating a coherent response to the J6 finale.
Call it right wing media’s tri-polar disorder.
Just The Facts
Channeling the no-nonsense approach championed by TV detective and fictional law and order standard-bearer, Dragnet’s Joe Friday, the Wall Street Journal detailed the “four criminal offenses” the committee unanimously referred to the Department of Justice.
Following suit, the Daily Caller stepped out of character and delivered the news without fear or favor. “The committee unanimously voted to report that Trump should be charged with obstructing an official proceeding, conspiracy to defraud the government, conspiracy to make a false statement and inciting or assisting an insurrection.”
It’s one thing for the Rupert Murdoch-owned WSJ to call it straight; after all, despite the well-deserved conservative cred of its editorial pages, the journal’s approach to hard news is unassailable. It’s quite another thing for the reliably unhinged Daily Caller, or the aptly titled Hot Air for that matter, to deliver just the facts – especially when the Donald is involved.
Somebody pinch me.
The War on Trump
Unsurprisingly, the lion’s share of right wing coverage of the historic hearing defended the disgraced former president with all of the piss and vinegar you’d expect. A sampling of this coverage tells you all you need to know about the right’s tentative grasp on reality.
Headlined, “J6 Committee Asks Justice Department to Neutralize Political Opponents With Criminal Prosecution,” The Federalist’s Tristan Justice offers this measured response: “It will now be up to the Justice Department, which is run by rabid partisan Merrick Garland, to determine whether to follow through with prosecution.”
Not to be outdone, WND offers this bit of clickbait for MAGA-minded readers: “‘Inciting Insurrection’: Jan. 6 Committee Goes Nuclear on Trump, Wants Charges.” Relying heavily on reporting from the Washington Examiner and uncredited commentary posted to Twitchy, Bob Unruh ties up right wing talking points with a tidy Christmas bow. “Liz Cheney is having her last big hurrah today as part of the Democrat’s [sic] committee to blame Trump for everything that transpired on January 6, 2021. Nancy Pelosi needed a couple of Republicans to sit on her committee to pretend it wasn’t a total Kangaroo court … but anyone who thinks Liz and Adam Kinzinger are actually Republicans probably thinks its normal for the FBI to work with Twitter to hide the Hunter Biden laptop story.”
Deny All Knowledge
Significantly, Breitbart News studiously ignored the legal and political implications for Trump, preferring instead to enter the fray on the side of House Republicans – Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), Jim Jordan (R-OH), Scott Perry (R-PA), and Andy Biggs (R-AZ) – all of whom were in on the attempted coup early and often: “House Republicans Rip January 6 Committee Over Ethics Referrals: ‘Another Partisan and Political Stunt.’”
Other conservative outlets – and not a few mainstream media organizations (when will they ever learn) – were content to let the 2024 GOP frontrunner have the final say. For instance, following the twice-impeached former president’s lead, Newsmax posted this defiant headline: “Trump: Jan 6 Panel Criminal Referral ‘Strengths Me.’”
Meanwhile, Townhall summed up MAGA country’s perspective on the committee’s recommendations. “Only liberals cared about this week, so it didn’t get much traction – but the House Select Committee on January 6 voted on some criminal referrals for former president Donald Trump for his supposed role in the Capitol riots.”
Writing from under a rock, Matt Vespa added, “This clown car of a congressional body is going bye-bye in the next Congress as Rep. Kevin McCarthy will not permit its continued existence.”
Far be it from me to let Mr. Vespa in on right wing extremists’ open secret: Mr. McCarthy’s continued existence as GOP leader is less than certain.
Kevin Howley is a writer and educator whose work has appeared in Journalism: Theory, Practice and Criticism, Social Movement Studies, and Interactions: Studies in Communication and Culture. His most recent book is Drones: Media Discourse and the Public Imagination.
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Most right wing coverage of the historic Jan. 6 hearing defended the disgraced former president with all of the piss and vinegar you’d expect. A sampling of this coverage tells you all you need to know about the right’s tentative grasp on reality. (Image: Wikimedia)
