The White House has responded forcefully to congressional Republicans contemplating the impeachment of President Joe Biden, calling on the media to critically examine an “inquiry based on lies“.
The White House has taken a bold step in challenging media coverage of the Republican-initiated impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, urging news outlets to counteract “disinformation”. This assertive memo to journalists, however, is seen by some as a potentially risky strategy that might rebound.
Last week, under the instigation of party hardliners loyal to former President Donald Trump, Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy formally commenced the impeachment inquiry, attributing it to corruption allegations against Biden. Despite extensive investigation, tangible proof substantiating claims that Biden financially capitalized on his son, Hunter Biden’s business undertakings, remains elusive – a fact acknowledged even by some Republicans.
The Biden administration, seemingly exasperated with media narratives amplifying baseless Republican allegations, has urged news editors to intensify their examination of such claims. The memo argues that presenting impeachment as a mere process story, delineated as ‘Republicans claim X and White House responds with Y’, misleads the American populace who count on the media for impartial analysis.
Highlighting the widespread dispersion of disinformation across platforms ranging from Facebook to Fox News, the memo posits that incomplete reportage only muddles the truth. The memo was appended with a 16-page dossier, debunking seven Republican assertions related to the inquiry, labeling them as devoid of factual evidence.
However, some observers perceive this comprehensive memo, which seems to guide the press, as problematic, especially in the sensitive context of an upcoming election year. The move, dubbed “pretty unusual” by Roy Gutterman, a Syracuse University professor, suggests an overt attempt to shape media coverage, raising concerns about the implications of such an approach.