Fox News, Newsmax, House Republicans jointly complain about teleprompters in January 6th hearing
On Thursday evening, the bipartisanHouse Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol held its first of six televised hearings to share its findings with the American public and the world. The two-hour event contained eyewitness testimony and never-before-seen surveillance footage of the violent insurrection that was led by then-President Donald Trump.
It was aired commercial-free on all of the major media outlets, except for one, Fox News. But only four minutes after Committee Chair Benny Thompson (D-Mississippi) began delivering his opening remarks, pundit and ex-GOP Congressman Jason Chaffetz complained on Twitter about the panel's use of teleprompters.
Chaffetz tweeted that "I’ve never seen a committee use a Teleprompter, but then again this is a made for TV event and it is showtime."
\u201cI\u2019ve never seen a committee use a Teleprompter, but then again this is a made for TV event and it is showtime\u201d— Jason Chaffetz (@Jason Chaffetz) 1654819479
That happened at the same time that Tucker Carlson was busy distracting his viewers with a manufactured tantrum about how unfair the Committee's work is and boasting that he "will not be carrying their propaganda live."
\u201cWe\u2019re not playing along with the January 6 show trial hearing. The whole thing is insulting. They are lying, and we\u2019re not going to help them do it. \n\nhttps://t.co/GT9NLRN9D2\u201d— Tucker Carlson (@Tucker Carlson) 1654828459
Sean Hannity, meanwhile, called it "the dullest, the most boring, there’s absolutely nothing new, multi-hour Democratic fundraiser masquerading as a January 6th hearing."
\u201cSean Hannity says tonight is "the dullest, the most boring, there's absolutely nothing new, multi-hour Democratic fund-raiser masquerading as a January 6 hearing."\n\nHis viewers have yet to hear a word of what Liz Cheney said.\u201d— Brian Stelter (@Brian Stelter) 1654823056
Chaffetz and his colleagues were predictably called out.
\u201c@jasoninthehouse You think this is a fucking joke?\n\nBy the way\u2026Liz Cheney has the receipts on which members of Congress asked for a proactive Pardon from Trump\u201d— Jason Chaffetz (@Jason Chaffetz) 1654819479
\u201c@jasoninthehouse FOX Noise won't air it but ya'll sure are watching.\n#CultOfSideShowClowns\u201d— Jason Chaffetz (@Jason Chaffetz) 1654819479
\u201c@jasoninthehouse Why doesn\u2019t your network broadcast it?\u201d— Jason Chaffetz (@Jason Chaffetz) 1654819479
\u201c@jasoninthehouse Why don\u2019t you listen to what they have to say and stop deflecting with inane criticism.\u201d— Jason Chaffetz (@Jason Chaffetz) 1654819479
\u201c@jasoninthehouse When the content is so damning\u2026attack the delivery. Of course there are teleprompters. Any slip of the tongue will be made into a mountain. They are dotting i\u2019s and crossing t\u2019s and that scares you.\u201d— Jason Chaffetz (@Jason Chaffetz) 1654819479
\u201c@jasoninthehouse I don't understand the rights complaints with teleprompters? They prepared, why is that such a shocker?\u201d— Jason Chaffetz (@Jason Chaffetz) 1654819479
At 8:13 p.m., Newsmax host Greg Kelly asked a cryptic rhetorical question.
"Check it out --BENNY Is Reading from a TELEPROMPTER. Wow. PRIMETIME!!!!! (How much ?)," he wondered. It is unclear what he meant by that.
\u201cCheck it out --BENNY Is Reading from a TELEPROMPTER. Wow. PRIMETIME!!!!! (How much ?)\u201d— Greg Kelly (@Greg Kelly) 1654820011
He certainly raised some digital eyebrows.
\u201c@gregkellyusa Uh you read a teleprompter every day for your job\u201d— Greg Kelly (@Greg Kelly) 1654820011
\u201c@gregkellyusa Don't you read teleprompters?\u201d— Greg Kelly (@Greg Kelly) 1654820011
\u201c@gregkellyusa He\u2019s literally a reporter who has spent his career reading a teleprompter lol\u201d— Greg Kelly (@Greg Kelly) 1654820011
Three minutes later, at 8:16 p.m., the official House Republicans account posted the same grievance.
\u201cWOW they are using teleprompters.\u201d— House Republicans (@House Republicans) 1654820179
Feedback was not friendly.
None— House Republicans (@House Republicans) 1654820179
\u201c@HouseGOP The fact that this is your response to what is happening says it all.\u201d— House Republicans (@House Republicans) 1654820179
\u201c@HouseGOP The Deuce You Say!\u201d— House Republicans (@House Republicans) 1654820179
\u201c@HouseGOP Teleprompters are the least of your problems.\u201d— House Republicans (@House Republicans) 1654820179
\u201c@HouseGOP They're much more civilized than pepper spray, flag poles, and shields. \n\nThese guys liked them too.\u201d— House Republicans (@House Republicans) 1654820179
\u201c@HouseGOP This was unscripted\u201d— House Republicans (@House Republicans) 1654820179
At 8:52 p.m., the House Judiciary GOP dismissed the hearings as "All. Old. News."
\u201cAll. Old. News.\u201d— House Judiciary GOP (@House Judiciary GOP) 1654822349
At 9:36 p.m., it added, "still reading off teleprompter."
\u201cStill reading off teleprompter.\u201d— House Judiciary GOP (@House Judiciary GOP) 1654825007
That too went over poorly.
\u201c@JudiciaryGOP How can you listen to this and not know that country must come before party? Seriously. You say you believe in the Constitution and this country. And yet you mock these proceedings. Have you no shame?\u201d— House Judiciary GOP (@House Judiciary GOP) 1654825007
\u201c@JudiciaryGOP Silence, traitors.\u201d— House Judiciary GOP (@House Judiciary GOP) 1654825007
\u201c@JudiciaryGOP You want them to get their facts wrong? What\u2019s wrong with using notes?\u201d— House Judiciary GOP (@House Judiciary GOP) 1654825007
\u201c@JudiciaryGOP History will remember the horrendous actions of your president and his accomplices, not anything about teleprompters.\u201d— House Judiciary GOP (@House Judiciary GOP) 1654825007
\u201c@JudiciaryGOP I would think you would be more concerned about what they\u2019re reading off the Teleprompter rather than the fact that they\u2019re reading off of the teleprompter. Trump must be craping his diaper right now.\u201d— House Judiciary GOP (@House Judiciary GOP) 1654825007
\u201c@JudiciaryGOP It\u2019s amazing the gaslighting you\u2019ll try to keep fanning. It\u2019s not working.\u201d— House Judiciary GOP (@House Judiciary GOP) 1654825007
Having notes or prepared remarks displayed on a screen is common in high-profile presentations, whether they take place in courtrooms, classrooms, conference rooms, or in this case, the halls of Congress. Teleprompters are frequently used by presidents, although Republicans have a history of disapproving of them when a Democrat is in the White House.
What was unusual, though, was Committee Co-Chair Liz Cheney (R-Wyoming) revealing that Representative Scott Perry (R-Pennsylvania), along with several other as-yet-unnamed GOP members of Congress, sought pardons from Trump for their roles in his failed coup.
“As you will see, Representative Perry contacted the White House in the weeks after January 6th to seek a presidential pardon. Multiple other Republican congressmen also sought presidential pardons for their roles in attempting to overturn the 2020 election,” Cheney said in her introductory statement.
Perry referred to the Committee as a "Soviet-style show trial" on Thursday afternoon.
\u201cHFC Chairman @RepScottPerry blasts the illegitimate Jan 6 committee for wasting millions of taxpayer dollars for a "Soviet-style show trial" that is "an affront to our American republic, and to the order and the rule of law and to justice."\u201d— House Freedom Caucus (@House Freedom Caucus) 1654804243
His office denied the body's allegation, calling it “laughable, ludicrous, and a thoroughly soulless lie" in a statement toThe Hill.
Watch the full hearing below:
House Jan. 6 committee holds first of several public hearings on Capitol riot | CBS Newswww.youtube.com
