Cross posted to the MRC's NewsBusters blog
On Tuesday's New Day show, as she interviewed the top Democrat in the Senate, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, CNN host Alisyn Camerota devoted several minutes of the interview to fretting over the possibility that Russia would try to hurt Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, as well as the possibility that Republicans would get to appoint liberal Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg no matter how the election turns out.
At 8:18 a.m. Eastern, she brought up reports that Russia may try to undermine Biden:
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ALISYN CAMEROTA: I want to ask you about Russian interference not in 2016 -- in 2020 -- because there's a development this morning, as you know. So top congressional Democrats have sent a cryptic letter … on Monday that a foreign power is attempting to interfere again... But, apparently, it is intelligence related to a possible Russian-backed attempt to smear the presidential campaign of former Vice President Joe Biden. Here's what the New York Times' David Sanger has found along with his colleagues.
She then read from the New York Times:
"Democrats contend that the Russian-linked information is being funneled to a committee being headed by Senator Ron Johnson, the Wisconsin Republican who is investigating Mr. Biden and his son who was once paid as a board member of a Ukrainian energy company."
After Schumer complained about President Donald Trump denying interference by Russia in the 2016 election, he recalled efforts to get FBI director Chris Wray to brief Congress regularly on the issue.
Camerota followed up: "We're about 100 days away from the election. How worried are you on a scale of one to 10 about interference in the election?"
The CNN host ended on a morbid note by raising fears that Justice Gisnburg would not be able to finish her term, giving Republicans a chance to replace her:
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CAMEROTA: I want to ask you about the Supreme Court. We're very happy, obviously, that Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg appears to be on the mend out of the hospital, but it does raise the question as to what would happen if -- through retirement or something else -- there was a vacancy on the Court. And Republicans have begun to talk about what they would do, and they say that they would absolutely allow a nomination and a confirmation even right now during this election as well as after the election -- after November regardless of who wins -- they would up until January of a new administration still go through that whole process.
After Schumer complained that the Senate's top Republican, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, would fill such a vacancy even if it meant being inconsistent with the past (a reference to McConnell holding open Justice Antonin Scalia's open seat until Trump became President), Camerota followed up: "Here's what Senator John Thune says about it, yeah, in terms of, 'Will they will fill the vacancy?' He says, 'We will. That would be part of this year. We would move on it.'"
This episode of New Day was sponsored by Tommy John and Triburst. Their contact information is linked.
Below is a transcript of relevant portions of the Tuesday, July 21, New Day on CNN:
ALISYN CAMEROTA: I want to ask you about Russian interference not in 2016 -- in 2020 -- because there's a development this morning, as you know. So top congressional Democrats have sent a cryptic letter -- I assume you were in on this letter -- on Monday that a foreign power is attempting to interfere again -- obviously this has been a fear of lots of intelligence experts. Part of it is classified, so we don't know all the details. But, apparently, it is intelligence related to a possible Russian-backed attempt to smear the presidential campaign of former Vice President Joe Biden. Here's what the New York Times' David Sanger has found along with his colleagues:
"Democrats contend that the Russian-linked information is being funneled to a committee being headed by Senator Ron Johnson, the Wisconsin Republican who is investigating Mr. Biden and his son who was once paid as a board member of a Ukrainian energy company."
Senator, what can you tell us this morning?
CHUCK SCHUMER, SENATE MINORITY LEADER: Not much because it is classified, but, look, we all know that any foreign power, when they interfere in our elections -- as we all know, Russia did in 2016 despite the fact that the President denies it. He seems to deny almost everything that's fact and reality these days. It's at the wellspring of our democracy, our elections. The Founding Fathers in the Constitution worried about interference in elections, and their prescience is proving true today because it's happening. We demanded that the FBI director, Mr. Wray, brief every member of the House and the Senate as to what's happening so that we can know what's happening -- it'll be classified -- and then do things about it. Let's hope he says yes.
CAMEROTA: What would you do?
SCHUMER: Well, we have to know the details before we can tell you what we would do, but we should be doing everything to prevent foreign interference in our elections.
CAMEROTA: We're about 100 days away from the election. How worried are you on a scale of one to 10 about interference in the election?
[SCHUMER]
CAMEROTA: I want to ask you about the Supreme Court. We're very happy, obviously, that Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg appears to be on the mend out of the hospital, but it does raise the question as to what would happen if -- through retirement or something else -- there was a vacancy on the Court. And Republicans have begun to talk about what they would do, and they say that they would absolutely allow a nomination and a confirmation even right now during this election as well as after the election -- after November regardless of who wins -- they would up until January of a new administration still go through that whole process.
CHUCK SCHUMER, SENATE MINRORITY LEADER: Well, I'll say two things. Let's hope that doesn't come to pass. Let's all hope and pray for Ruth Bader Ginsburg's continued health. But, second, one thing is certain. Leader McConnell twists the rules. Sometimes he's for the rules, sometimes he wants to change the rules, or whatever he thinks benefits him at the moment. That does not serve our democracy -- that does not serve separations of powers -- that does not serve what this country needs.
CAMEROTA: Here's what Senator John Thune says about it, yeah, in terms of, "Will they will fill the vacancy?" He says, "We will. That would be part of this year. We would move on it."