OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
A CNN reporter is taking the legacy media to task over first son Hunter Biden.
In a Twitter post on Sunday, correspondent Sara Sidner acknowledged the scandalous environment surrounding President Joe Biden’s son and said that investigating him and his business deals “shouldn’t be a partisan issue.”
“There are serious questions that should be asked about Hunter Biden. H’s not an elected official but legitimate questions should be asked and answered about his former business dealings and how it was handled by the FBI.
This should’nt [sic] be a partisan issue,” Sidner wrote in a post that included a link to a Yahoo! News story, “New Hunter Biden Revelations Raise Counterintelligence Questions,” published in April.
There are serious questions that should be asked about Hunter Biden. H’s not an elected official but legitimate questions should be asked and answered about his former business dealings and how it was handled by the FBI.
This should’nt be a partisan issue.https://t.co/C37oe1v1Rg— Sara Sidner (@sarasidnerCNN) September 4, 2022
She also posted links to other reports — including one from CNN — adding: “Not to say there has not been some good reporting done by many outlets already.”
The CNN report, from July, claimed that a federal investigation into Hunter Biden had reached a “critical juncture,” though there have been no charges have been forthcoming in the weeks since.
But Sidner’s tweet did manage to capture the attention of several left-wing figures on the platform, many of whom were upset with her for even mentioning the first son.
“Unfollowed,” wrote former Republican National Committee spokesperson and GOP strategist Cheri Jacobus wrote.
Unfollowed. https://t.co/tnPQsCcwFK
— Cheri Jacobus (@CheriJacobus) September 5, 2022
She added in another tweet: “CNN journalists (the real ones, not this garbage) should resign immediately in protest to the fascist new management.”
Leftist actor and activist Jon Cusack wrote: “Are you gonna ask the same questions about bill bars Ties to Epstein? Through his daddy? His obstruction of mueller, Lying to congress – child abduction? No – how about bush [Cheney] Rumsfeld ties to privatized war economy? Gimme a break.”
L I k e – what ?
Are you gonna ask the same questions about bill bars Ties to Epstein ? Through his daddy ?
His obstruction of mueller /
Lying to congress – child abduction ?
No – how about bush cheny Rumsfeld ties to privatized war economy ?
Gimme a break / https://t.co/xQdKL5pK91— John Cusack (@johncusack) September 5, 2022
Liberal comedian Rob Gill tweeted: “Looks like Sara is a sellout.”
Another liberal blue check, Tim Fullerton, claimed astonishingly that CNN should be ignoring the story, writing on the platform: “Can anyone explain to me why this is a story other than the GOP made it one? The only way this is a real story is if somehow Biden somehow did illegal to make his son rich. Do the people at CNN have any evidence that happened? And if they don’t (which they don’t), why cover it?”
Can anyone explain to me why this is a story other than the GOP made it one?
The only way this is a real story is if somehow Biden somehow did illegal to make his son rich.
Do the people at CNN have any evidence that happened? And if they don’t (which they don’t), why cover it? https://t.co/U0sSjja0is
— Tim Fullerton (@TimFullerton) September 4, 2022
The pushback comes as CNN reportedly is shifting more towards a neutral editorial stance under new CEO Chris Licht. That apparently includes personnel changes at the network as well; in recent weeks Brian Stelter has left along with White House correspondent John Harwood and longtime legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin.
Stelter, the former host of “Reliable Sources,” which was also canceled, was terminated last month and Harwood had his contract cut short after backing President Joe Biden’s anti-“MAGA Republicans” speech.
It was Harwood’s termination that was seen as a possible change in strategy at the network by getting rid of those who could be considered woke, The Washington Post reported.
Neither the network nor Harwood said if he was fired, quit or it was a mutual decision, but the timing had many wondering if his praise of President Biden’s divisive speech was the cause.
Harwood said in a tweet, “personal news: today’s my last day at CNN proud of the work thanks to my colleagues i’ve been lucky to serve the best in American media – St. Petersburg Times, WSJ, NYT, the NBC family, CNN look forward to figuring out what’s next.”
personal news:
today's my last day at CNN
proud of the work
thanks to my colleagues
i've been lucky to serve the best in American media – St. Petersburg Times, WSJ, NYT, the NBC family, CNN
look forward to figuring out what's next
— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) September 2, 2022
It came hours after Harwood made his opinion known on President Biden’s speech when he appeared on the CNN show “New Day.”
“The core point he made in that political speech about a threat to democracy is true. Now, that’s something that’s not easy for us, as journalists, to say. We’re brought up to believe there’s two different political parties with different points of view and we don’t take sides in honest disagreements between them. But that’s not what we’re talking about,” he said.
“These are not honest disagreements. The Republican Party right now is led by a dishonest demagogue. Many, many Republicans are rallying behind his lies about the 2020 election and other things as well. And a significant portion—or a sufficient portion—of the constituency that they’re leading attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, violently. By offering pardons or suggesting pardons for those people who violently attacked the Capitol, which you’ve been pointing out numerous times this morning, Donald Trump made Joe Biden’s point for him,” he said.
