NBC’s Chuck Todd told his Sunday audience that deceased Fox News Channel chief executive Roger Ailes is to blame for the media’s sullied image across the country.
The host of “Meet the Press” told his panel of guests over the weekend that culpability for America’s distrust of the media rests squarely on the shoulders of Mr. Ailes, who died in May 2017 at 77.
“One of the best things going in Donald Trump’s favor — we know this — is the mainstream media,” said CBN News’ David Brody. “I hate to say it — I know I’m sitting on a ’Meet the Press’ roundtable, but the truth of the matter is 62 percent think the media is biased. So in other words, if you look at the approval ratings of Donald Trump versus the approval rating of the media.”
“The conservative echo chamber created that environment,” Mr. Todd replied, Mediaite reported. “No. No. No. It has been a tactic and a tool of the Roger Ailes-created echo chamber. So let’s not pretend it’s not anything other than that.”
The host then reiterated that America’s perception of the media is due to the “campaign tactic” that sprang forth from Mr. Ailes’ mind.
Earlier this year, Mr. Todd also told colleagues on “Meet the Press Daily” that comedian Samantha Bee of TBS’ “Full Frontal” called first daughter Ivanka Trump a “feckless c—t” because of the “tone” set by her husband.
SEE ALSO: Chuck Todd: Donald Trump ‘responsible’ for ‘tone’ of Samantha Bee’s attack on Ivanka
“There’s no defending Samantha Bee and yet it’s hard to ever empathize with President Trump when they’re asking, you know, for empathy since he torches people all the time, too,” Mr. Todd said on May 31. “But at the end of the day, I mean, you know, it’s like — how is it that the president is not responsible for this tone? You know, you can’t help and say it starts at the top.”
Ms. Bee said in a statement at the time that her remarks were “inappropriate and inexcusable.”
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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