Chuck Todd Trashes ‘Lackey’ Jeff Lord, Defends Allegations of His Conflicts in Heated Interview
NBC’s Chuck Todd appeared on New York radio program The Bernie and Sid Show for a fiery interview in which he blasted Fox News’ Sean Hannity, the host’s “lackey” Jeffrey Lord, and defended himself against allegations of his own conflicts of interest.
Todd previously criticized Hannity earlier this week, asking why Fox News didn’t punish the primetime host for not disclosing that Michael Cohen was his lawyer, despite railing against the FBI’s raid on the attorney.
In response, CNN alum Jeffrey Lord penned several blistering columns — one for Hannity.com and another for The American Spectator — calling the NBC News host hypocrisy, considering that Todd’s wife is a longtime Democratic consultant, and Todd has interviewed politicians his wife once advised, like Jim Webb.
Bernie and Sid opened their interview with Todd by noting that they are friends with both he and Hannity — and the NBC anchor said his gripe wasn’t with Hannity but with Fox News, for not taking action in response to his transgression.
“I’m surprised Fox isn’t making him at a minimum disclose a conflict every time he talks about this,” Todd said. “Just in the same way that any time that I’ve interviewed somebody that my wife has professionally worked for, I’ve let people know.”
“Some say you haven’t done that all the time,” Bernie and Sid co-host Bernie McGuirk said.
“That person who wrote that, did no research,” Todd shot back, clearly referring to Lord. Todd also rebuked claims he didn’t disclose that his wife worked with Bernie Sanders, stating his wife’s business partner worked with the Vermont senator.
While Todd has spoken publicly about his wife’s work, he did not disclose in a 2017 interview with Webb that his wife had previously advised the 2016 candidate.
Todd made the case on Bernie and Sid that his wife’s professional life should not matter to his work as an anchor on NBC.
Later in the interview, Todd again railed against Lord when making a point about bias.
“Because, for instance, I appear at a network with a peacock on it, a lot of people including some schmenge, some lackey that works for Sean Hannity and his website, just want to make an assumption. And just say, ‘Oh I’m going to get Chuck Todd, so let me see, he’s never done anything wrong on air, so I’m going to go after his wife.'”
McGuirk contended that “they’re not going after you’re wife, they’re pointing out a fact,” that there’s a potential conflict of interest.
“Why bring her into it, what did she do?” Todd said. “What my wife does with her money is her business.”
McGuirk pressed Todd on his wife political affiliations, and Todd raised his voice.
“Hey Bernie you know why the world knows this?!” Todd exclaimed. “It’s been disclosed. Everything about my wife, and her work and her relationship to me, it’s all on the internet because I’ve publicly said something at various times when I have felt that it’s necessary.”
“The difference is, Sean Hannity chose not to talk about his professional relationship with Michael Cohen publicly until forced to in the court room,” Todd said.
Todd also railed against Hannity in the interview for “going personal” and “bringing my wife into this.”
“You’re trying to sully me because my wife in an individual thinker in her life?!” Todd asked.
Listen above, via WABC Radio.
[image via screengrab]
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