Brian Kilmeade Promotes False Story of White House Staff Cutting Biden’s Mic that ‘Everyone’s Talking About’
Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade kept the wheels turning for conservative talking points by advancing the false claim that the White House is cutting off President Joe Biden’s microphone during press engagements.
Kilmeade’s comments came Thursday on Fox & Friends as the show discussed General Mark Milley and the actions he allegedly took behind Donald Trump’s back when he believed the former president to be in mental decline. The claims from Bob Woodward’s upcoming book raised questions about whether Milley committed “treason” by circumventing civilian control over the military, though Biden says he has “great confidence” in the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman.
In the midst of this conversation, Kilmeade envisioned a scenario where Milley would try to subvert Biden just like his predecessor:
If Joe Biden had any self-awareness, he would understand that General Milley made the assessment that President Trump was on mental decline and he had to jump in. Has he thought or read anything that people are writing about him and how they cut off his microphone rather than ask questions? The Politico story — his staff mutes the television when he starts taking questions or going with the press. People are talking about him the same way. Does he want General Milley to make the same psychological assessment on him and decide to call up our allies and adversaries and circumvent the White House? Doesn’t he understand that this is the same criteria? Unless, General Milley is just so blatantly political that only Republicans should fear his assessment.
Beyond Kilmeade’s supposition that Milley will seize control over the military from Biden, this marks the latest instance where Fox News has run with the idea that the president is controlled by his own staff. The claim has become a sustained talking point among conservative media, especially after a recent press spray Biden had while addressing wildfires in California. An abrupt end to the press avail was misconstrued as a “cutting off the mic” when in truth, this is how to press events work. There was no malfeasance involved.
The White House ran the president’s comments live on Monday, but their feed cut out when Biden started talking to officials who attended the event with him. This was always going to be the plan though since the White House said that the arrangement was for reporters to get Biden’s opening remarks, then leave while the briefing got underway.
Kilmeade’s comments were covered in part by his explanation that this is what “people are writing about” as though a broad promotion of a false narrative makes it okay to also promote. It does not.
With all of this being said, Republicans are running with the notion that Biden’s mic is being controlled by staffers, as evidenced when Secretary of State Antony Blinken had to use part of his latest testimony before Congress to tell Senator Jim Risch (R-ID) that the idea is bogus.
Watch above, via Fox News.
