Where do ugly claims come from?

MONDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2023

In part, from doctored edits like this: As you may know, Karine Jean-Pierre is the current White House press secretary.

Last week, she was accused—she was rather widely accused—of antisemitism on various Fox News programs. Below, you see the full exchange which gave rise to the charge:

JEAN-PIERRE (10/23/23): Go ahead, M. J.

M. J. LEE, CNN: Was the President briefed on Samantha Woll, the leader of a synagogue in Detroit who was stabbed to death?

JEAN-PIERRE:  So, obviously, our hearts go out to—to the family—to the families there.  It’s a devastating, devastating news story. 

The President obviously is—is—just like everyone else is paying close attention and saw those reports.  I don’t have anything else to add. 

Obviously, the investigation continues, and we are willing to assist in any way.  I just don’t have anything else beyond that.

LEE: What is his level of concern right now about the potential rise of antisemitism in light of everything that’s going on in Israel?

JEAN-PIERRE:  So, a couple of things. Look, we have not seen any credible threats. I know there’s been always questions about credible threats. And so, just want to make sure that that’s out there. 

But, look, Muslims and those perceived to be Muslim have endured a disproportionate number of hate-fueled attacks. And certainly President Biden understands that many of our Muslim, Arab—Arab—Arab Americans and Palestinian American loved ones and neighbors are worried about the hate being directed at their communities.  And that is something you heard the President speak to in his—in his address just last—last Thursday. 

And so, one of the things that the President has done is directed his team—Homeland Security team—to prioritize prevention and disruption of any emerging threats that could harm the Jewish, the Muslim, Arab Americans or—or any other communities.  And that is something that the President has sought to do and—and since day one.

As you know, the President ran on—on—on, you know, bringing communities—protecting communities, obviously, but bringing people together, the soul—protecting the soul of the nation.  And so that is something that the President takes very, very seriously. 

And we—you know, we’re going to continue to denounce any sort of hate towards any American here.  And so, that’s what we’re going to continue to be steadfast on.  Again, he has—he has advised—directed his Homeland Security team to make sure that they’re on top of this.

That was the full, two-part exchange from which the charge of antisemitism was born. 

During the exchange, Jean-Pierre denounced "any sort of hate towards any American." When she said that President Biden has prioritized the disruption of threats that could harm any community, she named the Jewish community first. 

Has Jean-Pierre trafficked in antisemitism? It's an extremely serious charge, drawn from a strikingly slender bit of pseudo-evidence. Unless you choose to edit Jean-Pierre's statement the way Howard Kurtz chose to do on yesterday's MediaBuzz program:

LEE: What is his level of concern right now about the potential rise of antisemitism in light of everything that’s going on in Israel?

JEAN-PIERRE: Look, we have not seen any credible threats. But look, Muslim and those perceived to be Muslim have endured a disproportionate number of hate-fueled attacks. 

As you can see by clicking this link, that's the way Kurtz presented the exchange to his Fox News viewers. Th rest of the exchange was disappeared.

If that had been the full exchange, we wouldn't use it as the basis for such a deeply serious charge. But that was a heavily doctored version of the full exchange. 

Kurtz is much too smart not to know that. In a slightly better world, his ascot would be off the air.

Dropping bombs on people is easy and fun. Increasingly, both major tribes seem to know that.