Fox News host Chris Wallace warned viewers that some of the people appearing on his network have a political agenda that they are trying to push regarding interactions between special counsel Robert Mueller and Attorney General William Barr.
Appearing Wednesday on Fox News’ “Shepard Smith Reporting,” Wallace discussed the March 27 letter that Mueller wrote to Barr complaining that the attorney general’s four-page summary of his 448-page report “did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance” of his investigation.
Wallace said that viewers should focus on the facts about the letter and not about what political pundits on Fox News and other networks might say.
“I know there are some people who don’t think this March 27 letter is a big deal and some opinion people — some opinion people who appear on this network who may be pushing a political agenda — but, you know, we have to deal in facts,” Wallace said.
“The fact is that this letter from the special counsel, and it was one of at least three contacts with the attorney general between March 25 and March 27, was a clear indication that the [special counsel] was upset, very upset with the letter that had been sent out by the attorney general and wanted it changed,” Wallace said. “Again, those aren’t opinions, that’s not a political agenda, those are the facts.”
Wallace’s comments come after one of Fox News’ conservative prime-time hosts, Laura Ingraham, called into Fox News prior to Barr’s testimony to say that news about the letter was a “non-story,” calling out Wallace in the process.
“Now, I know Chris Wallace at the top of your hour was indicating that I guess that he kind of agrees with these other cable networks that this was an attempt by the DOJ to spin what the conversation was between Barr and Mueller. So I don’t know if Chris Wallace has information that I don’t have, but that he is saying that Barr is perpetuating a lie about this conversation between him and Mueller?” Ingraham said.
Barr testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday. During testimony the March 27 letter came up and Barr characterized it as “snitty,” suggesting it might have been written by one of Mueller’s staffers. When asked by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., to turn over notes from a phone conversation with Mueller about the letter Barr refused.
