Media top headlines February 23
In media news today, James Clapper said he wished the Obama White House was more aggressive against Russia, an MSNBC guest claims the Obama administration emboldened Putin to invade Ukraine, and ‘The Five’ remembers Bob Beckel.
CNN's Kasie Hunt castigated a House Republicans tweet criticizing President Biden as looking weak on the Russia-Ukraine crisis Tuesday, suggesting the GOP was the "enemy."
Biden declared his intent to impose sanctions on Russia that block two large Russian financial institutions – VEB and its military bank – and threatened more if President Vladimir Putin makes more aggressive moves toward Ukraine.
"And if Russia goes further with this invasion, we stand prepared to go further as with sanctions," Biden said. When his speech concluded, he exited without talking to the press.
OUTRAGE AS BIDEN AGAIN TAKES NO QUESTIONS ON AFGHANISTAN: ‘WALKAWAY JOE’
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Friday, Feb. 18, 2022. Photographer: Oliver Contreras/Sipa/Bloomberg via Getty Images (Oliver Contreras/Sipa/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
When the House Republicans Twitter account posted a message for Biden reading, "This is what weakness on the world stage looks like," Hunt jumped in.
"Official arm of House GOP as the US works to keep alliances strong and US influence at its peak … Who is the enemy, exactly?" Hunt replied.
Hunt was immediately blasted as a pundit pretending to be a journalist.
"Criticizing the president is a form of treason and disloyalty, says DNC spokesperson masquerading as an NBC News journalist," independent journalist Glenn Greenwald tweeted.
"Just a stunning thing to read from someone whose corporate job title is ‘journalist’ -- criticizing the president is illegitimate," Greenwald wrote in a follow-up tweet.
Several more media analysts used quotes when referring to Hunt as a journalist.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE CRISIS: RUSSIAN MEDIA SPINNING COVERAGE TO ‘CONFUSE’ THE PUBLIC, EXPERTS SAY
MEET THE PRESS -- Pictured: (l-r) -- Kasie Hunt, then-NBC News Capitol Hill Correspondent on "Meet the Press" in Washington, D.C., Sunday, March 10, 2019. (Photo by: William B. Plowman/NBC)
A Ukrainian soldiers passes by houses in the village of Novoluhanske, Luhansk region, Ukraine, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Oleksandr Ratushniak) (AP Photo/Oleksandr Ratushniak)
Others took hits at her network, which has been plagued by a series of scandals and ratings challenges the past year.
Critics have declared the president "Walkaway Joe" for often bolting from the microphone after his speeches on significant events, such as his prior addresses on Afghanistan and economic crises.
Putin ordered troops to eastern Ukraine Tuesday after first recognizing the so-called Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic as independent. The recognition came after a lengthy address in which Putin argued Ukraine is historically part of Russia and the current government in Ukraine is illegitimate.
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Biden announced new sanctions on Tuesday against Russia, calling Kremlin-led activities in recent hours "the beginning of a Russian invasion of Ukraine," and the authorization of additional U.S. forces to the region, but maintained the United States has "no intention" of fighting Russia.
Fox News' Michael Lee and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.