The liberal media's apparent reluctance to address the escalating controversies surrounding Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff has been called into question by "Real Time" host Bill Maher.
During a panel discussion on his HBO show's "Overtime" segment, Maher brought up the growing concerns about Emhoff's past.
Maher began by referencing recent reports from the Daily Mail, saying, "There's a lot of scuttlebutt in the news this week about Doug. The Daily Mail is reporting that three women [Emhoff's ex-girlfriend] talked to contemporaneously, which has been the standard very often in these cases, that she said back in, I think, 2011 or something, they were at the Cannes Film Festival. He slapped her. He thought she was flirting with the valet."
Conservative radio host Buck Sexton added to the conversation, confirming another scandal, "He knocked up the nanny, right? That's confirmed." Maher agreed, "That's confirmed. He definitely knocked up the nanny."
Maher then raised the question of whether the liberal media would continue to ignore these controversies if they gained more credibility, especially considering how quickly they reported on similar allegations against Brett Kavanaugh. Sexton responded with certainty, "Yes, they will. Absolutely."
Maher further questioned, "Wouldn't that make it look worse?" CNN anchor Laura Coates responded, suggesting that it is "prudent" for the media to be "cautious" about such serious allegations until they have supporting details. She added, "What I don't think is fair is to tar and feather without more. I think you have to give information to people, and you have to actually do your homework and background."
According to Fox News, Tim Alberta, a staff writer for The Atlantic, described the Emhoff controversy as "a problem" for Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign. He noted, "Regardless of what's confirmed or not confirmed, I think that there is now a little bit of blood in the water. The nanny thing was the first drop. And now there's some more."
Emhoff, once praised by the media as a positive figure of masculinity, has found himself at the center of controversy. He admitted to having an extramarital affair with the family nanny, resulting in her pregnancy and the subsequent dissolution of his marriage to his first wife, Kerstin Emhoff.
Emhoff stated, "During my first marriage, Kerstin and I went through some tough times on account of my actions. I took responsibility, and in the years since, we worked through things as a family and have come out stronger on the other side."
The Daily Mail followed up with further allegations, including Emhoff "forcefully slapping" his then-girlfriend in 2012 and engaging in "inappropriate" and "misogynistic" office behavior during his time leading the LA law firm Venable from 2006 to 2017.
Despite the growing controversies, most media interviewers have steered clear of the subject when speaking with Emhoff. However, when MSNBC's Joe Scarborough vaguely mentioned "tabloid stories" about him, Emhoff did not deny the allegations. He responded, "We dont have time to be pissed off. We don't have time to focus on it. It's all a distraction. It's designed to try to get us off our game."
The media's handling of these allegations against Emhoff raises questions about journalistic integrity and the potential bias in reporting. As the controversies continue to unfold, it remains to be seen how the liberal media will navigate this delicate situation.
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