Obamagate Still Ignites Focus Debate on Political Priorities In a recent broadcast of his primetime show, Fox News host Sean Hannity strongl...

Obamagate Still Ignites Focus Debate on Political Priorities

In a recent broadcast of his primetime show, Fox News host Sean Hannity strongly criticized a federal judge's decision to halt the Department of Justice's attempt to drop charges against former Trump aide Michael Flynn. Hannity accused the judge of ignorance and political bias, a move that may not escape irony given recent events.

Fox News, President Trump's preferred network, has been prominently featuring the so-called "Obamagate" scandal, eclipsing coverage of critical issues such as the pandemic that has claimed over 84,000 American lives. Research from the Internet Archive, analyzed by GDELT and released on Wednesday, reveals a substantial increase in mentions of Flynn, the FBI, and Obama on Fox News and Fox Business compared to coverage of the coronavirus.

Notably, this focus extends beyond opinion hosts like Hannity, Laura Ingraham, and Tucker Carlson, with purportedly straight news content also contributing to the narrative. Critics dismiss the "Obamagate" scandal as a distraction, with former Obama adviser David Plouffe labeling it a "sideshow to distract from the shitshow."

However, Trump and his allies are aggressively pushing the narrative, aiming to turn Flynn's situation into a scandal that implicates Barack Obama and Joe Biden. The alleged misuse of "unmasking" – a routine intelligence process – is being portrayed as part of a plot to undermine Trump's presidency.

Despite the lack of clear evidence for such a plot and Trump's struggle to articulate specific allegations against Obama, Republican senators, including Ron Johnson, Rand Paul, and Lindsey Graham, are demanding testimony from Biden and other Obama aides. Trump has even suggested that Obama himself should testify.

Critics argue that this focus on "Obamagate" serves to divert attention from more pressing issues, such as the ongoing pandemic. The president's claims of political wrongdoing by Obama are met with skepticism, with Biden's camp accusing Republican senators of abusing their powers to support Trump's campaign.

As the controversy unfolds, the media landscape, particularly Fox News, is playing a pivotal role in shaping the narrative around "Obamagate." Some observers express concern that this narrative may be an attempt to normalize violations of political norms gradually.

The "Obamagate" saga, rooted in the Department of Justice's recent decision to drop charges against Flynn, continues to unfold, with Trump asserting it as the "greatest political crime in the history of our country." Fox News remains a significant player in amplifying and endorsing this narrative, contributing to a complex and contentious political landscape.