NBC’s ‘Meet the Press’ apologizes for ‘inadvertently and inaccurately’ editing Barr clip

NBC’s “Meet the Press” apologized for editing a clip of an interview with Attorney General William Barr after a spokesperson for the Department of Justice (DOJ) criticized the program. 

“You’re correct. Earlier today, we inadvertently and inaccurately cut short a video clip of an interview with AG Barr before offering commentary and analysis,” the news program tweeted late Sunday in response to DOJ spokeswoman Kerri Kupec. 

“The remaining clip included important remarks from the attorney general that we missed, and we regret the error,” “Meet the Press” added. 

You’re correct. Earlier today, we inadvertently and inaccurately cut short a video clip of an interview with AG Barr before offering commentary and analysis. The remaining clip included important remarks from the attorney general that we missed, and we regret the error.

— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) May 10, 2020

Kupec had tweeted that she was “very disappointed” with “Meet the Press” and the show’s host, Chuck Todd, for not airing a portion of Barr’s interview with CBS regarding the DOJ’s decision to move to drop charges against Michael Flynn.  

President Trump, a frequent critic of Todd and “Meet the Press,” was also quick to slam out the program and the host. 

“He knew exactly what he was doing. Public Airwaves = Fake News!” the president tweeted Sunday night, after “Meet the Press” tweeted the apology to Kupec. 

Sleepy Eyes Chuck Todd should be FIRED by “Concast” (NBC) for this fraud. He knew exactly what he was doing. Public Airwaves = Fake News! @AjitPaiFCC @FCC https://t.co/fLTDhjMXo4

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 10, 2020

Todd referenced the CBS interview, and played a clip during which an interviewer can be heard asking Barr, “When history looks back on this decision, how do you think it will be written?”

“Well, history is written by the winners. So, it largely depends on who’s writing the history,” Barr responds in the shortened clip. 

After the clip, Todd said he was “struck” by the “cynicism” of Barr’s answer. 

“It’s a correct answer. But he’s the attorney general. He didn’t make the case that he was upholding the rule of law. He was almost admitting that, yeah, this is a political job,” Todd said. 

In the full interview, Barr responded: “Well, history is written by the winner. So it largely depends on who’s writing the history. But I think a fair history would say that it was a good decision because it upheld the rule of law.”   

During the same CBS interview, Barr dismissed accusations that the move to drop the charges was politically motivated or influenced by the president. 

He told CBS he was not doing the “president’s bidding.” 

“I’m doing the law’s bidding. I’m doing my duty under the law, as I see it,” Barr told CBS News. 

The Justice Department said last week in a court filing it no longer believed it could make a case against Flynn. The department moved to drop the charges against the retired three-star Army general of lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russia shortly before Trump took office. 

Democrats renewed calls for Barr to resign following the DOJ’s decision, with prominent senators including Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) and Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) accusing the attorney general of acting in Trump’s interest, rather than the nation’s.