Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy Defends Network’s ‘Balanced’ Election Coverage in Letter to Congress
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Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy slammed House Democrats for targeting his network, accusing them in a scathing letter of propagating “deliberately misleading” allegations about it.
“I want to respectfully address some disinformation circulated by members of this committee in a recent letter to pay-TV operators and streaming technology companies,” Ruddy wrote in the Wednesday letter. “Newsmax never called the breach of the Capitol ‘a sort of romantic idea.'”
Ruddy was referencing a Monday letter sent to cable providers by California Reps. Anna Eshoo and Jerry McNerney, who asked the providers if they would consider dumping conservative news networks including Fox News, One America News and Newsmax. “As a violent mob was breaching the doors of the Capitol, Newsmax’s coverage called the scene a ‘sort of a romantic idea,'” the duo claimed.
Ruddy discounted the claim as one made by a left-wing guest and argued his network’s coverage had been “balanced.”
“The claim was made on Newsmax by a Touro College law professor and prominent liberal, Thane Rosenbaum, who was describing the rally before any violence or illegal activity had taken place at the Capitol,” Ruddy wrote. “The letter’s assertion to the contrary is deliberately misleading and intended to contribute to a false narrative about Newsmax’s balanced coverage of the election and events Jan. 6.
“In general, Newsmax reported fairly and accurately on allegations and claims made by both sides during the recent election contest,” he added. “Newsmax called the election for President Joe Biden as soon as the states had certified their election results. Further, Newsmax forcefully and repeatedly used its airwaves to condemn the insurrection at the Capitol on Jan. 6.”
The letter was addressed to the chairs and ranking members of the House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, as well as those on the Committee on Energy and Commerce. The latter held a hearing on Wednesday examining the “traditional media’s role in promoting disinformation and extremism,” with Democrats focusing particularly on conservative news networks.
