Media

CNN, Fox, MSNBC air split-screens of Nadler and empty chair for Barr

by Joe Concha - 05/02/19 10:29 AM ET

Cable news outlets opted Thursday to show an empty chair where Attorney General William Barr would have sat for the morning’s House Judiciary Committee hearing.

CNN, Fox News and MSNBC all featured split-screens of Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) and the empty chair that Democrats had set aside for Barr despite the announcement Wednesday night that he would not appear.

Barr refused to appear at the hearing after Democrats insisted that staff attorneys be allowed to ask the attorney general questions. The Justice Department said Democrats put “unprecedented” conditions on his testimony.

House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler: President Trump “wants desperately to prevent Congress, a co-equal branch of government, from providing any check whatsoever to even to his most reckless decisions” pic.twitter.com/sNVzo5qqQP

— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) May 2, 2019

Democrats hammered Barr on Thursday for not showing up to the hearing, which was slated to be held a day after the attorney general appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee for a four-hour grilling over his handling of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report.{mosads}

The House hearing Thursday began without Barr, allowing for the empty chair split-screen to be presented to viewers.

Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) placed Kentucky Fried Chicken on Barr’s microphone stand while referring to Barr as a coward after the hearing ended.

.@RepCohen places a glass chicken in place of AG Barr https://t.co/ZcvGtfCcIz pic.twitter.com/r7BUKyRIkA

— The Hill (@thehill) May 2, 2019

Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) declared Nadler was only staging a “circus political stunt” to make the House hearing appear like an impeachment hearing.

“That is the reason. The reason Bill Barr is not here today is because the Democrats decided they didn’t want him here today. That’s the reason he’s not here,” Collins said. “Not hearing from him is a travesty to this committee today.”