Fox host Martha MacCallum jumped at the chance to make snide innuendos about Stormy Daniels attorney Michael Avenatti’s cancellation of an interview without bothering to reveal all the facts.
Last night, MacCallum closed her show with a dig at Avenatti for canceling an interview scheduled for today. Note that she gave no information as to whether or not he had provided a reason.
MACCALLUM: Program note. Over the weekend, Michael Avenatti, the attorney representing Stormy Daniels in her lawsuit against President Trump, told CNN that Fox News doesn't seem to want him on our shows. That is not actually the case. In fact, Mr. Avenatti was scheduled to appear on this show tomorrow night, but this morning he abruptly cancelled the interview, despite his pledge to appear on Fox News this week. So there you go. That is our true story on that.
Obviously, it was an attempt to suggest that it’s his own fault that Avenatti is never seen on Fox. And that he had chickened out or just flaked out. But MacCallum either made no effort to provide – or else deliberately hid – Avenatti’s side of the story. A few hours later, Avenatti hit back in a tweet. He called MacCallum “classless” and "#unprofessional," saying that he had told her producer that morning he had a commitment with a case.
You are classless @marthamaccallum. I agree to go on your show tmrw and then had to cancel due to a commitment with the case that I explained to your producer first thing this AM. You respond by calling me out on your show and deceiving people?! #unprofessional #agenda #basta
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) April 24, 2018
It’s possible that MacCallum never got that explanation or that Avenatti is not telling the truth. But it’s hard to imagine a seasoned host like MacCallum would not have asked for information about any reason for Avenatti’s failure to appear, even if none had been provided. Also if Avenatti had just canceled without providing an explanation, don’t you think MacCallum would have offered that information to viewers?
MacCallum appears to be taking part in a coordinated Fox strategy to attack Avenatti. Brit Hume attempted to discredit Avenatti’s prediction that material seized in the FBI’s raid on Trump attorney Michael Cohen will prove “very embarrassing” to Sean Hannity.
He says “I know that I think....” His basis? He never actually says. This guy has taken the media for a ride, publicizing himself and his client. Media have happily played along. Embarrassing. https://t.co/VrlbBYA4HQ
— Brit Hume (@brithume) April 22, 2018
Host Laura Ingraham made a similar attack.
The last time I saw Avenatti on Fox, his interview began at 11:39 PM ET. It was hard not to see that as a grudging gesture from Fox given that it came one night after The Washington Post reported on Fox’s glaring lack of coverage of the Stormy Daniels case, including a quote from Avenatti saying that he’d received “hundreds” of interview requests from news outlets around the globe but none from Fox.
In other words, there’s a pattern here.
Watch MacCallum’s deceptive announcement below, from the April 23, 2018 The Story with Martha MacCallum.
I will never forget her comment when snarkentating on Michelle Obama’s beautiful look at Barack’s inauguration.
“These people do not usually suit yellow.”