Congress is in the middle of working to avert a government shutdown and Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s speakership could be on the line. But on Fox’s The Big Weekend Show, the top story was the use of psychedelics to treat PTSD and depression.
Cohost Jason Chaffetz opened the show with the announcement, “Tonight, we're watching Capitol Hill where the Senate will vote on a short-term funding bill to keep the government open. If something happens, we'll bring it to you.” That was it for the time being on the funding bill. There was no mention that passage in the House was, as The New York Times put it, “a stunning turnabout” to what seemed like an inevitable shutdown; that the so-called continuing resolution passed with more Democratic votes than Republican; and it put Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s job at risk. As the show opened, passage of the spending bill was still pending in the Senate. As I write this, it still is.
Not surprisingly, there was time to hype what Fox wants to make the most important news of the Capitol Hill drama, Rep. Jamaal Bowman pulling a fire alarm. After telling viewers he’d bring more news about the government funding “if something happens,” Chaffetz said, “Earlier, a wild moment during the chaos among Congress, progressive squad member Congressman Jamaal Bowman pulled the fire alarm. What about this obstruction” That's coming up.”
That was the biggest takeaway of the Congressional day so far, for Fox “News.”
Then Chaffetz announced that “the big story tonight is the high power of psychedelics. The research is mounting that magic mushrooms and other drugs like MDMA is a reliable treatment for PTSD and depression. Now Congress is giving the go-ahead for the Defense Department to do psychedelic medical clinical trials to help treat our active duty military and veterans.” That was followed by clips of Republican members of Congress supporting the trials.
Don’t get me wrong: I think the clinical trials are important news. But is that really “the big story” on a day like today?
Well, maybe if you’re a GOP propaganda operation and you don’t want to take sides in an intra-Republican fight, it could be.
You can watch it below, from the September 30, 2023 The Big Weekend Show.
