On Wednesday, White House National Security Council communications adviser John Kirby inadvertently included Fox News Digital in a dismissive email ripping four military veterans on the 23rd anniversary of 9/11 as unworthy of responding to for their criticism of the Biden-Harris withdrawal from Afghanistan, adding they were merely a “‘handful’ of vets…and all of one stripe”.
In the e-mail, he wrote back to White House officials this in regards to Fox’s request for comment on what was said by Congressman Cory Mills (R-FL) and three others: “Obviously no use in responding. A ‘handful’ of vets indeed and all of one stripe.”
Kirby, whom many (including this page) have said is closer to being on the straight and narrow with doses of honesty than others in the regime, showed his partisan freak flag with this message and his subsequent lack of an apology.
Instead, he merely wrote in a separate message to Fox News Digital upon realizing the error: “Clearly, I didn’t realize you were on the chain.”
Whether it was out of a fear for losing him as a guest or source or simply not thinking it’s a serious news story, Kirby’s smear was not mentioned by ABC, CBS, or NBC during their Thursday flagship morning news shows.
Outside of that, the only mentions have come on multiple Fox Business and Fox News Channel programs as well as Newsmax. And Kirby was nowhere to be seen during Thursday afternoon’s White House press briefing.
“[T]op White House advisor John Kirby catching some flak for dismissing the concerns of veterans on the anniversary of 9/11,” teased Fox News Channel co-host Dana Perino on Thursday morning’s America’s Newsroom.
With the chyron “Critics Blast Kirby for Dismissing Vets’ Concerns”, co-host Bill Hemmer said Kirby was “facing heat today for dismissing veterans’ concerns about the Afghan withdrawal”.
After reading the e-mails, he brought in Mills by offering this about Kirby: “I think Kirby’s a straight shooter. I think he’s good guy. He joins us often here on this program, but that’s — that’s one he would like to take back, I’m sure.”
Mills was ready to fire back, noting he probably “would like to take” that email “back just like when he said the Afghan withdrawal wasn’t really that chaotic and that it was the greatest, most successful airlift operation, though he didn’t want to talk about the 60 or 70 percent of those airlifted who had no biometric, who had with no Visa status and being brought into the United States and not to mention…the 13 Gold Star families who don’t feel like it is a great success.”
“[W]hile I respect his service to our — our military, he has become a mouthpiece for the Biden-Harris administration and he is continuing to dispel all the truths while covering up all the lies. And so, I just — you know — I think it is time for, as veterans, to call him out on these things,” he added, noting he and others will continue to challenge him.
