The New York Times fell on Sunday a disturbing report with reports from 21 men accusing anti-Trump Lincoln project co-founder John Weaver of sending them “unsolicited and sexually provocative messages.” One said he was 14 years old when he was first contacted. And despite promoting the group and including Weaver, CBS and NBC refused to cover the disgusting scandal during their Monday night news broadcasts.
Although they only covered the Weaver scandal on Sunday night, ABC’s World News Tonight spent two and a half minutes describing some of the reports.
“Tonight explosive allegations against a top Republican strategist and co-founder of the anti-Trump group Lincoln Project,” reported ABC’s Andrew Dymburt. “The New York Times reports that John Weaver, who worked on John McCain and John Kasich’s presidential campaigns, allegedly” sent unsolicited and sexually provocative messages to young men online “and sometimes offered to help them work in the Politics to help. “
Weaver not only asked young men to send him “lewd photos”, but probably spent years caring for a man from the age of 14 and becoming “more sexually suggestive” at the age of 18. ABC spoke to this young man (click “Expand”):
DYMBURT: The Times, citing interviews with 21 men, including Cole Trickle Miele, who told The Times that the news started in 2015 when he was 14 years old. They escalated over the years, Trickle Miele said, pointing to a June 2018 exchange when Weaver allegedly asked, “Are you still in high school?” Trickle Miele told Weaver that he would be 18 years old next spring, to which Weber replied: “You look older. You have grown bigger.”
Trickle Miele confirmed his account in The Times to ABC-Nachrichten and provided screenshots of the news.
COLE TRICKLE MIELE: For me it was just like this – not struck by the stars, but kind of, you know, kind of like, “Oh, okay, that’s cool, that’s someone who reaches up higher.” And it was fine like that. The messages got more worrying and suggestive, sexually suggestive, over the years.
While CBS Evening News eschewed the Lincoln Project story, they spent part of their Monday news broadcast trying to tie former President Trump to the Myanmar military coup.
And it wasn’t long ago that CBS called on the anti-Trump group. During the Democratic National Convention, then-political correspondent Ed O’Keefe (now the White House correspondent) boasted: “The man [Hillary Clinton] lost is the target of another ad produced by a Republican group trying to oust him.Add:This time around, it’s about how he botched the US response to Hurricane Maria after it devastated Puerto Rico. ”
As for NBC’s confidence in the Lincoln Project for content, all you have is NewsBusters search Here to see how MSNBC was a bastion for their bile. And throughout the Trump presidency, networks raved about the Snide tweets that Lincoln Project co-founder George Conway would post against Trump. Including ABC.
ABC’s This Week did so in early August last year A whole segment is celebrating the Lincoln project Advertising campaign. The moderator Martha Raddatz was thrilled that the group “Wage war against the president of their own party.”
“Bubbly reports against President Trump, not from Democrats, but from a group of Republicans who intend to overthrow their party’s leader. Many use the President’s own words against himBoasted ABC correspondent Mary Bruce at the time.
Bruce was also grateful for the group to do the dirty work of then-candidate Joe Biden. “These ads aren’t subtle, they are brutal, they hit Trump where it hurts and try to beat him on his own game. These are just ads that Biden couldn’t show,” She said.
Meanwhile, Weaver, who is married to a woman and has two children, admitted he sent the messages to the young men. “I’m so discouraged and sad that I may have made someone uncomfortable,” Dymburt read from Weaver’s statement.
This blackout of the sex scandal in the Lincoln Project was made possible by lucrative sponsorships from Liberty Mutual on CBS and NBC. Their contact information is linked so you can let them know about the biased news they’re funding. CBS Evening News also asked people to write to Norah O’Donnell at (202) 217-1107.
The transcript is below, click “Expand” to read:
ABC’s world news tonight
January 31, 2021
6:12:56 p.m. East
TOM LLAMAS: We now turn to a major scandal involving top Republican strategist John Weaver, the co-founder of the Lincoln Project who worked on the presidential campaigns of John McCain and John Kasich. Several men have posted unsolicited and sexual messages online, according to the New York Times. Andrew Dymburt from ABC with the details and his answer.
[Cuts to video]
ANDREW DYMBURT: Tonight there are explosive charges against a top Republican strategist and co-founder of the anti-Trump group Lincoln Project. The New York Times reported that John Weaver, who worked on John McCain and John Kasich’s presidential campaigns, allegedly “sent unsolicited and sexually provocative messages to young men online” and sometimes offered to help them at work in politics to help.
In some cases, Weaver allegedly asked for lewd photos suggesting a man was “setting a thirst trap” or “sending me a selection.”
The Times cited interviews with 21 men, including Cole Trickle Miele, who told The Times that the news began in 2015 when he was 14 years old. They escalated over the years, Trickle Miele said, pointing to a June 2018 exchange when Weaver allegedly asked, “Are you still in high school?” Trickle Miele told Weaver that he would be 18 years old next spring, to which Weber replied: “You look older. You have grown bigger.”
Trickle Miele confirmed his account in The Times to ABC-Nachrichten and provided screenshots of the news.
COLE TRICKLE MIELE: For me it was just like this – not struck by the stars, but kind of, you know, kind of like, “Oh, okay, that’s cool, that’s someone who reaches up higher.” And it was fine like that. The messages got more worrying and suggestive, sexually suggestive, over the years.
DYMBURT: In a statement to ABC News, Weaver suggested that the news was consensual. “I’m so discouraged and sad that I may have made someone uncomfortable.”
LINCOLN PROJECT AD: America is mourned.
DYMBURT: Weavers and lifelong Republicans founded the Lincoln Project, and your group took an active stand against former President Trump in 2020, saying he had abandoned Republican principles. Weaver spoke to 60 minutes late last year.
LESLEY STAHL: How painful is it for you to turn against the Republican Party?
JOHN WEAVER: There are moments of melancholy. No doubt.
[Cuts back to live]
DYMBURT: And Weaver is no longer affiliated with the Lincoln Project. Tonight, the group said in a statement that they are shocked and sick by these allegations. And none of the men accuse Weaver of illegal behavior. Tom.
LLAMAS: Andrew Dymburt for us tonight. Andrew, thank you.
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