Last updated on January 27, 2021

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The alternative reality persists and MSM is only interested in the 2024 race.

Holy shit. Rand Paul still won't acknowledge that the election wasn't stolen from Trump. pic.twitter.com/mxSuItPaAD

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 24, 2021

Rand kept saying: hear the other side!

Rand Paul just gave a master class in how the Big Lie — election denialism — exploits the "both sides" rule set in journalism. "Was the election stolen?" @GStephanopoulos asked. There was no second question. They fought all the way through. Rand kept saying: hear the other side!

— Jay Rosen (@jayrosen_nyu) January 24, 2021

A clip of Rand Paul using the platform of ABC News to continue the Big Lie, with plenty of pushback from George Stephanopoulos, which in turn led to — stop me if you’ve heard this —”liberal bias.”

Pressed repeatedly by @GStephanopoulos, Sen. Rand Paul won’t say the 2020 election wasn’t stolen, calls for investigation of fraud, but doesn’t provide evidence.

GS: “There are not two sides to this story. This has been looked at in every single state.” https://t.co/P6iz1jjwYE pic.twitter.com/GeWSYe0Bs0

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) January 24, 2021

ABC News: what are you doing here? What end is served?

After all, @ABC, there is an alternative to asking Big Lie denialists “was the election stolen?” followed by hand-to-hand combat around every “just raising questions” maneuver they have in stock for you today.

Just call the question closed and move on. As an organization.

I don’t think ABC News knows why it participates in election denialism this way. (People who follow me say ratings, I doubt the ratings would change at all if the Big Lie came off the board.) But there’s no question that Rand Paul knows why he does it:

If you want to know why I am using the term, “the Big Lie,” what it means in historical context, how it works as a propaganda method, and why it matters that ABC News broadcast it today, sit down and read historian Tim Snyder’s essay, “The American Abyss.”

The American Abyss

You can have an evidence-based newsroom. Or you can have the “both sides” formula for advertising your even-handedness. With the Republican Party in its current state you cannot have both.
Former senior VP for NBC News:

.@RandPaul:”There are two sides to every story.” @GStephanopoulos: “I’m standing by facts.There are not two sides to facts.” Proof that the Trumpist fusion of @KellyannePolls “alternative facts” and “both sides” false equivalency will continue to assault #journalism post-Trump. https://t.co/Of5AnRQ5g2

— Mark Lukasiewicz (@DeanLuk) January 24, 2021

Marco Rubio acknowledges Trump "bears responsibility" for the Capitol insurrection, but insists holding him accountable with an impeachment trial is the wrong move because it'll "stir up" the country again pic.twitter.com/egtvNAgrS8

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 24, 2021

“ Hawley warned against depicting all militia members as domestic terrorists after the Oklahoma City bombing, which killed 168 people, including 19 children. ”

— Daniel Uhlfelder (@DWUhlfelderLaw) January 24, 2021

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