Editor’s note: Dean Obeidallah, a former attorney, is the host of SiriusXM Radio’s daily show “The Dean Obeidallah Show.” Follow him @Deanobeidallah @masto.ai. The opinions expressed in this comment are his own. See more opinions on CNN.
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Last year, GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia spoke at a white nationalist event hosted by Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes that led Republican leaders to denounce her.
Last week, Greene’s Twitter account was temporarily suspended by musk-headed platform Elon over a tweet with a graphic referencing a “day of vengeance” because she denounced a planned transgender rights rally.
And come Tuesday, Greene announced plans To protest in New York when former President Donald Trump is expected to be arraigned on an indictment of more than 30 counts, calling the proceedings against him “aUnconstitutional witch hunt!”
But on Sunday, Greene was featured on CBS’s “60 Minutes” in an interview The Longning Show Promoted on Twitter with teasing: “Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, known as MTG, isn’t afraid to share her opinions, no matter how intense and in your face they are. She sits down with Lesley Stahl this Sunday on 60 Minutes.” Images attached to this tweet by “60 Minutes” include Greene and Stahl walking through the U.S. Capitol, strolling outside and Greene showing Stahl something on her phone.
In the segment that aired Sunday night, Stahl noted that the congresswoman had risen from the fringe to the GOP front row in two years despite having a “sharp tongue” and “some pretty radical views” as well as “Over the Top” comments such as “Democrats are a party of pedophiles.” Stahl also referenced video of Greene chasing a survivor of the Parkland, Fla., shooting, still maintaining the 2020 election was stolen and failing to criticize Trump over the spending. (The interview was conducted before news of his indictment.)
But Stahl did not mention Greene spoke at a white nationalist event a year ago while he was a congressman or his extreme anti-Muslim views and defense of the Jan. 6 rioters.
Criticism of CBS for amplification of Greene was swift and well-deserved before the program even aired. Former GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois tweeted in advance: “Wow. Insane that 60 Minutes would do that.” (Kinzinger is a senior political commentator for CNN.)
Journalist Molly Jong-Fast also slammed “60 Minutes” with the tweet: “Attention is currency and 60 Minutes spends its currency on the Jewish space laser woman.” (Jong-Fast was apparently referring to Greene’s past claim that a massive California wildfire was started by “a laser” beamed from space controlled by a prominent Jewish banking family.)
David Hogg, who survived the horrific 2018 school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland and has since become an activist against gun violence, replied“I look forward to your questions about why she thinks the school shootings are wrong and why she supports Qanon.”
Greene amplified the conspiracy theory — two years before he was elected to Congress — that the park shooting that took 17 lives was staged. And in 2019, Greene appeared on video confronting Hogg outside the Capitol as he defended laws to save lives from gun violence, shouting that the drunk was a “coward.” She also called Hogg “#LittleHitler” on social media.
Tweet from Greene Promoting Sunday’s segment wasn’t filled with her typical “fake news” smears when she doesn’t like the coverage. Greene instead urged people to tune in as she praised “60 Minutes” host Stahl (and misspelled his first name): “It was an honor to spend a few days with legendary icon Leslie Stahl and the talented team at 60 Minutes.” Greene added: “Leslie is a trailblazer for women in journalism. And while we may disagree on some issues, I greatly respect her.”
Now, it’s true that “60 Minutes” over its 50-plus year history has featured what the show has dubbed “controversial” guests. These include a 2000 interview with Oklahoma City Bomber Timothy McVeigh, whose 1995 terrorist attack left 168 dead, including 19 children. And the show did a 1979 interview with Iran’s Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
Perhaps “60 Minutes” Greene — who has repeatedly downplayed and even defended the Jan. 6, 2021, Attack Plus call for the GOP to become the party of “Christian nationalism” — is in the vein of her long list of controversial guests. (CBS had not responded to a request from CNN for comment at the time of publication.)
However, Greene’s choice as a guest instantly brings to mind CBS CEO Les Moonves’ comments during Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, when he admitted that Trump’s candidacy “may not be good for America, but it’s damn good for CBS.” Moonves added: “The money is rolling in and it’s fun.…(T)his is going to be a really good year for us,” concluding: “Sorry. That’s a terrible thing to say. But bring it on, Donald. Keep going.”
Moonves may be gone from CBS, but it appears his mindset continues at “60 Minutes.” And that may be good for “60 Minutes,” but it’s certainly not good for America.
