NBC News was criticized on social media for a “ridiculous headline” that appeared to blame “conservative outlets” for reporting a Democrat Senate Staffer filmed a homosexual sex video inside a Capitol Hill Hearing Room.
The Daily Caller had published a pornographic amateur video on Friday showing an alleged congressional employee having sex in Hart Senate Office Building Room 216. The Daily Caller reported that the video had been leaked after it was “shared” in a group of gay men who work in politics.
Social media posts claimed that the alleged employee worked for Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md). Cardin’s Office announced that an aide to a legislator had been fired hours after the story broke. However, they did not link this staffer and his dismissal with the sex video. The identities of the men who appear in the graphic video are not confirmed.
“Senate staffer alleged by conservative outlets to have had sex in a hearing room is no longer employed,” the NBC headline read.
Social media users were angry that the Daily Caller was the focus of the headline, which emphasized conservative outlets.
“NBC’s framing of the story is outrageous & deserves to be in the Media Bias Hall of Fame. The staffer of a Dem senator videotaped him having sex with a female colleague in a Senate Committee room. He then shared the footage online and was fired after it became public. Tim Murtaugh, Trump’s 2020 communications director, said that NBC portrays conservatives as bad guys.
NBC’s framing of this is outrageous & belongs in the Media Bias Hall of Fame.
A Dem senator’s staffer videotaped himself having sex in a Senate committee room, shared it online with others, and got fired when it became public.
But NBC casts conservatives as the bad guys. https://t.co/AuT0ajhT3q
— Tim Murtaugh (@TimMurtaugh) December 17, 2023
Ralph Norman, South Carolina Republican Rep., joked: “Right, these pesky conservative news outlets are the real issue here.”
Right, those pesky “conservative news outlets” are the real problem here. https://t.co/wTVmvb26gD
— Rep. Ralph Norman (@RepRalphNorman) December 17, 2023
Former U.S. Ambassador Richard Grenell wrote: “It’s conservative news outlets’ fault? The headline is ridiculous. NBC News works for the Democrats.”
It’s conservative news outlets’ fault?
Ridiculous headline.
NBC News is working for the Democrats. https://t.co/cHOfSyCae4
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) December 16, 2023
Tim Young, a political comedian, agreed: “So the conservative media outlets were at fault for that guy filming gay sex inside a Senate hearing? NBC News is run like a clown.”
So it was the conservative outlets fault that that guy filmed gay sex in a Senate hearing room? NBC News is run by clowns.
— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) December 16, 2023
Amuse, a conservative website, explained that “Conservatives did not video him; he posted it on the internet.”
Conservatives didn’t video him, he did and posted it online.
— @amuse (@amuse) December 16, 2023
Tony Kinnett, a Daily Signal columnist, said: “I had no idea that his social media outlets were a conservative news outlet.”
I didn’t know his own social media was a “conservative news outlet”
— Tony Kinnett (@TheTonus) December 17, 2023
Charles C. W. Cooke, a conservative writer, summarized: “The media cannot avoid this formulation.” It is constitutionally unable to see what it does or why.
The media cannot escape this formulation. It is constitutionally incapable of seeing what it does, or why. https://t.co/waORDinpip
— Charles C. W. Cooke (@charlescwcooke) December 16, 2023
Jonathan Turley is a Fox News contributor and professor of law at George Washington University Law. He discussed the possible charges that may be filed. Turley stated that one possible charge would fall under D.C. Code section 22-1312 which deals with lewd, obscene, or indecent acts.
Turley wrote: “The Capitol Police could argue that it is theft or the use of government property for personal gain.” The key is that the videotape was created to show or publish it. Capitol Hill has long known that both staff and members of Congress have engaged in sexual activity within their offices. This was a closed public hearing room at the time and a videotape was made for public viewing.
The U.S. Capitol Police responded that they were aware of the video and are investigating it.