A Shady CNN Move at the Kavanaugh Hearing?

By Robert Wenzel

I watched most of the Kavanaugh-Ford hearing on Thursday via CNN.

During Brett Kavanaugh's opening statement and early questioning, Kavanaugh's suffering wife,  Ashley, clearly pained by the entire event, could be seen in the background throughout. It was compelling television.

 Ashley Kavanaugh, washed down the memory hole by CNN.

It provided a stunning backdrop that reminded one of the suffering being experienced by Kavanaugh's family.

Things changed after the recess in the hearing.

CNN never went back to that full frontal shot of Kavanaugh with his wife in the background. He was always shown, in the post-recess view, split-screen with a tighter shot on him and the other half screen showing the questioner. The image of his pained wife was no longer shown.

I made a mental note to go back later to the full CNN broadcast of the hearing to see how clear my recollection was. I wasn't sure if it was always the full frontal shot with Ashley Kavanaugh in the background but it was a lot in the first half of Kavanaugh's testimony. I didn't recall any split screen at all.

I have now, just over 24 hours later, had a chance to go back to the CNN clip of the full hearing that is posted on youtube. Ashley Kavanaugh is completely removed from the full  3 hours and 52 minutes of the CNN youtube version. It now shows a split screen throughout with just a tight shot of Kavanaugh. There is no chance to see the pain and emotional drain on Ashley Kavanaugh's face at all.



Maybe CNN has an explanation for this move other than blocking the pain on the Kavanaugh side from viewers but it sure looks like a shady move to me.

Robert Wenzel is Editor & Publisher of

EconomicPolicyJournal.com and Target Liberty.  More about Wenzel here.