Fox News host Bill O'Reilly asked in exasperation whether the rest of the White House press corps was just "stupid" in their general refusal to actively pursue the truth about Benghazi and a possible White House coverup Thursday while speaking with Fox correspondent Ed Henry.
White House spokesman Jay Carney once again became visibly annoyed Thursday with Henry who, as one of the few White House reporters who has actively pursued the story, was asking for more details about recent emails that have come to light showing an active effort to protect President Obama from political damage.
Henry acknowledged other White House reporters look at Benghazi as a "Fox story," implying the network has an agenda in pursuing coverage and thus isn't worth their time.
"Do they really believe that it's a Fox story," O'Reilly asked. "That it's not important the U.S. military didn't mobilize to save an American ambassador? That it's not important that the Obama administration misled the world and they still haven't said they made a mistake?"
Henry noted Jon Karl of ABC News and Major Garrett of CBS News have asked similar questions to Henry in recent days, with Karl and Carney having an especially tense exchange Wednesday. Yet, Carney, as the Obama administration tends to do, lashed out at Fox News specifically, and other media members have seemingly bought into the idea that coverage of the story is a political witch hunt.
"Are they that dumb, Henry?" O'Reilly asked. "Are your colleagues at the White House that stupid?"
"Check the transcripts and see how many people follow up," Henry replied.
CBS News has played ball with the White House by not running a single story on Benghazi the past two nights on its flagship program, CBS Evening News.