MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace compared Fox News to Russian state-run media during a panel discussion Thursday, prompting a strong reaction from guest Matt Schlapp of the American Conservative Union.
The panel had been discussing Russian dissident and chess champion Garry Kasparov's tweet comparing President Donald Trump's tactics to those of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Schlapp said that the rhetoric was overreaching, specifically on the state of media freedom in the U.S.
Wallace came back by comparing Fox News' editorial culture to state-run outlets.
"Even folks at Fox News will acknowledge pressure to carry the Trump message," she said. "You know that to be true. I know that to be true. How is that different from state-run media in some places?"
Schlapp retorted by asking, "Is the opposite pressure happening at other news outlets?"
"Not happening here," Wallace said with a laugh. "Can't you tell?"
"I'm saying across the line we all have to admit in the news media generally — we all have lots of friends in it — they are not by and large Trump supporters and are not by and large Republicans," Schlapp said.
MSNBC has been criticized as biased in the past, not just for criticizing Trump but for appearing to support Democrats. When Barack Obama won his second presidential term, MSNBC released an ad in which the network's prime-time star, Rachel Maddow, seemed to celebrate the election result.
Schlapp did not attack MSNBC specifically, but alluded to perceptions of bias in the media.
"The press itself has not done itself a lot of good by always coming across as balanced," he said.
He also argued that the American press has not actually seen any censorship, despite various forms of criticism from the White House.
"We have a free press," Schlapp said. "You all were able to say everything you want to say. This is not a third-world [country], you're not being silenced."
"This is still America, he added. "We're going to be OK, guys."