Proud papa and former Governor Mike Huckabee came to the defense of his daughter, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders Friday after he discovered reporter April Ryan’s ugly remarks. Instead of apologizing for her unprofessional behavior and shutting down the spectacle, Ryan doubled down and declared open war against the elder Huckabee. The battle played out on Twitter.
As I wrote yesterday, American Urban Radio Networks White House correspondent and CNN contributor April Ryan called for the firing of Sarah Sanders after the Mueller report exposed that Sanders lied to the press corps about the loss of confidence in James Comey as director of the FBI. Ryan went on to not only call for Sanders to be fired but embellished it with a metaphor – it was her “lopping off heads” metaphor that took her rhetoric over the top.
Using the standards set by liberals in the age of Trump, Mike Huckabee asked if CNN had “the integrity to deal with this incitement to murder”. He didn’t call for Ryan to be fired, you’ll note. “Dealing with” her tweet could mean insisting she issue an apology for her ramped-up rhetoric.
So liberals—is this okay?Does CNN have the integrity to deal w/ this incitement to murder? CNN's April Ryan Says Sarah Sanders' Head Should Be "Lopped Off" https://t.co/8fdYiOzggf
— Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) April 19, 2019
Huckabee also wanted to know if the White House Correspondents Association would pull Ryan’s credentials.
Will the @whca revoke April Ryan’s credentials? If not, they are gutless tools. CNN's April Ryan Says Sarah Sanders' Head Should Be "Lopped Off" https://t.co/8fdYiOzggf
— Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) April 19, 2019
Ryan responded by questioning his Christian faith and said “her people” see him and will come for him.
You sir need to sit down. You gave me a veiled threat not long ago. You call yourself a man of God? Boy bye! As your people come for me! My people see you and will do the same for you! https://t.co/M72QQACjqV
— AprilDRyan (@AprilDRyan) April 20, 2019
She reminded Huckabee that he once said she should be “gutted like a deer”. This was her interpretation of a tweet from Huckabee during #PieGate.
Hey Mike you said I should be gutted like a dear. Do you remember? Don’t lie! God is watching and I have tape! https://t.co/M72QQACjqV
— AprilDRyan (@AprilDRyan) April 20, 2019
And, then she went back to talking about his faith. She tweeted about Good Friday and then she tweeted that Huckabee won’t get into Heaven. By this time it was perfectly clear she intended to keep this thing going a while.
By the way you should be celebrating Good Friday or do you even remember Jesus anymore? He would not come down from the cross just to save himself! He decided to die… https://t.co/M72QQACjqV
— AprilDRyan (@AprilDRyan) April 20, 2019
Will you get into heaven? The answer is no! https://t.co/oUpSVVbLx2
— AprilDRyan (@AprilDRyan) April 20, 2019
Ryan called both father and daughter liars and asked why Sarah Sanders is paid because she doesn’t hold press briefings. The infrequency of White House press briefings is a regular complaint from reporters. So, Ryan tossed that in, too.
You and your daughter are liars and Why is she getting paid to be press secretary if there are no briefings. Why is she afraid? https://t.co/oUpSVVbLx2
— AprilDRyan (@AprilDRyan) April 20, 2019
The grand finale of this Twitter drama was a tweet warning Huckabee that should anything happen to her or her family, he, Sanders, and the Trump administration will all be held accountable. Well, now.
As I thank God this day and for his sacrifice as you should be doing, I have a warning for you! If anything happens to me or mine or anyone connected to me, you and your daughter and this administration will be held accountable! So you better stop now! https://t.co/oUpSVVbLx2
— AprilDRyan (@AprilDRyan) April 20, 2019
This is how disagreements and retaliations are carried out in the era of the evil Orange Man. Everyone goes to Twitter to blast out anything that comes to mind, rational or not. The left plays it all to their advantage by claiming any harsh word is cause for inciting violence. Governor Huckabee turned the tables and tweeted as a liberal would do. As you can see, reporters are just as thin-skinned as anyone else. April Ryan has never hesitated to take rhetoric to the next level. Just listen to her questions in White Houe briefings and you’ll hear her ask if the president is a racist, for example.
April Ryan doesn’t speak for the entire White House Press Corps, even though she took it upon herself to call for Sarah Sanders to be fired. The left calling for a conservative to be fired is their go-to position. This whole episode appears to be another grab for attention, just as she did when she called Sarah Sanders’ pie baking skills into question. It’s petty and juvenile. It’s also tailor-made for Twitter.
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