Keeping up the pressure on Hillary Clinton on Thursday, NBC's Today was the only network morning show to provide a full report on the latest developments in the e-mail scandal still swirling around the 2016 Democratic contender. ABC's Good Morning America and CBS This Morning had already moved on, each offering only seconds-long news briefs on the controversy.
Introducing the Today segment, co-host Matt Lauer declared: "There is new fallout this morning tied to the Hillary Clinton e-mail scandal. It's a controversy that could impact the rollout of her expected run for the White House." Correspondent Peter Alexander followed: "Hillary Clinton hasn't even announced she's running for president yet and already these stumbles handling the controversy have many Democrats nervous..."
Alexander noted that "Despite Hillary Clinton digging in her heels this week, she hasn't silenced the skeptics. The spectacle reminding many anxious Democrats of the 1990s, when another Clinton was in the White House." He added: "Even some of her Democratic defenders acknowledging the trust issues."
A soundbite was featured of California Senator Barbara Boxer proclaiming: "If you don't believe her, don't vote for her. That's what I think. And if you believe her, then vote for her."
In that same interview on MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell Reports on Wednesday, Boxer scolded Mitchell for continuing to cover the scandal and urged her to "move on."
On Today, Alexander highlighted fallout for the Obama administration: "The White House has been forced to address questions whether it trusts the 30,000 e-mails Clinton says she deleted were all personal, not work related." A clip played of Alexander pushing back against White House talking points:
JOSH EARNEST [WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY]: There's not been any evidence that's been produced to raise any doubts.
ALEXANDER [TO EARNEST]: But no one can produce evidence because she deleted them.
Wrapping up the report, Alexander noted the latest development in the controversy:
And this morning, Clinton is being challenged on her claim that all e-mails to her State Department colleagues were saved by them. A new State Department Inspector General's report says for the last five years, most important State Department e-mails for the entire department were, in fact, not properly archived because of inadequate training, a failing computer system, even some employees deliberately avoiding creating computerized records.
Correspondent Andrea Mitchell devoted a full report to that stunning revelation on Wednesday's NBC Nightly News.
ABC's World News Tonight ignored the e-mail scandal completely Wednesday night, while CBS Evening News provided a mere twenty seconds to the Associated Press filing a lawsuit against the State Department for withholding public records in the wake of the Clinton controversy.
Thursday's CBS This Morning offered twenty-three seconds of air time to repeat the same news.
GMA actually noted the State Department failing to preserve nearly a billion e-mails – giving it twenty-six seconds.
Here is a full transcript of Alexander's March 12 report on Today:
7:13 AM ET
MATT LAUER: There is new fallout this morning tied to the Hillary Clinton e-mail scandal. It's a controversy that could impact the rollout of her expected run for the White House. NBC national correspondent Peter Alexander has more on that. Hi, Peter.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Growing Clinton Concerns Among Dems; Is Campaign in Jeopardy Amid Email Scandal?]
PETER ALEXANDER: Hey, Matt, good morning to you. Hillary Clinton hasn't even announced she's running for president yet and already these stumbles handling the controversy have many Democrats nervous, persuading Clinton's advisors she needs to speed up her 2016 campaign launch.
HILLARY CLINTON: I opted for convenience to use my personal e-mail account.
ALEXANDER: Despite Hillary Clinton digging in her heels this week, she hasn't silenced the skeptics. The spectacle reminding many anxious Democrats of the 1990s, when another Clinton was in the White House. New this morning, Time magazine putting Clinton on its cover, "The Clinton Way: They write their own rules. Will it work this time?"
Clinton now reportedly considering moving up the rollout of her 2016 campaign to early April. Even some of her Democratic defenders acknowledging the trust issues.
SEN. BARBARA BOXER [D-CA]: If you don't believe her, don't vote for her. That's what I think. And if you believe her, then vote for her.
ALEXANDER: The White House has been forced to address questions whether it trusts the 30,000 e-mails Clinton says she deleted were all personal, not work related.
JOSH EARNEST [WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY]: There's not been any evidence that's been produced to raise any doubts.
ALEXANDER [TO EARNEST]: But no one can produce evidence because she deleted them.
ALEXANDER: All this focusing new attention on Clinton's would-be Democratic primary opponents, who've remain silent on her e-mail issues. Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley, who was in New Hampshire last weekend, couldn't avoid the issue Wednesday.
MARTIN O'MALLEY: Frankly, I'm a little sick of the e-mail drama.
ALEXANDER: Vice President Joe Biden hasn't said a word about the controversy, while Senator Elizabeth Warren, who says she is not running, made waves last month when she seemed to sidestep Al Sharpton's question on whether Clinton would be progressive enough.
SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN [D-MA]: You know, I think that's what we gotta see. I want to hear what she wants to run on and what she says she wants to do. That's what campaigns are supposed to be about.
ALEXANDER: Former White House press secretary Robert Gibbs tells The Washington Post Clinton and her team waited too long to answer questions about the controversy. "They're the ones who put air in this balloon in a way that was not necessary at all," he said. "She's a candidate without a campaign."
And this morning, Clinton is being challenged on her claim that all e-mails to her State Department colleagues were saved by them. A new State Department Inspector General's report says for the last five years, most important State Department e-mails for the entire department were, in fact, not properly archived because of inadequate training, a failing computer system, even some employees deliberately avoiding creating computerized records. Matt and Savannah.
LAUER: Alright, in Washington, that's Peter Alexander. Peter, thanks.
