In the first major network news program since 2016 GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump sparred with liberal Fusion/Univision anchor Jorge Ramos at a press conference on the subject of illegal immigration, ABC’s Nightline was there to circle the wagons for their Disney partner and “America’s best known Latino anchorman.”
Following three teases, the early Wednesday morning program concluded with host Dan Harris commenting that “just when you think Donald Trump can't come up with a fresh way to keep himself in the headlines, he's done it again” with “a remarkable confrontation on camera with perhaps America’s best known Latino anchorman, our colleague from Univision and Fusion, Jorge Ramos.”
Correspondent and Sunday World News Tonight anchor Tom Llamas reported from the site of the presser (and subsequent campaign rally) to declare that “a prestigious Hispanic journalist” in Ramos’ name is now worth being added “to the list of people clashing with Donald Trump on the campaign trail.”
Llamas hyped how Trump “tangl[ed] with Jorge Ramos” while the Fusion/Univision anchor “repeatedly interrupted the presidential hopeful” (which is putting it mildly).
After explaining that Ramos was briefly removed from the press conference by a Trump security guard before being allowed back in, Llamas was able to speak with Ramos, who was beaming with pride that he “had to go back and ask questions” since: “That's – that’s my job. As a reporter, as an immigrant, a U.S. citizen, I have the right to ask any questions to anyone.”
Ramos then added in another soundbite to the Sunday World News Tonight anchor that “[t]his is the first time I've been escorted out of any press conference or any interview” while Llamas passed along a statement from Univision news chief Issac Lee: “Univision's news chief responding tonight, ‘we'd love for Mr. Trump to sit down for an in-depth interview to talk with Jorge about the specifics of his proposals.’”
At the conclusion of his story, the ABC News correspondent (who readers may remember becomes incensed anytime someone uses the term “anchor baby”) told viewers to “[s]tay tuned as the Trump campaign rolls on, so does the action.”
Such a mention of the 2016 election on the futile (but formerly significant) newsmagazine is the second such invocation in the past week as August 19's program the campaign come up, but only in the context of Trump dissing supermodel Heidi Klum.
As the Media Research Center’s Scott Whitlock and others have chronicled over the past few years, the topics covered on Nightline never cease to amaze (or disappoint, depending on your taste in programming) with just a few examples available here, here, here, and here.
The relevant portions of the transcript from ABC’s Nightline on August 26 can be found below.
ABC’s Nightline
August 26, 2015
1:03 a.m. Eastern
DAN HARRIS: Finally, tonight, just when you think Donald Trump can't come up with a fresh way to keep himself in the headlines, he's done it again. Just hours ago, a remarkable confrontation on camera with perhaps America’s best known Latino anchorman, our colleague from Univision and Fusion, Jorge Ramos, and ABC’s Tom Llamas was right there.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE CAPTION: “You’re Fired”]
TRUMP: Excuse me, sit down. You weren't called. Sit down. Sit down. Sit down.
TOM LLAMAS: Add a prestigious Hispanic journalist to the list of people clashing with Donald Trump on the campaign trail.
TRUMP: Go back to Univision.
LLAMAS: Trump tangling with Jorge Ramos, as the anchor of Univision and Fusion, a cable network co-owned by our parent company Disney, repeatedly interrupted the presidential hopeful.
RAMOS: You cannot deny citizenship to children in this country –
TRUMP: Sit down, please. You weren't called.
LLAMAS: A security guard removes Ramos from the room. Trump defending himself.
TRUMP: He started screaming and I didn't escort him out.
LLAMAS: But then, allowing Ramos back.
RAMOS [TO LLAMAS]: I had to go back and ask questions. That's – that’s my job. As a reporter, as an immigrant, a U.S. citizen, I have the right to ask any questions to anyone.
(....)
RAMOS [TO LLAMAS]: This is the first time I've been escorted out of any press conference or any interview.
LLAMAS: Univision's news chief responding tonight, “we'd love for Mr. Trump to sit down for an in-depth interview to talk with Jorge about the specifics of his proposals.”
TRUMP: Okay, thank you, thank you.
LLAMAS: This scrap, just the latest in a media offensive. Trump repeatedly attacking Megyn Kelly after this question during the GOP debate:
MEGYN KELLY [TO TRUMP] [in GOP debate, 08/06/15]: You've called women you don't like “fat pigs,” “dogs,” “slobs,” and “disgusting animals.”
LLAMAS: As the Fox News anchor returned from vacation last night...Trump firing off a series of late-night tweets Monday: “@megynkelly must have had a terrible vacation. She is really off her game” and “I like the Kelly File much better without @megynkelly.” Today, Fox News chairman Roger Ailes calling Trump’s “surprise and unprovoked attack...as unacceptable as it is disturbing.” Stay tuned as the Trump campaign rolls on, so does the action.
