Monday on ABC’s Good Morning America, the network continued blasting Republicans and President Trump for the government shutdown while defending Democrats, touting their new poll which showed more Americans blamed the GOP instead of Democrats for the shutdown. However ABC’s credibility is shot on who is to blame for government shutdowns, as they eagerly defended President Obama in 2013 for the government shutdown that happened on his watch.
After a report from David Kerley showing airports being closed due to too many furloughed TSA workers not showing up, anchor George Stephanopoulos touted their new poll with the Washington Post revealing 53% of Americans blamed Republicans or Trump for the shutdown and 29% blamed Democrats. However, their new poll also showed a rising number of Americans, 42%, supported the border wall, a fact that Stephanopoulos downplayed. Instead, he suggested that most Americans wanted the GOP to cave on the border wall:
“Mary, the GOP bearing most of the blame right now but the big question, is it enough to change their approach?” he asked. Congressional correspondent Mary Bruce agreed that “public pressure” may force Republicans “to blink” because they were “concerned that this stalemate is hurting their party.” She continued to blame Trump, instead of Democrats, for being unwilling to compromise:
“No one knows,” she stated, “what the president is willing to sign, where he's willing to compromise, if at all.”
The panel ended the segment by trying to salvage other results from that poll, which revealed only 18% of Americans feel personally impacted by the shutdown. Despite this, the ABC team tried to argue the situation was dire for most Americans. “It's when that public pressure simply becomes too much for lawbreakers to bear, that they finally come up with a solution,” Bruce gushed.
The dramatic takes on shutdowns is nothing new. In 2013, GMA wondered “how federal employees will survive,” in a segment on young federal workers impacted by that shut down, which the network of course blamed entirely on Republicans.
Republicans wanted to repeal and replace ObamaCare and President Obama and Democrats refused to budge or negotiate, much like how now Democrats refuse to negotiate on the wall. But ABC didn’t place any blame on Obama or his party for the stalemate, like they are doing with Trump and Republicans now. In fact, they still blamed Republicans, even going so far as to ignore their own reporter Jon Karl’s question to Obama about negotiating with Republicans to end the shutdown. The network even viciously went after Republicans for taking a stand on ObamaCare.
ABC is not alone in this trend, in fact the networks and media as a whole dumped most of their blame on the right when Obama was in office and continue to do so now with Trump when shutdowns take place.
Read the full transcript below:
ABC's Good Morning America
1/14/18
7:04:26-7:06:24AM EST
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: The center of the shutdown, the battle over a border wall. According to our latest poll, 53% of Americans blame President Trump and Republicans for the stalemate. 29% blame congressional Democrats. But the poll also shows support for the border wall has been rising over the last year. Want to get to our senior national congressional correspondent Mary Bruce. Mary, the GOP bearing most of the blame right now but the big question, is it enough to change their approach?
MARY BRUCE: Yeah and George so far, this public pressure is not making them blink. Look, right now, the two sides are not even talking about talking. Congress was at home this weekend. Law makers back in their districts. While the president was at the white house tweeting. Insisting that he does, quote, have a plan on the shutdown and is ready to sign. But, right now, day 24, no one knows what president is willing to sign. Where he's willing to compromise, if at all. So far, the only proposal he's been discussing is the possibility of declaring a national emergency to go around congress to build his wall.
But, there are some signs that Republicans may be concerned that this stalemate is hurting the party. Lindsey Graham, one of the president's top allies is now suggesting the president temporarily reopen the government just so they have some more time to negotiate.
STEPHANOPOULOS: One of the reasons they haven't had enough pressure perhaps so far is that new poll says 82% of Americans say they have not been inconvenienced. Only 18% say they're personally affected. Of course that could change if we see more reports like we just saw from Victor and David.
BRUCE: Right now, George, the numbers show that lawmakers simply may not be feeling enough pressure yet. That may be coming because while just 18% say they feel personally affected, now, according to our poll, 79% say it would be a serious problem or a crisis if this were to continue. if past shutdowns are any indication, it's when that public pressure simply becomes too much for lawbreakers to bear, that they finally come up with a solution.
STEPHANOPOULOS: We are already in record territory.
CECILIA VEGA: These workers live all over this country. So I think it’s just a matter of time before these lawmakers start feeling this pressure and taking it back to Washington.
