On Monday, NBC’s Today devoted a full report to Donald Trump and Republican members of Congress criticizing longtime Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin. Fill-in co-host Willie Geist declared: “One of Hillary Clinton's top aides, Huma Abedin, is in the headlines this morning, with Republican lawmakers and Donald Trump taking aim at her position, and in Trump’s case, her marriage.”
In the report that followed, correspondent Kristen Welker touted Abedin as one of “Hillary Clinton's closest confidants” and “a second daughter.” Welker then noted that the campaign adviser “is facing some of the same ethical questions that are plaguing Clinton” and “became the target of an attack usually saved for candidates.”
A soundbite ran of Trump going after Abedin: “So Huma is getting classified secrets. She's married to Anthony Weiner, who’s a perv. I’ve known Anthony Weiner for a long time. I knew before they caught him with the bing, bing, bing, right?”
Welker dutifully provided the Clinton team’s defense: “The Clinton campaign responded angrily, ‘Donald Trump has spent the summer saying offensive things about women, but there is no place for patently false, personal attacks towards a staff member.’”
Moments later, Welker observed that despite Abedin having “largely stayed on the sidelines” during the campaign, “Republican lawmakers and conservative activist groups have demanded documents related to Abedin’s time at the State Department, when she also held a job with an outside private firm, raising questions, they say, about potential conflicts of interest.”
Wrapping up the segment, Welker again cited Clinton talking points: “Now, Clinton campaign officials are defending Abedin's work at the State Department and accusing Republicans of trying to bully her. One official saying the suggestion of wrongdoing is, quote, ‘unfounded and from partisans in Congress with a clear agenda.’”
Welker added: “Now as for Trump, Democrats and Republicans criticized him for attacking Abedin, many noting it is highly unusual for a presidential candidate to go after an adviser.”
On ABC’s Good Morning America, correspondent Jon Karl proclaimed Abedin to be Trump’s “latest target for a personal attack”:
TRUMP: She's married to a guy who obviously is psychologically disturbed. I think it is a very fair statement.
KARL: Trump went on to say allege that Abedin should be considered a security risk if she shared classified Clinton e-mails with her husband. The Clinton camp called Trump's attacks "disgraceful."
On CBS This Morning, correspondent Nancy Cordes asserted that Trump was “still just as tough on Clinton and now on one of her closest aides, Huma Abedin.” A soundbite followed of Trump: “So Huma is getting classified secrets. She’s married to Anthony Weiner who’s a perv. He is, he is. Do you think there’s even a 5% chance she's not telling Anthony Weiner now of a public relations firm, what the hell is coming across?”
Here is a full transcript of Welker’s August 31 report:
7:07 AM ET
WILLIE GEIST: One of Hillary Clinton's top aides, Huma Abedin, is in the headlines this morning, with Republican lawmakers and Donald Trump taking aim at her position, and in Trump’s case, her marriage. NBC’s Kristen Welker has the story. Kristen, good morning.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Clinton Aide Under Fire; Huma Abedin in Spotlight After Trump Jab]
KRISTEN WELKER: Willie, good morning to you. For nearly 20 years, Huma Abedin has been one of Secretary Hillary Clinton's closest confidants. Clinton has even referred to Abedin as a second daughter. But now Abedin is facing some of the same ethical questions that are plaguing Clinton and Donald Trump is trying to capitalize on all of it.
She's a fixture by Hillary Clinton's side and also a high-profile political mind, top aide Huma Abedin. But over the weekend, Abedin became the target of an attack usually saved for candidates. Donald Trump taking aim.
DONALD TRUMP: So Huma is getting classified secrets. She's married to Anthony Weiner, who’s a perv. I’ve known Anthony Weiner for a long time. I knew before they caught him with the bing, bing, bing, right?
WELKER: The Clinton campaign responded angrily, “Donald Trump has spent the summer saying offensive things about women, but there is no place for patently false, personal attacks towards a staff member.”
Trump's comments were a reference to Abedin’s husband, former Congressman Anthony Wiener, who resigned from Congress in 2011 amid a sexting scandal, which resurfaced when he unsuccessfully ran for mayor two years later. Abedin defending him.
HUMA ABEDIN: But this is the first time I’ve spoken at a press conference and you’ll have to bear with me because I'm very nervous.
WELKER: Since then, Abedin has largely stayed on the sidelines, but recently, Republican lawmakers and conservative activist groups have demanded documents related to Abedin’s time at the State Department, when she also held a job with an outside private firm, raising questions, they say, about potential conflicts of interest. All that, fodder for Trump.
TRUMP: It's coming through Huma, she’s got a lot of stuff, a lot of information.
WELKER: For Clinton, it's one more ongoing political challenge.
ANNE GEARAN [WASHINGTON POST]: What we’ve seen over the last several weeks is really a perfect storm of bad news. Yes, for Clinton, but also for Huma.
WELKER: Now, Clinton campaign officials are defending Abedin's work at the State Department and accusing Republicans of trying to bully her. One official saying the suggestion of wrongdoing is, quote, “unfounded and from partisans in Congress with a clear agenda.”
Now as for Trump, Democrats and Republicans criticized him for attacking Abedin, many noting it is highly unusual for a presidential candidate to go after an adviser. Willie, Savannah, back to you.
GEIST: As you said, Kristen, few people closer to Hillary Clinton than Huma Abedin. Kristen Welker in Washington, thanks.
