Following Monday night’s presidential debate, Republican vice presidential nominee Mike Pence visited all three network morning shows on Tuesday and was repeatedly hammered by hosts over Donald Trump’s debate performance. Hostile questions accusing Trump of everything from lying to tax evasion were hurled at the Indiana governor.
On NBC’s Today, co-host Matt Lauer declared: “Just my opinion, Governor, but I thought Donald Trump struggled mightily on the birther question....he had some unusual answer about he had accomplished his goal of getting Obama to release the birth certificate....Can you explain that? Because he didn't.”
Pence pointed out: “Matt, I think, you know, the people that persisted with this in this presidential campaign was really the media.” Lauer cut him off: “No, he was involved as well with innuendo and questions.” Moments later, fellow co-host Savannah Guthrie also interrupted: “But, Governor, he had multiple opportunities to put it to rest and declined....Multiple opportunities.”
In another slanted question, Guthrie accused Trump of lying:
Let’s talk about another issue. Last night, Hillary Clinton said Donald Trump thinks that climate change is a hoax perpetrated by the Chinese. Mr. Trump responded, “I did not, I did not, I do not say that.” In point of fact, if you look on Twitter this morning, you will see a tweet from Donald Trump that states, “The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive.” Was that not true? Did he tell a lie last night?
<<< Please consider helping NewsBusters financially with your tax-deductible contribution today >>>
<<< Thank you for your support! >>>
Wrapping up the contentious exchange, Lauer noted that Trump “didn't do something...that he’s done during the campaign, and that was bring up the marital problems of the Clintons....Seemed proud of himself for that restraint.” The reporter urged that “restraint” continue: “Would you agree with that strategy? Do you not want your running mate to go there anymore?”
On Monday, Guthrie demanded Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway advise the Republican candidate “don’t go there” on Bill Clinton’s sex scandals.
On ABC’s Good Morning America, Pence sat down for an interview with co-host George Stephanopoulos just moments after Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine appeared on the program. Stephanopoulos proceeded to ask Pence to respond to Kaine’s anti-Trump attack lines:
> You heard Senator Kaine right there, he said Donald Trump was on the ropes and out of gas, rattled, telling whoppers. Your take on the debate?
> How about that other point that Senator Kaine was just making right there, this whole birther issue, he called it a bigoted lie. And Mr. Trump was asked last night why he continued to raise questions about the president's birthplace right up until a couple of weeks ago yet didn't answer. What is the answer to that question? Why did he keep on raising the questions?
In his final question, Stephanopoulos did actually question the fairness of the debate: “Was Lester Holt fair and will Mr. Trump actually go through with the next two debates?” Pence replied: “I was disappointed that Lester did not get into some of the issues that have been so much in the forefront of Hillary Clinton's candidacy and an FBI investigation that Clinton Foundation pay to play, that whole disastrous events that took place in Benghazi and Libya. That never came up.”
On CBS This Morning, co-host Gayle King suggested Trump was a tax dodger: “Governor, one of the things he says was he was really getting hammered by Hillary Clinton, as we showed in that clip about taxes and releasing – not releasing his tax returns, and he said, “Well, that makes me smart.” To the question about not paying taxes. Did he confirm last night that he does not pay taxes?...It appeared that way.”
After Pence dismissed the unfounded accusation, King refused to move on: “...just a second, I don't want to get off the tax question for a second. Why would you want voters to think that you don't pay taxes? Why would you want to leave that impression in any way, shape or form?”
Near the end of the segment, fellow co-host Charlie Rose made sure to press Pence on the birther issue: “But he also spent a lot of time talking about the birther issue and lots of other issues that have gotten him into trouble in the past. And was he persistent about that because he wanted to get those – that birth certificate released, or because he thought it had political impact?”
Pence took the media to task for hyping the topic: “Well, Charlie, to be honest with you, I mean, the media over the last several years has continued to bring up that issue and Donald Trump put it to a rest a couple of weeks ago once and for all.” He then repeated his criticism of Holt as moderator: “I will tell you, though, while issues like that came up from the moderator, and other issues, it is really remarkable to many of us that things like Benghazi, the Clinton Foundation, the e-mails, the FBI didn’t come up at all.”
As soon as Pence started to mention all of Clinton’s scandals, it was conveniently time to go to commercial. King interrupted: “You’ve had the last word.” Rose explained: “They’re giving us signals that we’ve got to go.”
While Pence was interrogated on the morning shows, his Democratic counterpart Tim Kaine was treated to nothing but softballs.
Here are transcripts of the questions to Pence on NBC, ABC, and CBS:
Today
7:34 AM ET
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: We're joined now by Indiana Governor Mike Pence, Donald Trump's vice-presidential running mate. Governor, good morning, nice to have you with us....So you saw the debate last night, you were in the hall. Was this Donald Trump at his best or do you feel there’s room for improvement?
(...)
MATT LAUER: Just my opinion, Governor, but I thought Donald Trump struggled mightily on the birther question. He was asked what happened last week that made him step away from that whole question and declare once and for all that Barack Obama was born in this country and he had some unusual answer about he had accomplished his goal of getting Obama to release the birth certificate. But that came five years ago and he persisted with this birther question. Can you explain that? Because he didn't.
MIKE PENCE: Well, Matt, I – yeah, Matt, I think, you know, the people that persisted with this in this presidential campaign was really the media.
LAUER: No, he was involved as well with innuendo and questions.
(...)
GUTHRIE: But, Governor, he had multiple opportunities to put it to rest and declined.
LAUER: Waited five years.
GUTHRIE: Multiple opportunities.
(...)
GUTHRIE: Let’s talk about another issue. Last night, Hillary Clinton said Donald Trump thinks that climate change is a hoax perpetrated by the Chinese. Mr. Trump responded, “I did not, I did not, I do not say that.” In point of fact, if you look on Twitter this morning, you will see a tweet from Donald Trump that states, “The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive.” Was that not true? Did he tell a lie last night?
PENCE: No. Look, what he said was a – and that, by the way, was a flippant and joking comment on Twitter.GUTHRIE: I have to tell you, if you look on Twitter, there are probably at least six occasions where he calls climate change a hoax. This isn't a one-off.
(...)LAUER: He didn't do something, Governor, last night, that he’s done during the campaign, and that was bring up the marital problems of the Clintons. He said afterwards, “Chelsea was in the room, I didn't think it was appropriate.” Seemed proud of himself for that restraint. You have to imagine Chelsea will be in the room for the next several debates. Would you agree with that strategy? Do you not want your running mate to go there anymore?...But in fairness, he hasn’t shown that restraint on the campaign trail on that subject.
(...)
GUTHRIE: Governor Pence, thank you for getting up early with us and being here. We appreciate your time, sir.
GMA
7:15 AM ET
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: You heard Senator Kaine right there, he said Donald Trump was on the ropes and out of gas, rattled, telling whoppers. Your take on the debate?
(...)
STEPHANOPOULOS: He did make the case for change last night. How did that other point that Senator Kaine was just making right there, this whole birther issue, he called it a bigoted lie and Mr. Trump was asked last night why he continued to raise questions about the president's birthplace right up until a couple of weeks ago yet didn't answer. What is the answer to that question? Why did he keep on raising the questions?
MIKE PENCE: I think, frankly, the media kept on raises it in this campaign, George. Donald Trump has been focused --
STEPHANOPOULOS: He was the one that refused to put it to bed.
(...)
STEPHANOPOULOS: He did press hard on trade. You know, coming out of the debate last night one of his top advisers Rudy Giuliani says Trump should get guarantees from the moderators before agreeing to another debate. Do you think that’s necessary? Was Lester Holt fair and will Mr. Trump actually go through with the next two debates?
PENCE: You know, I was disappointed that Lester did not get into some of the issues that have been so much in the forefront of Hillary Clinton's candidacy and an FBI investigation that Clinton Foundation pay to play, that whole disastrous events that took place in Benghazi and Libya. That never came up. We saw other issues, but, look, what impressed me the most about last night was that Donald Trump took command of the stage and I think the American people saw his leadership qualities and I think that's why you're going to continue to see momentum grow in this campaign.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Governor Pence, I'm afraid we're out of time. To ginger
CBS This Morning
8:04 AM ET
CHARLIE ROSE: With us now is Indiana Governor Mike Pence, the Republican nominee for vice president. Welcome....Do you agree with the idea that he was better at the beginning but as the debate wore on, it was less good for him?
(...)
GAYLE KING: Governor, one of the things he says was he was really getting hammered by Hillary Clinton, as we showed in that clip about taxes and releasing – not releasing his tax returns, and he said, “Well, that makes me smart.” To the question about not paying taxes. Did he confirm last night that he does not pay taxes?
MIKE PENCE: Oh, no. Gosh, no.KING: It appeared that way.
(...)
KING: But why would you want voters to think of – just a second, I don't want to get off the tax question for a second. Why would you want voters to think that you don't pay taxes? Why would you want to leave that impression in any way, shape or form?
(...)
O’DONNELL: We talked about, earlier on this show, suburban women, which had traditionally voted for Republicans in the past. The current polling shows that they're favoring Hillary Clinton. There was a moment at the end of the debate last night which Hillary Clinton really seemed to goad and got at Donald Trump's past statements. I want to play that and get your reaction....He doubled down, he said Rosie O'Donnell, she deserves it. But what did you make of that exchange?
(...)
O’DONNELL: Restraint because he said he wanted to bring up – what do you mean restraint? Because he said he wanted to bring something up about the Clintons' past?
(...)
O’DONNELL: Did – you were with Donald Trump most of – did he have a cold?...Gayle and I didn’t notice it either, but people were picking up that he had a sniffle.
(...)
ROSE: But he also spent a lot of time talking about the birther issue and lots of other issues that have gotten him into trouble in the past. And was he persistent about that because he wanted to get those – that birth certificate released, or because he thought it had political impact?
MIKE PENCE: Well, Charlie, to be honest with you, I mean, the media over the last several years has continued to bring up that issue and Donald Trump put it to a rest a couple of weeks ago once and for all....I will tell you, though, while issues like that came up from the moderator, and other issues, it is really remarkable to many of us that things like Benghazi, the Clinton Foundation, the e-mails, the FBI didn’t come up at all.
KING: You’ve had the last word.
ROSE: They’re giving us signals that we’ve got to go.
