On Thursday, both CBS This Morning and ABC’s Good Morning America framed the release of Clinton campaign e-mails as a “distraction” for the Democratic nominee while continuing to censor some of the worst revelations, including several exchanges in which staffers attacked Catholics. By contrast, NBC’s Today at least mentioned the controversy.
On This Morning, correspondent Nancy Cordes fretted: “Wikileaks says it has 50,000 of John Podesta's e-mails, and if what we’ve seen so far is any indication, the group plans to release another batch of them every day between now and the election. Enough to create a steady stream of embarrassment for the Clinton campaign, which aides argue is exactly what the Russians and Trump want.”
After detailing mild correspondence about “the ego stroking and horse trading involved in courting top donors” and “laying the groundwork” for Clinton’s presidential run, Cordes worried: “The e-mails, which cannot be independently verified by CBS, are a distraction from what would otherwise be a banner week for Clinton.”
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On Good Morning America, correspondent Tom Llamas announced: “The self-proclaimed 'unshackled' Trump sending his base into a feeding frenzy over those hacked e-mails.” The headline on screen throughout the segment declared: “Clinton Camp Faces Its Own Distractions.”
Wrapping up the segment, Llamas sympathized with Clinton’s top campaign aide:
Now back to those Wikileaks: Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta is having a very long week. His e-mails were hacked; and then, this happened — let's put it up on the screen right now — this is a Tweet from his account. It said — quote, 'I've switched teams. Vote Trump 2016.' The Clinton campaign confirming that overnight, John Podesta's Twitter account has also been hacked.
Only NBC’s Today noted the anti-Catholic rhetoric featured in the leaked e-mails, with correspondent Kristen Welker telling viewers:
But Clinton is dealing with her own challenges. Wikileaks releasing 1,700 new hacked e-mails Wednesday. Republicans pointing to one purportedly from Clinton aide Jennifer Palmieri writing about conservative Catholics, “Their rich friends wouldn't understand if they became evangelicals.” That e-mail has not been authenticated by NBC News. House Speaker Paul Ryan blasting the Clinton campaign, saying it's “disdain for the Catholic faith and Christian evangelicals is staggering.”
However, she still left out the nastiest remarks and quickly changed the subject to more friendly ground for the Democrats: “With the FBI saying it believes Russia is responsible for prior hacks, Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta also blaming Russia for hacking his personal e-mail, adding, ‘This level of meddling by a foreign power can only be aimed at boosting Donald Trump and should send chills down the spine of all Americans.’”
Welker’s report was the first mention of the Clinton camp’s Catholic-bashing on the broadcast networks. NBC, ABC, and CBS had all ignored that part of the story through Wednesday.
The networks have remained silent on journalists featured in the e-mails coordinating with the Clinton campaign to provide favorable coverage.
Here are excerpts of the October 13 reports on the CBS and ABC morning shows:
CBS This Morning
7:07 AM ETGAYLE KING: Trump is bashing Clinton over this latest leaks of e-mails apparently stolen from campaign chairman John Podesta. Nancy Cordes is in San Francisco, where Hillary Clinton will attend a fundraiser later today. Nancy, good morning.
NANCY CORDES: Good morning, Gayle. Wikileaks says it has 50,000 of John Podesta's e-mails, and if what we’ve seen so far is any indication, the group plans to release another batch of them every day between now and the election. Enough to create a steady stream of embarrassment for the Clinton campaign, which aides argue is exactly what the Russians and Trump want.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Campaign Emails Exposed; New Leak of Messages From Top Clinton Aide]
As Clinton sampled tacos in Las Vegas, the latest batch of stolen e-mails were giving her opponent something to chew on.
DONALD TRUMP: This Wikileaks stuff is unbelievable.
CORDES: The e-mails that Wikileaks says are from the G-mail account of Clinton campaign chair John Podesta reveal the ego stroking and horse trading involved in courting top donors. In one 2015 e-mail entitled “Needy Latinos,” Podesta urged Clinton to call former Energy Secretary Fedrico Pena, who is “close to committing but carrying some baggage.” And former New Mexico Governor “Bill Richardson notwithstanding the fact that he can be a [blank].”
Another exchange with Obama campaign manager David Plouffe reveals Clinton was laying the groundwork for a possible run far earlier than previously known. In December of 2013, Plouffe agreed to “enlist a small number” of people to draw up a battle plan, but promised his helpers would have “no knowledge of who the project is for of course.” Clinton adviser Cheryl Mills was equally secretive, telling Plouffe, “I have shared that we met with Hillary Clinton and John Podesta and with no others.”
CROWD: Hillary! Hillary! Hillary!
CORDES: The e-mails, which cannot be independently verified by CBS, are a distraction from what would otherwise be a banner week for Clinton.
(...)
GMA
7:06 AM ET(...)
TOM LLAMAS: The self-proclaimed 'unshackled' Trump sending his base into a feeding frenzy over those hacked e-mails.
DONALD TRUMP: The Wikileaks e-mails show that Hillary Clinton's staff even has to give her secret notes on when she needs to smile. Smile, Hillary, smile.(...)
LLAMAS: Now back to those Wikileaks: Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta is having a very long week. His e-mails were hacked; and then, this happened — let's put it up on the screen right now — this is a Tweet from his account. It said — quote, 'I've switched teams. Vote Trump 2016.' The Clinton campaign confirming that overnight, John Podesta's Twitter account has also been hacked.
(...)
