In an encore performance from Thursday night, ABC spent Sunday morning fretting that Hillary Clinton is not doing enough to stop Donald Trump. “Early on her campaign seemed pretty giddy to be running against Donald Trump, but now some people are worried that she's not fighting back hard enough,” stated Good Morning America co-host Dan Harris. “Are they right to be nervous, do you think?” Harris asked to ABC’s Jon Karl.
“They have a right to be nervous and they are,” explained Karl. He pointed to what he called the “traditional metrics” saying, “Demographics are on her side, Trump has incredibly high negatives, but he is such an unpredictable and mercurial candidate that who knows what's going to happen in this fall campaign.”
ABC reporter Cecilia Vega brought up the popular narrative that Senator Bernie Sanders is hurting Clinton in her fight to keep the White House in Democrat hands. “And John, Devin mentioned that those comments from Dianne Feinstein the California Senator who basically called on Bernie Sanders to drop out,” Vega said, leading into a clip of the Senator saying Sanders should read the writing on the wall and stop.
“So, is she basically saying what the Clinton campaign can't come out and say themselves?” she also asked to Karl. “Absolutely,” Karl exclaimed, “Hillary Clinton's campaign is forced to spend money, a lot of money, six figures, on advertising in the California Democratic primary! That is not where they want to be right now.”
The argument that ‘Clinton is not doing enough to combat Trump’ is now a common sentiment from Clinton’s supporters in the media. It’s ironic because just weeks ago the media was touting her ability to do what Trump’s Republican opponents couldn’t, and that was take him down.
Transcript below:
ABC
Good Morning America
May 29, 2016
8:13:18 PM EasternCECILIA VEGA: And John, Devin mentioned that those comments from Diane Feinstein the California Senator who basically called on Bernie Sanders to drop out. We have that sound, let's take a listen.
DIANNE FEINSTEIN: Able to read the sign posts as well as anybody else. If he did that, he would know that it's all but over.
VEGA: Okay. You were there talking to her. So, is she basically saying what the Clinton campaign can't come out and say themselves?
JON KARL: Absolutely. And Cecelia, you know this as well as anybody, they really fear that Sanders is doing damage to Hillary Clinton. Look what is happening in California. We have the most recent poll that shows the race essentially tied, and suddenly Hillary Clinton's campaign is forced to spend money, a lot of money, six figures, on advertising in the California Democratic primary. That is not where they want to be right now.
DAN HARRIS: She's got a two-front battle right now, Sanders and Trump. And the New York Times has a front page story, this morning, saying Clinton is struggling to find her footing in the race against Trump specifically. Early on her campaign seemed pretty giddy to be running against Donald Trump, but now some people are worried that she's not fighting back hard enough. Are they right to be nervous, do you think?
KARL: They are certainly right to be nervous, Dan. I mean, if you look on all the traditional metrics, you would think Hillary Clinton is the overwhelming front runner in the fall campaign. Demographics are on her side, Trump has incredibly high negatives, but he is such an unpredictable and mercurial candidate that who knows what's going to happen in this fall campaign. They have a right to be nervous and they are.
