Almost a week since the 2016 election and ABC’s World News Tonight spent an over three minute segment Monday night seemingly mourning for Hillary Clinton’s defeat at the hands of Donald Trump. “Acknowledging the pain and placing a good deal of the blame, she says, on the FBI director,” reported ABC Anchor David Muir of Clinton’s weekend call to supporters and donors, “[James Comey] brought the e-mails back into sharp focus, just 11 days before the election, then two days before the election, revealing they found nothing.”
“Late today, Hillary Clinton calling her Democratic allies in congress, telling them not to be discouraged or divided in the wake of Donald Trump's win,” a defeated sounding Cecilia Vega stated, “Clinton also reached out to top donors this weekend, telling them she is ‘heartbroken.’” Vega went on to parrot Clinton saying the FBI director killed the campaign’s momentum and said he helped to fuel Trump’s campaign.
Vega put the left’s frustration with the election on full display saying:
A loss made even more painful by the growing popular vote tally. Clinton winning by nearly 700,000 votes and counting. But unlike those coveted working class voters that helped propel her into the U.S. Senate, this time, Clinton failed to win them over…
In the end, she lost three key rust belt states. Her path to the White House derailed there by a combined 107,000 votes.
The ABC reporter played Saturday Night Live’s tearful opening skit dedicated to Clinton and her message. “An emotional Kate McKinnon playing Clinton one last time… SNL saying good-bye with this musical tribute,” Vega emotionally noted, as if Clinton had passed way.
Muir sounded desperate to know what else Clinton announced during the phone call, imploring Vega, “Did she give any clues about what her next steps might be? Is she done with politics?” “Well, David, interestingly enough, the one thing that seems to not be coming up in any of the calls to allies is what comes next. She's just not talking about it,” Vega responded.
World News Tonight and Vega, who was on the campaign trail with Clinton, often reported on the Democratic candidate in overly glowing terms. And frequently glorifyed the speeches delivered by Clinton’s surrogates, such as Michelle Obama, when there was much more serious news to inform the public of.
Transcript below:
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ABC
World News Tonight
November 14, 2016
6:38:31 PM Eastern [3 Minutes 24 Seconds]DAVID MUIR: Also late today, Hillary Clinton and her phone call with members of congress on Capitol Hill. After another phone call with supporters and donors this weekend. Acknowledging the pain and placing a good deal of the blame, she says, on the FBI director. He brought the e-mails back into sharp focus, just 11 days before the election, then two days before the election, revealing they found nothing. Here's ABC's Cecilia Vega.
[Cuts to video]
CECILIA VEGA: Late today, Hillary Clinton calling her Democratic allies in congress, telling them not to be discouraged or divided in the wake of Donald Trump's win. It is the opposite of a victory lap. Clinton also reached out to top donors this weekend, telling them she is “heartbroken.” And blaming her loss in large part on that renewed FBI investigation into her e-mails just 11 days before the election. Saying director James Comey “stopped their momentum.” Clinton said his letter just two days before the election clearing her actually fueled votes for Trump and is what really hurt them in the end.
A loss made even more painful by the growing popular vote tally. Clinton winning by nearly 700,000 votes and counting. But unlike those coveted working class voters that helped propel her into the U.S. Senate, this time, Clinton failed to win them over. Today, President Obama hinting at where Hillary Clinton might have fallen short.
BARACK OBAMA: I won Iowa not because the demographics dictated that I would win Iowa. It was because I spent 87 days going to every small town and fair and fish fry and VFW hall. And there were some counties where I might have lost but maybe I lost by 20 points instead of 50 points.
VEGA: In the end, she lost three key rust belt states. Her path to the White House derailed there by a combined 107,000 votes. Her old rival Bernie Sanders today.
BERNIE SANDERS: I like Hillary Clinton. But I think it is fair to say that the working class of this country did not believe that she was prepared to stand up and fight for them.
VEGA: And in concession, Clinton herself acknowledging the nation's deep divisions.
HILLARY CLINTON: We have seen that our nation is more deeply divided than we thought. But I still believe in America, and I always will.
KATE MCKINNON: … forth, the fifth, the minor fall
VEGA: An emotional Kate McKinnon playing Clinton one last time—
MCKINNON: The baffled king composing hallelujah
VEGA: SNL saying good-bye with this musical tribute.
MCKINNON: Hallelujah. I'm not giving up, and neither should you. And live from New York, it's Saturday night.
[Cuts back to live]
MUIR: Millions, of course, watching SNL over the weekend. Cecilia Vega joins us live tonight. Do we know anything else about what Secretary Clinton revealed in those calls, and did she give any clues about what her next steps might be? Is she done with politics?
VEGA: Well, David, interestingly enough, the one thing that seems to not be coming up in any of the calls to allies is what comes next. She's just not talking about it. But today, she told Democrats on Capitol Hill, quote, “We have to understand what happened in this election.” David?
MUIR: Cecilia Vega with us again tonight. Cecilia, thank you.
