The increasingly vapid Nightline on Tuesday night actually covered the ongoing 2016 presidential race, but only because Donald Trump is feuding with a supermodel. This is just the show's second story on the election in the last month. Byron Pitts sarcastically opened the show by announcing, "Famously beautiful person Donald Trump says Heidi Klum at 42 is no longer a perfect ten."
Sounding like a clickbait headline, he added, "The super model's hilarious response tonight as she joins the growing list of women insulted by the Republican presidential candidate front-runner."
Rather than offer a segment on the 2016 candidates or their position on the issues, Pitts featured Trump rating movie stars Scarlett Johansson and Jennifer Lawrence: "I think they're both fine. Jennifer has a little skin problem, a little rough with the skin tone. Polka dots all over the place."
ABC's last story on the presidential election occurred back on August 6. The program still hasn't covered the Planned Parenthood scandal involving graphic, hidden videos and the possible sale of body parts.
Instead, in July, Nightline journalists covered the phenomenon of "cat poo coffee" and the Bachlorette being "unapologetic about her sexuality." Not the most important topics.
In 2014, over a 400 day stretch, the show offered no coverage of the IRS scandal. Nightline hasn't reported on ObamaCare since November 14, 2013. Instead, the program hyped "bootleg butt injections."
A transcript of the August 19 Nightline Trump segment:
12:37 tease
BYRON PITTS: Famously beautiful person Donald Trump says Heidi Klum at 42 is no longer a perfect ten. The super model's hilarious response tonight as she joins the growing list of women insulted by the Republican presidential candidate front-runner.
1:03am ET
PITTS: And finally, tonight, Heidi Klum is an instantly recognizable, internationally famous supermodel. But if there's one thing Donald Trump feels he's an expert on, it's beautiful women. and he seems to think she's past her prime. Luckily, turns out Heidi's sense of humor is as good as her looks. As the old adage goes, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. But Donald Trump's comments about Heidi Klum have a few people scratching their heads.
DONALD TRUMP [out on the campaign trail]: You are beautiful. Look at this guy.
PITTS: The presidential hopeful was quoted in the New York Times as saying of the super model, "Sadly, she's no longer a ten." Klum responding, letting this video she posted to her Instagram do the talking, adding, #Ihadagoodrun and #HeidiTrumpsTrump, telling E-News –
HEIDI KLUM: I never thought about or worried about what people think and I still, I still don't, really.
PITTS: Klum's not the only woman who's had her looks evaluated by Trump. He was unimpressed by Jennifer Lopez and Kim Kardashian, saying, "I would pass on them both." and calling Kardashian's south side too big, declaring, "In the old days, they'd say she's got a bad body." On the Howard Stern Show, Trump sounded off on Jennifer Lawrence as well.
HOWARD STERN: Who is more beautiful, Scarlett Johansson or Jennifer Lawrence?
TRUMP: You know, I think they're both fine. Jennifer has a little skin problem, a little rough with the skin tone. Polka dots all over the place.
CHILDREN YELLING: Trump!
PITTS: Even with all the criticism of the women's looks, the Donald remains pretty popular in the polls.DONALD TRUMP: Make America great again! Make America great again!
PITTS: More female Republican voters support him for the GOP presidential nomination than any other candidate. In this debate over beauty, it was the late American poet and Pulitzer prizewinner, Edna St. Vincent Millay who said, "Beauty is whatever gives joy."
