The journalists on Good Morning America allowed that "critics" see Hillary Clinton's e-mail controversy as a "national security scandal." However, Martha Raddatz and George Stephanopoulos didn't allow any of these unnamed "critics" on the show. Amy Robach promised, "Her critics calling it a national security scandal. What her e-mails are revealing about her work and family this morning."
Raddatz revealed, "Overnight, those 7,000 pages of e-mails from Clinton's private server released. 125 now deemed classified." She concluded, "Officials now think that some information being discussed over her private e-mail server at the time contains information that certainly should be [classified]."
But even though an ABC graphic noted, "critics calling it a national security scandal," none appeared on GMA. It's not as though they were hard to find. USA Today quoted Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus:
"On hundreds of occasions, Hillary Clinton's reckless attempt to skirt transparency laws put sensitive information and our national security at risk," chairman Reince Priebus said in a statement. "With the FBI continuing to investigate, Hillary Clinton's growing email scandal shows she cannot be trusted with the White House."
However, Raddatz made sure to highlight the light-hearted exchanges in the e-mails:
MARTHA RADDATZ: Many of the other e-mails more mundane but providing insight into the person behind the office, details from her daughter Chelsea about a trip to Haiti, her excitement over an iPad, asking "Do you think you can teach me to use it on the flight to Kiev next week?"
In contrast to ABC, on NBC's Today, Andrea Mitchell included a clip of Dick Cheney attacking Clinton's handling of the e-mails: "I think it was sloppy and unprofessional. That it reflected a lack of understanding about how easy it is for adversaries to tap into communications."
On Monday night, the networks allowed the e-mail scandal is "bedeviling" Clinton's campaign and might cause "headaches."
A transcript of the September 1 GMA segment is below:
GMA
9/1/15
7am teaseAMY ROBACH: Breaking overnight: Thousands of new pages of Hillary Clinton's private messages released. Her critics calling it a national security scandal. What her e-mails are revealing about her work and family this morning.
7:02
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: The race for president. Your voice, your vote. And those Hillary Clinton e-mails released overnight, more than 7,000 pages. The largest release yet from her time as Secretary of State. They've been a thorn in her side throughout the campaign and Martha Raddatz and our team in Washington pored through them all night. A real mix of policy, politics and some personal stuff.
ABC GRAPHIC: Hillary Clinton's Secret E-mails Revealed: Critics Calling It a National Security Scandal
MARTHA RADDATZ: There certainly was, George. The e-mails include thoughts from her daughter Chelsea to her choice of TV shows to the most serious issues confronting Clinton while Secretary of State. Overnight, those 7,000 pages of e-mails from Clinton's private server released. One hundred and twenty five now deemed classified, including details from a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu now heavily redacted. A Clinton aide aware at the time of the sensitivities: "Happy to talk secure at your convenience," he writes. But then adding, "The highlights are as followed." Those details now blanked out. It appears even employees of the State Department's computer help desk were confused by Clinton's use of the private server."They had no idea it was you. Just some random address, so they e-mailed," her aide, Huma Abedin replies to Clinton. Many of the other e-mails more mundane but providing insight into the person behind the office, details from her daughter Chelsea about a trip to Haiti. Her excitement over an iPad, asking "Do you think you can teach me to use it on the flight to Kiev next week?" Disdain for government shutdowns during snow days in the nation's capital. "I guess I will work from home again but think this is silly." Even the need to know when two popular television shows air, "Can you give me times for two TV shows? Parks and Recreation and The Good Wife." So far, only 25 percent of the e-mails have been released. The State Department is aiming to have them all out by January 2016. Clinton has said repeatedly that none of the e-mails she exchanged were marked classified. But clearly, officials now think that some information being discussed over her private e-mail server at the time contains information that certainly should be and there are many more e-mails yet to come. George?
