Good Morning America’s Tom Llamas on Tuesday happily touted Hillary Clinton’s mocking impression of Donald Trump. The ABC journalist, who has had verbal alterations with the businessman, also spun a rally in Texas as highly controversial, opining, “Trump's tough stance on immigration making him popular and infamous at the same time here.”
After playing a clip of Trump lobbying to build a wall between America and Mexico, the reporter cheered, “His words providing ammunition and even entertainment value to Hillary Clinton.” The Democratic candidate offered this impression of Trump: “When I get there, peace will be breaking out everywhere! Prosperity will be raining down upon you!"
Llamas complimented, “Not a bad impersonation. Maybe Secretary Clinton has been working on that.”
On August 20, while supposedly offering a question, Llamas yelled at Trump for using the phrase anchor babies: “That’s an offensive term! People find that hurtful!... Look it up in the dictionary. It’s offensive!”
On August 21, as though he were some sort of neutral third party observer, the reporter covered the furor he helped create: “Now, both Trump and Bush are facing tough questions about the term anchor babies used to try American-born children of undocumented immigrants, implying parents have children to anchor themselves in the U.S. so they're not deported.”
A transcript of the September 15 GMA segment is below:
7:08
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: The race for President now. Your voice, your vote. And that huge Texas rally for Donald Trump, thousands at an arena in Dallas last night, sparking a tense clash outside over Trump's controversial immigration policy. All a warm-up for the next big debate tomorrow night. ABC’s Tom Llamas on the scene in Dallas. Good morning, Tom.
TOM LLAMAS: Good morning to you. Just behind me, this is where the Mavericks play, 20,000 people and all the cheers last night were for Donald Trump last night of the tickets were sold out. Not every seat was filled. There were some empty pockets, but still a massive crowd and for the first time something we haven't seen this cycle yet an anti-Trump movement showing its teeth after the event.
WOMAN TO COP: What is your badge number, sir?
LLAMAS: Overnight an ugly scene outside Donald Trump's rally in Texas.
MAN: Build that wall! You’re going to pay for it!
LLAMAS: Trump supporters clashing with protesters.
[Bleeped out profanities.]
WOMAN: And all his voters here, they’re disrespecting us, calling us illegal. “Go back home.”
LLAMAS: Mounted police moving in to disperse the crowd.
DONALD TRUMP: Thank you, man. How are you?
LLAMAS: The tension started earlier as Trump took the stage in front of a massive crowd inside. Outside, up to a thousand protesters to the Trump rally. But the Republican front-runner, unfazed.
TRUMP: I have tremendous energy, tremendous to a point where it's almost ridiculous.
LLAMAS: His Dallas event, his first stop in a big city where Hispanics make up nearly half the population. Trump’s tough stance on immigration making him popular and infamous at the same time here.
TRUMP: You have to build a wall. And a wall works. I want them to come in. I want to have a big beautiful door. But they have to be legal.
LLAMAS: His words providing ammunition and even entertainment value to Hillary Clinton.
HILLARY CLINTON: You know, I kind of wish I had that same sort of mentality like, “Oh, listen, I don't need to tell you anything. When I get there, peace will be breaking out everywhere. Prosperity will be raining down upon you. We will have the new age!”
LLAMAS: Not a bad impersonation. Maybe Secretary Clinton has been working on that. I got a chance to speak with Donald Trump yesterday, briefly, as he was shaking hands. I asked, are you preparing? He said, “this is preparing.” George.
