Clinton donor and Good Morning America co-host George Stephanopoulos on Wednesday touted Hillary Clinton's campaign assessment that Tuesday’s debate was the “best" ever. Stephanopoulos opened the show by cheering, “Democrats took over Las Vegas last night and after their first debate, here was the scene at Hillary's party.”
He then played a clip of a crowd simply chanting, “Hillary! Hillary! Hillary! Hillary! Hillary!” Uncritically repeating, the journalist parroted, “Good reviews coming in for the Democratic front-runner. Her team called it the best day of the campaign.”
Reporter Cecilia Vega used the same talking points, marveling, “What a night.... Hillary's team calling this the best day of the campaign so far.”
Repeating more campaign propaganda, Vega highlighted:
CECILIA VEGA: I want to show you this too, Bill Clinton tweeting out this picture of him watching the debate on TV. He wasn't inside that debate hall. George, he said that he is proud of Hillary Clinton and her performance last night showed that she could be president.
This was too much even for Stephanopoulos. He pointed out, "I think you'd expect him to say that."
In April, Vega praised Clinton’s avoidance of journalists as a “stealthy,” “mystery tour.” She also enthused that the Democrat is working to win voters “one handshake, one chai at a time.”
In May, it was revealed that Stephanopoulos donated $75,000 to the Clinton foundation.
A transcript of the October 14 segment is below:
7:01
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Democrats took over Las Vegas last night and after their first debate, here was the scene at Hillary's party.
CROWD: Hillary! Hillary! Hillary! Hillary! Hillary!
STEPHANOPOULOS: Good reviews coming in for the Democratic front-runner. Her team called it the best day of the campaign.
ROBIN ROBERTS: Bernie Sanders also very happy this morning. Hillary's main rival won the night on social media. The most mentioned candidate on Facebook and Twitter and take a look at this: He picked up the most followers on Twitter. Hillary was a distant second but you know who picked up the most? Donald Trump. He had 60,000 new followers.
AMY ROBACH: Why is that not shocking?
STEPHANOPOULOS: He'll be here in a second.
ROBERTS: He will here in a second. Our political team is going to break it down for us and begin with ABC's Cecilia Vega who was there for all of the action in Las Vegas. Good morning, Cecilia.
CECILIA VEGA: Robin, what a night. Good morning to you, George said it, Hillary's team calling this the best day of the campaign so far. Bernie Sanders broke fund-raising records. Those predictions that last night would be boring, they certainly fell short.
ANDERSON COOPER: Please welcome the Democratic candidates for president of the United States.
VEGA: There were five candidates but this was the Hillary versus Bernie show.
COOPER: Secretary Clinton, is Bernie Sanders tough enough on guns?
HILLARY CLINTON: No, not at all.
BERNIE SANDERS: But I can tell Secretary Clinton that all the shouting in the world is not going to do what I hope of us I hope want, that is, keep guns out of the hands of people that should not have those guns and end this horrible violence that we are seeing.
VEGA: Hillary Clinton center stage but when it came to being on the hot seat over those e-mails —
COOPER: With all due respect it's a little hard — I mean, isn't it hard for you to call this a partisan issue.
CLINTON: I’ll answer their questions, but tonight I want to talk not about my e-mails, but about what the American people want from the next president of the United States.
COOPER: Senator Sanders.
VEGA: Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, the opponent chipping away at her lead, coming to her defense.
SANDERS: Let me say something that may not be great politics, but I think the Secretary is right. And that is that the American people are sick and tired of hearing about your damn e-mails.
CLINTON: Thank you. Me too. Me too. Thank you, Bernie. Thank you.
VEGA: Clinton tried to hold on to her front-runner status defending herself against accusations of flip-flopping on trade and immigration.
CLINTON: So I'm not taking a backseat to anybody on my values, my principles, and the results that I get.
VEGA: Sanders trying to convince America that a self-described socialist can win the White House.
CLINTON: I'm a Progressive but I'm a Progressive who likes to get things done.
SANDERS: So we're going to explain what democratic socialism is and what democratic socialism is about is saying that it is immoral and wrong that the top one tenth of one percent in this country own almost 90 percent.
VEGA: Jim Webb, Lincoln Chafee and Martin O’Malley on that stage too.
JIM WEBB: I would say this: I've been waiting for ten minutes.
VEGA: Just waiting, hoping, trying to get noticed.
CLINTON: First of all —
WEBB: Can I join this discussion at some point?
COOPER: Yes, you'll be coming in next, but she was directly quoted. So, —
WEBB: Thank you. I've been standing over here for about ten minutes trying.
VEGA: But getting a jump on the front-runners proving to be tough, no matter the topic.
LINCOLN CHAFEE: So, any time someone is running to be our leader and a world leader, which the American president is credibility is an issue. Out there with the world and we have repair work to be done. I think we need someone that has the best in ethical standards as our next president. That's how I feel.
COOPER: Secretary Clinton, do you want to respond?
CLINTON: No.
COOPER: Governor.
VEGA: Yeah, she just said no. But the most buzzworthy moment online last night was Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders actually agreeing about the most controversial issue in this entire campaign, those e-mails. But take a look at this. I want to show you this too, Bill Clinton tweeting out this picture of him watching the debate on TV. He wasn't inside that debate hall. George, he said that he is proud of Hillary Clinton and her performance last night showed that she could be president.
STEPHANOPOULOS: I think you'd expect him to say that. Okay, Cecilia, thanks very much.
