ABC on Friday finally woke up to the scandal engulfing NBC competitor Brian Williams. Good Morning America's David Wright covered the story and gravely intoned, "This controversy threatens to tarnish the reputation of America's number one news anchor." Wright then recounted the false story Williams has been peddling for years, that a RPG struck an Army helicopter he was on in Iraq.
Regarding the man who Williams credited for saving him after being hit by a missile in 2003, Wright mocked his network competitor: "The news anchor took his old war buddy, now retired, to a New York Rangers game."
The ABC journalist explained how military servicemen objected to Williams's tall tales:
WRIGHT: A heartwarming reunion spoiled after NBC posted the story to its Facebook page. "Sorry, dude. I don't remember you being on my aircraft," flight engineer Lance Reynolds wrote in the comments. "I do remember you walking up about an hour after we landed to ask me what had happened. Door gunner Mike O'Keefe even called Brian Williams "a liar."
GMA's reporting was ABC's first, 36 hours after the fact. NBC's Today, despite eight hours of air time on Thursday and Friday, has skipped the story. CBS This Morning covered it on Friday.
In a later GMA segment, co-host George Stephanopoulos talked to HBO comedian John Oliver. When asked if he would touch the scandal, Oliver demurred, "I don't know if we'll look into that because normally we like to wait." The comic suggested they would jump over a gossipy story about Congressman Aaron Schock's Downton Abby-inspired office.
Flashback: “The Worst of Brian Williams: Marking His 10 Years of Liberalism as Anchor of NBC Nightly News”
From the MRC’s 25th anniversary “DisHonors Awards” in 2012: A video compilation of the worst of Brian Williams, a nominee for the “Worst Reporter in the History of Man Award."
A transcript of the February 6 GMA segment is below:
7:12
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: We're going to turn now to that brewing controversy surrounding Brian Williams. The NBA anchor [sic] – the NBC anchor has now apologized after veterans criticized for falsely claiming he was on a helicopter in Iraq hit that was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade. ABC's David Wright is here with that story. Good morning, David.
DAVID WRIGHT: Good morning, George. This controversy threatens to tarnish the reputation of America's number one news anchor. It's a war story Brian Williams has told time and again in various forms, but soldiers who were there say that's not how they remember it, forcing Williams to apologize.
BRIAN WILLIAMS: I made a mistake in recalling the events of 12 years ago.
WRIGHT: On NBC Nightly News, Wednesday, Brian Williams corrected a story he ran last Friday night.
WILLIAMS: I want to apologize. I said I was traveling in an aircraft that was hit by RPG fire. I was instead in a following aircraft.
WRIGHT: That story paid tribute to a soldier whose platoon Williams claimed saved his life at the start of the Iraq war when Williams and his team were embedded with U.S. forces. The news anchor took his old war buddy, now retired, to a New York Rangers game.
ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen, during the Iraq invasion U.S. Army Command Sergeant Major Tim Turpak was responsible for the safety of Brian Williams and his NBC News team after their Chinook helicopter was hit and crippled by enemy fire.
WRIGHT: A heartwarming reunion spoiled after NBC posted the story to its Facebook page. "Sorry, dude. I don't remember you being on my aircraft," flight engineer Lance Reynolds wrote in the comments. "I do remember you walking up about an hour after we landed to ask me what had happened. Door gunner Mike O'Keefe even called Brian Williams "a liar."
TOM BROKAW: Our colleague Brian Williams is back in Kuwait City after a close call in the skies over Iraq.
WRIGHT: In 2003, Williams' initial reports were vague about whether his helicopter was hit. But his Dateline version does have this detail.
WILLIAMS: On the ground, we learned the Chinook ahead of us was almost blown out of the sky.
WRIGHT: Over the years, however, his story has changed. On Alec Baldwin's radio show:
ALEC BALDWIN: Did you think you would die?
WILLIAMS: Briefly. Sure.
WRIGHT: And on David Letterman --
WILLIAMS: Two of our four helicopters were hit by ground fire, including the one I was in.
DAVID LETTERMAN: No kidding!
WILLIAMS: RPG and AK-47.
WRIGHT: There are conflicting accounts by chopper pilots who flew him and his crew. The controversy as been trending for two days. #Brianwilliamsmisremembers. Late night comedians are starting to weigh in too.
CONAN O'BRIEN: Williams said the helicopter part was true, but it was a coin operated helicopter outside of a Chuck E. Cheese.
WRIGHT: NBC News has had no comment beyond Williams's on-air apology for last Friday's piece. On last night's broadcast, no mention at all of the story. Still, a lot of unanswered questions out there and we should note that Stars and Stripes magazine broke this story picking up comments from the NBC Facebook page.
