On Monday, CBS This Morning was the only network morning show to cover Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) receiving blowback for her “controversial sound” depicting Native Americans at a Democratic event over the weekent.
Co-host Gayle King highlighted how Sanchez is now “apologizing for what some call racist remarks” after being caught on camera at a Democratic convention over the weekend making the noise. ABC’s Good Morning America and NBC’s Today ignored Sanchez’s “racist remarks” altogether during their Monday morning broadcasts.
CBS This Morning did identify Sanchez as a Democrat and then played the "controversial sound” twice throughout the show. King noted that “[t]he Senatorial candidate infuriated fellow Democrats this weekend at a convention making the sounds to symbolize Native Americans. After the event, she literally ran away from a reporter seeking a comment.”
The CBS anchor then played a video of Sanchez sprinting away from a local California reporter who tried to confront the Democrat over her remarks. King then explained “Sanchez apologized yesterday. She calls herself a champion of civil rights with Native American blood in her mother's family.”
While CBS was the only “Big Three” network to cover Sanchez’s “controversial sound” on Monday, in the past the networks buried controversial remarks directed towards minorities by another prominent Democrat. In 2006, then-Senator Joe Biden smeared Indian Americans as mostly working at the convenience store 7-11 and at the time all three networks ignored his comments altogether.
See relevant transcript below.
CBS This Morning
May 18, 2015
[Tease]
NORAH O’DONNELL: Plus a congresswoman’s controversial sound.
LORETTA SANCHEZ: I’m going to his office thinking I’m going to meet with [makes offensive Native American sound] right?
O’DONNELL: How she's answering critics accusing her of racism.
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GAYLE KING: The Los Angeles Times says California Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez is apologizing for what some call racist marks.
LORETTA SANCHEZ: He says I come from, I represent the Indian-American community. I’m going to his office thinking I’m going to meet with [makes offensive Native American sound] right?
KING: The Senatorial candidate infuriated fellow Democrats this weekend at a convention making the sounds to symbolize Native Americans. After the event, she literally ran away from a reporter seeking a comment.
UNKNOWN REPORTER: Ms. Sanchez, you made a gesture that some people consider that gesture you made as offensive. Do you feel like you took that back?
KING: I don’t think she ever answered that question. Sanchez apologized yesterday. She calls herself a champion of civil rights with Native American blood in her mother's family.
