On Wednesday night, Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd appeared on NBC Nightly News to play up the supposed damage Donald Trump's presidential campaign will cause the Republican Party and how Democrats are "licking their chops" over his announcement.
After fill-in host Savannah Guthrie noted that Trump “managed to dominate the political conversation in ways his rivals have not, Todd did his best to highlight the damage that the “proverbial skunk” will cause the GOP and asked how will they “handle a political streaker who knows how to get attention?”
The NBC News Political Director continued to play up the supposed problems Trump will cause the GOP and how he “made it clear he has no intention of abiding by Ronald Reagan's 11th commandment: He will speak ill of other Republicans” and although other candidates “don't want him taking their spot on the debate stage, none of them are eager to confront him.”
Although Todd did mention that the vast majority of Republicans reject Trump’s entrance into the 2016 field, the NBC host insisted that he supposedly “is channeling the anger of a loud minority in the Republican Party” and even found some random Republican who supports Trump because he “he has a plan" to support his argument.
Todd continued to spew Democratic talking points, specifically how in 2012 “the Obama campaign believes Trump turned off swing voters” before he spoke to former Obama advisor, and NBC News Political Analyst, David Axelrod who beamed at how “[w]e had a photo of Mitt Romney coming down an airport staircase with the Trump plane in the background. It was the perfect backdrop.”
The NBC host concluded his piece on how Trump will be a major problem for the GOP and hyped that “[g]oing into 2016, Dems are licking their chops at that backdrop again.”
See relevant transcript below.
NBC Nightly News
June 17, 2015
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE CAPTION: Trump Factor]
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: Politics now and give this to Donald Trump. The man knows how to make an impression. He's been a presidential candidate for little more than a day, and he's managed to dominate the political conversation in ways his rivals have not, though time will tell if that's a good thing. We get more tonight from NBC News political director Chuck Todd.
CHUCK TODD: On the one hand he's a late-night joke.
JON STEWART [on The Daily Show, 06/16/15]: For a half an hour, the most beautifully ridiculous jibber jabber.
TODD: On the other, he's the proverbial skunk at party. How does the Republican Party handle a political streaker who knows how to get attention?
DONALD TRUMP: ISIS is building a hotel. Can you believe they're in the hotel business? They're competing with me.
TODD: In just 24 hours, Donald Trump has generated more Facebook buzz than any other Republican. He's gotten into a spat with a New York tabloid and singer Neil Young fired back at Trump, saying he wasn't authorized to use “Rockin' in the free world” during his announcement. Trump’s made it clear he has no intention of abiding by Ronald Reagan's 11th commandment: He will speak ill of other Republicans.
TRUMP [on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, 06/17/15]: I think Bush is an unhappy person. I don't think he has any energy and I don't see how he can win.
TODD: Though Republican candidates don't want him taking their spot on the debate stage, none of them are eager to confront him.
JEB BUSH: Last time, I checked another guy showed up yesterday. I mean, it's like –
TODD: And yet, Trump is already alienating Hispanics.
TRUMP [to MSNBC’s KASIE HUNT]: We have drug dealers coming across, we have rapists, we have killers, we have murderers.
BEN CARSON: I don't have an explanation for it.
NALEO EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ARTURO VARGAS: I don't think Trump made any friends in the Latino community with his comments.
TODD: NBC's latest poll shows three-quarters of Republicans said they won't support him, but he is channeling the anger of a loud minority in the Republican Party.
UNIDENTIFIED REPUBLICAN VOTER: I like the fact that he has a plan.
TODD: In 2012, the Obama campaign believes Trump turned off swing voters.
DAVID AXELROD: We had a photo of Mitt Romney coming down an airport staircase with the Trump plane in the background. It was the perfect backdrop.
TODD: Going into 2016, Dems are licking their chops at that backdrop again. Chuck Todd, NBC News.
