While it may be a shock that the major broadcast networks on Thursday night reported that Hillary Clinton compared Republicans to “terrorists” on women’s health, it was far from a surprise that ABC and NBC openly cheered her for “coming out swinging” “on the offensive” with some “tough talk.”
In addition, ABC, CBS, and NBC all refused to denounce Clinton’s comparison even though they chastised the use of the term “anchor baby” by Donald Trump and Jeb Bush.
ABC’s World News Tonight fill-in anchor Tom Llamas gushed in an opening tease that Hillary was “on the attack” as she offered up some “[t]ough talk.” He added prior to Clinton correspondent Cecilia Vega’s report that Clinton’s comments set off “a new political firestorm.”
In her report that covered the latest 2016 news, Vega hailed Clinton’s comments in Ohio: “In the swing state of Ohio, Hillary Clinton coming out swinging, comparing Republicans to terrorists on women's issues.” She then played a portion of Clinton’s latest take on the GOP:
Extreme views about women, we expect them from some of the terrorist groups, we expect that from people who don't want to live in the modern world, but it's a little hard to take coming from Republicans who want to be the president of the United States.
As a footnote, Vega mentioned that “her rivals” were “firing back” on this analogy, with Jeb Bush denouncing Clinton for attacking “pro-life Americans” but not pushing back against Planned Parenthood and their abhorrent “treatment of the unborn.”
As part of a report on NBC Nightly News concerning the growing rumors surrounding a 2016 campaign by Vice President Joe Biden, White House correspondent Kristen Welker admitted that “[m]any Democrats...are nervous about the Clinton e-mail controversy,” but shot back that “it’s Clinton” who is “go[ing] on the offensive” with the comparison that has the GOP “responding aggressively.”
Meanwhile, the CBS Evening News devoted one minute and five seconds to an extended news brief on Clinton’s remarks with fill-in anchor Maurice DuBois simply stating that the former First Lady went “after her Republican opponents on the issue of funding for women's health” as “she appeared to compare them to terrorists.”
After a clip of Clinton’s comments, DuBois noted that “Republican candidates were quick to respond” and then read out aloud Bush’s tweet slamming Clinton.
On the Spanish-language network front, Telemundo and Univision ignored Clinton’s comments while Univision instead touted Planned Parenthood sending letters to members of Congress claiming the Center for Medical Progress (CMP) videos as manufactured.
