In the early stages of Tuesday’s primary results coverage, Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd repeatedly declared on NBC and MSNBC that the outcome of the Acela Primary marked “the beginning of the end of this primary battle” and a near fatal blow to the Stop Trump movement leading to Trump legitimizing his status as the party’s nominee.
Right off the bat at 8:01 p.m. Eastern, Todd appeared on NBC with Today co-host Savannah Guthrie and observed that “we could look back at tonight, Savannah, as the night that is the beginning of the end of the (Stop) Trump movement.”
“Regardless of what happens in May, they’ve got their stake in the ground to win some primaries in May, but they are getting clobbered tonight,” he added.
Just over 20 minutes later on MSNBC, Todd explained how the initial concerns about Trump not hitting over 50 percent in the early contests have evaporated: “We're now talking about Donald Trump getting over 60 percent perhaps in multiple states tonight. Probably fifth — over 50 percent in our five states tonight. That's a big deal.”
As the media have done so dutifully for Trump throughout the race, Todd informed viewers that the Republican primary is, in so many words, over:
[W]e're going to — I think we're going to look back on tonight and say it was the beginning of the end of this primary battle because Trump is doing a whole heck of a lot better than anybody projected he would do on this night just five weeks ago.
Guthrie and Todd were back at it again just before 9:15 p.m. Eastern on NBC with the former stating that the five states going for Trump “seems like this could be a turning point for Trump's path to the nomination.”
Todd obviously agreed and ruled that the evening marked “a clarifying moment for both front runners” in Trump and Hillary Clinton with them both emerging “only stronger after tonight and, Savannah, the size and margin of Donald Trump's victories makes it seem we may look at this the most important night of his campaign.”
The relevant portion of the transcript from NBC’s Decision 2016 update at 8:00 p.m. Eastern on April 26 can be found below.
NBC’s Decision 2016
April 26, 2016
8:01 p.m. Eastern
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: Let’s go to Chuck Todd. He’s in Philadelphia and, Chuck, this is shaping up to be a big night for Trump. Where does the Stop Trump movement go from here?
CHUCK TODD: We’ll see. It is a huge night for Trump. It’s the size of Trump’s victories now that we’re going to be watching, but if they are big, as our exit polls are estimating, we could look back at tonight, Savannah, as the night that is the beginning of the end of the (Stop) Trump movement. Regardless of what happens in May, they’ve got their stake in the ground to win some primaries in May, but they are getting clobbered tonight.
GUTHRIE: This could be a consequential evening.
(....)
9:14 p.m. Eastern
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: Let's bring in Chuck Todd. Chuck, seems like this could be a turning point for Trump's path to the nomination.
CHUCK TODD: Look, It's a clarifying moment for both front runners. Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are only stronger after tonight and, Savannah, the size and margin of Donald Trump's victories makes it seem we may look at this the most important night of his campaign.
The relevant portion of the transcript from MSNBC’s The Place for Politics 2016 on April 26 can be found below.
MSNBC’s The Place for Politics 2016
April 26, 2016
8:25 p.m. Eastern
CHUCK TODD: You know, Brian, I just — you know, for the longest time and Nicole and I would have this conversation week after week. We’d talk about Donald Trump is winning, but he can't get over 50 percent. We're now talking about Donald Trump getting over 60 percent perhaps in multiple states tonight. Probably fifth — over 50 percent in our five states tonight. That's a big deal. I — we're going to — I think we're going to look back on tonight and say it was the beginning of the end of this primary battle because Trump is doing a whole heck of a lot better than anybody projected he would do on this night just five weeks ago. I’m not kidding you. I had a Cruz operative swear to me about a month ago, you know what? We can hold Trump under 1,000 delegates by the end of this primary season. My gosh, he could be at 11,000 before — by the middle of may. We're already at 900 now after what we've projected the delegates we’ve awarded him just based on the projections we've made in three primary states. He could get close to 950 delegates tonight or over that. You know, I'm just trying to understand how Indiana is going to make up all that ground. This is, I think, turning into Trump having now not just a narrow path, but a clear path to this nomination if these numbers are holding.
