In two separate NBC News updates on the Indiana primary, NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt and Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd gushed over Donald Trump’s “breathtaking” win in the Hoosier State that offered a “knockout blow” to Ted Cruz’s campaign.
Holt led off the first update at 8:43 p.m. Eastern and informed viewers that there was “a major development in the race for president...as Donald Trump scores a big win in Indiana, Ted Cruz is suspending his campaign.”
He added before tossing to Todd that it was quite the “knockout blow by Trump” to which Todd promoted the belief among Republican establishment types (if that means anything anymore) that they preferred Trump over Cruz:
I think this is a reminder Ted Cruz, the problem for the Stop Trump folk, Republican establishment who feared Donald Trump as nominee is that Ted Cruz was seen by many of them as a worst alternative than Trump as somebody who would make it even harder for the Republicans to run in the fall, whether for the presidency or down the ticket.
Holt returned about 30 minutes later at 9:15 p.m. Eastern and after telling viewers that the network was projecting Bernie Sanders at the winner of Indiana’s Democratic primary before going to Todd, who summed up Trump’s win as “breathtaking”:
It's breathtaking, even though all the polls indicated we're going to see what we saw tonight. It is still breathtaking that, tonight, the chairman of the Republican party has declared Donald Trump the presumptive nominee. John Kasich is still technically in the race, but now the head of the Republican Party is saying it's over.
As the Media Research Center’s Rich Noyes wrote on Tuesday morning, the “big three” networks of ABC, CBS, and NBC bequeathed 62% of their evening newscast GOP coverage versus just 20 percent for Cruz and four percent for Governor John Kasich (Ohio).
The transcripts of NBC’s Decision 2016 updates in the 8:00 p.m. Eastern and 9:00 p.m. Eastern hours on May 3 can be found below.
NBC’s Decision 2016
May 3, 2016
8:43 p.m. Eastern[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Breaking News; Cruz Suspends Presidential Campaign]
LESTER HOLT: Good evening. There's a major development in the race for president we want to tell you about as Donald Trump scores a big win in Indiana, Ted Cruz is suspending his campaign. He is out. Let's get right to Chuck Todd. A knockout blow by Trump. What's your take from here?
CHUCK TODD: It is. I think this is a reminder Ted Cruz, the problem for the Stop Trump folk, Republican establishment who feared Donald Trump as nominee is that Ted Cruz was seen by many of them as a worst alternative than Trump as somebody who would make it even harder for the Republicans to run in the fall, whether for the presidency or down the ticket. What this means, now though, is that Donald Trump is your likely Republican nominee.
HOLT: Alright, Chuck Todd, thank you. On the Democratic side, it is still too close to call. We continue to watch those numbers come in. We'll have updates on more. For now I'm Lester Holt, NBC News, New York.
(....)
9:15 p.m. Eastern
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Breaking News; Trump Wins Indiana, Cruz Drops Out]
HOLT: Good evening, more breaking news in the race for president. As Trump wins Indiana and Ted Cruz drops out of the race for president. NBC News now projects that Bernie Sanders wins the Indiana Democratic primary, defeating Hillary Clinton who remains the overwhelming favorite to face Trump in the general election. Let's bring in Chuck Todd. Chuck, the race is on and what a night it's been.
TODD: It's breathtaking, even though all the polls indicated we're going to see what we saw tonight. It is still breathtaking that, tonight, the chairman of the Republican party has declared Donald Trump the presumptive nominee. John Kasich is still technically in the race, but now the head of the Republican Party is saying it's over.
HOLT: And Trump speaking to supporters there, a full wrap-up of course coming up on your late local news and tomorrow morning on Today. For now, I’m Lester Holt, NBC News, New York.
