In an embarrassing display of flip-flopping, ABC’s World News Tonight anchor David Muir seemingly backtracked Thursday night on a claim from two days earlier that Hillary Clinton was “still so unknown to many in this country” to more appropriately ruling that “but she knows, this is a country divided” that has “very strong opinion[s] about her already.”
On Tuesday’s newscast, Muir had this to say in previewing former President Bill Clinton’s speech in primetime at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) about his wife: “Bill Clinton will give what could be his most personal speech ever as he talks about his wife, later tonight. A woman still so unknown to many in this country, will he say anything that changes their minds?”
Now, this asinine head-scratcher wouldn’t last as Muir suddenly changed his tune from the DNC floor in one of the opening teases for Thursday’s show: “Tonight, what will Clinton say here? What might she reveal to a country so fiercely divided on Hillary Clinton?”
Back up inside ABC’s box at the anchor desk, Muir continued to show this change in heart (consciously or subconsciously) about Clinton’s name identification [emphasis mine]:
Clinton will make history tonight here, the first woman to accept the nomination of a major party, but she knows, this is a country divided. A country with very strong opinion about her already. You're looking live at the convention hall right now. We have learned Clinton is still tweaking her speech tonight. The campaign knows, and Hillary Clinton knows, that she must come onto that stage tonight and say something, reveal something that could change minds already made up about a woman who’s been on the national stage for 25 years. It all comes after President Obama made his case for Clinton last night.
While Muir succeeded in correcting himself, the damage was already done with the unreal spin that the former First Lady, Senator, and Secretary of State still remained an “unknown” figure to any significant portion of the country.
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The relevant portions of the transcript from ABC’s World News Tonight with David Muir on July 26 can be found below.
ABC’s World News Tonight with David Muir
July 26, 2016
6:32 p.m. EasternDAVID MUIR: Bill Clinton will give what could be his most personal speech ever as he talks about his wife, later tonight. A woman still so unknown to many in this country, will he say anything that changes their minds?
The relevant portions of the transcript from ABC’s World News Tonight with David Muir on July 28 can be found below.
ABC’s World News Tonight with David Muir
July 28, 2016
6:30 p.m. Eastern [TEASE][ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Breaking News]
DAVID MUIR: Tonight, breaking news on the floor of the Democratic National Convention. The enormous stakes tonight for Hillary Clinton. Still writing and tweaking her speech late today. After that unexpected moment, coming around the corner after listening backstage to former rival, now making the case for her.
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: There has never been a man or a woman, not me, not Bill, nobody more qualified than Hillary Clinton.
MUIR: Tonight, what will Clinton say here? What might she reveal to a country so fiercely divided on Hillary Clinton?
(....)
6:31 p.m. Eastern
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Breaking News; Historic Night]
MUIR: Good evening from Philadelphia tonight, where the pressure could not be greater for Hillary Clinton. Clinton will make history tonight here, the first woman to accept the nomination of a major party, but she knows, this is a country divided. A country with very strong opinion about her already. You're looking live at the convention hall right now. We have learned Clinton is still tweaking her speech tonight. The campaign knows, and Hillary Clinton knows, that she must come onto that stage tonight and say something, reveal something that could change minds already made up about a woman who’s been on the national stage for 25 years. It all comes after President Obama made his case for Clinton last night.
