After Friday’s Good Morning America ignored the vulgar promise by Democratic Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (MI) to “impeach the motherf***er” in reference to the President, World News Tonight arrived on scene and did a boilerplate segment about Tlaib’s statement and her subsequent refusal to answer questions about it (besides a snarky tweet).
The CBS Evening News and NBC Nightly News again covered Tlaib as their morning counterparts did, but CBS decided to level the tired liberal media line about how “Republicans pounced” at a negative story for liberals and NBC dubbed it as having triggered “a barrage of Republican backlash.”
“No apology tonight from a newly sworn in congresswoman who declared overnight that we're going to impeach President Trump, though she called the President something we cannot repeat. Tonight, the President has now responded and so has Speaker Nancy Pelosi,” anchor David Muir began.
Congressional correspondent Mary Bruce asserted that Tlaib was “getting her first taste of the intense Washington spotlight” by “[r]efusing to answer questions about this video and her profane promise to go after the President.”
Later, Bruce noted that Nancy Pelosi told MSNBC “that the President is hardly one to talk” and that while Tlaib was “standing by these comments,” they’ve become “a source of concern for Democrats who have been treading carefully on the subject of impeachment.”
Over on CBS, anchor Jeff Glor stated that Tlaib “made a harsh remark last night that got a lot of attention.”
Congressional correspondent Nancy Cordes noted that a group photo of the 89 House Democratic women was what they “were hoping to highlight today,” but “[i]nstead, all eyes were on one woman, Michigan's Rashida Tlaib, who was sworn in yesterday, then swore about President Trump a few hours later.”
Cordes stated that while “Democrats cringed,” she trotted out the line that could almost be a drinking game for the right: “Republicans pounced.”
To her credit, Cordes observed how “Tlaib....decided today that she had said enough” while her party “leaders worry any impeachment talk will distract from the party platform, which includes campaign finance reform and expanding voting rights” even though a huge majority of their base want Trump impeached.
Over on NBC, White House correspondent Kristen Walker reported in part (click “expand”):
WELKER: Just hours after making history as the first Palestinian-American woman sworn into Congress, Michigan Democrat Rashida Tlaib is sparking a firestorm caught on camera telling a crowd last night what she told her son about the President....Tlaib was ignoring reporters today. But on Twitter, doubling down writing: “I will always truth to power”....But Tlaib, pushing impeachment on day one, even before the Mueller report prompting a barrage of Republican backlash.
HOUSE MINORITY LEADER KEVIN MCCARTHY: How do you work with anyone if this is what they really have planned? [SCREEN WIPE] Using foul language, they introduced that they just want to impeach the President.
HOLT: And some Democrats warning it could backfire.
She concluded how “one progressive Democrat [Sherman] reintroduc[ed] articles of impeachment, a growing flash point in a new Congress.”
To see the relevant network transcripts from their January 4 newscasts, click “expand.”
ABC’s World News Tonight with David Muir
January 4, 2019
6:40 p.m. Eastern[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Lawmaker’s Vulgar Vow]
DAVID MUIR: No apology tonight from a newly sworn in congresswoman who declared overnight that we're going to impeach President Trump, though she called the President something we cannot repeat. Tonight, the President has now responded and so has Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Mary Bruce is on the Hill for us.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Breaking News; Lawmaker’s Vulgar Vow; Rep. Tlaib Levels Expletive in Trump Impeachment Pledge]
MARY BRUCE: Freshman congresswoman Rashida Tlaib today getting her first taste of the intense Washington spotlight.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORT: Stand by your comments from last night?
BRUCE: Refusing to answer questions about this video and her profane promise to go after the President.
DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSWOMAN RASHIDA TLAIB (MI): When your son look at you, and says: “Mama, look, you won, bullies don't win.” And I said: “Baby, they don't because we are going to go in there and impeach the [BLEEP].”
BRUCE: At the White House, the President said it came up in his meeting with new House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I said, why don't you use this for impeachment? And Nancy said we're not looking to impeach you. I said, that's good, Nancy. That's good.
BRUCE: He called Talib's comments disgraceful.
TRUMP: I thought it was a great dishonor to her and her family. I thought it was highly disrespectful to the United States of America.
BRUCE: But Pelosi pointing out that the President is hardly one to talk.
HOUSE SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI: I don't like that language. I wouldn't use that language. I don’t — again, establish any language standards for my colleagues.
JOY REID: Mm-hmm.
PELOSI: But I don't think it's anything worse than the President has — what the President has said.
MUIR: And Mary, that congresswoman is defending herself tonight?
BRUCE: Yeah, David, Tlaib is standing these comments, tweeting: “I will always speak truth to power,” adding the “#unapologeticallyMe.” But, David, these comments are a source of concern for Democrats who have been treading carefully on the subject of impeachment.
MUIR: Mary Bruce, live on the Hill for us again tonight. Thanks, Mary.
CBS Evening News with Jeff Glor
January 4, 2019
6:37 p.m. Eastern[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: The Women of the House]
JEFF GLOR: The House Democratic women's caucus posed for a group photo today. This after a freshman member of that group made a harsh remark last night that got a lot of attention. Here's Nancy Cordes.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Impeachment Controversy; Trump: ‘Can’t Impeach Somebody That’s Doing a Great Job’]
NANCY CORDES: This is what House Democrats were hoping to highlight today — the party's record crop of 89 women members. Instead, all eyes were on one woman, Michigan's Rashida Tlaib, who was sworn in yesterday, then swore about President Trump a few hours later.
DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSWOMAN RASHIDA TLAIB (MI): We are going to go in there and impeach the [BLEEP].
CORDES: Democrats cringed.
HOUSE SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI: I mean, I don't like that language. I wouldn't use that language.
DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSWOMAN ELIJAH CUMMINGS (MD): I think those kind of comments do not take us in the right direction.
CORDES: Republicans pounced.
HOUSE MINORITY LEADER KEVIN MCCARTHY: Is this the behavior that we're going to find with this new majority party?
CORDES [TO TLAIB]: Can we ask you about the reaction to your comments? Tlaib, a normally outspoken mother of two, decided today that she had said enough. Congresswoman, what's the reaction been from your constituents? Democratic leaders worry any impeachment talk will distract from the party platform, which includes campaign finance reform and expanding voting rights.
DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSWOMAN DEBBIE DINGELL (MI): Impeachment would tear this country apart. You gotta have facts.
CORDES: But exit polling from November found most of their base wants the President to be impeached. Just yesterday, two House Democrats reintroduced their articles of impeachment, arguing President Trump “obstructed...,justice” when he fired FBI Director James Comey.
DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSMAN BRAD SHERMAN (CA): He is guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors. He is harmful to the country.
CORDES: In the Rose Garden today, the President pushed back.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: You don't impeach people when they're doing a gone good job, and you don't impeach people when there was no collusion.
CORDES: On Twitter, Tlaib was unapologetic, said she will continue to “speak truth to power.” This episode highlighting a debate among House Democrats that is sure to intensify now that they have taken control. Some of their members, like some of their voters, will argue they should use that power to try to oust this President, Jeff.
GLOR: Nancy Cordes on Capitol Hill. Nancy, thanks.
NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt
January 4, 2019
7:00 p.m. Eastern [TEASE][ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Impeachment War of Words]
LESTER HOLT: Also tonight, the President firing back at a new member of Congress who said this.
DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSWOMAN RASHIDA TLAIB (MI): We are going to go in there and impeach the [BLEEP].
(....)
7:05 p.m. Eastern
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Impeachment War of Words]
HOLT: And as the shutdown drama plays out, President Trump hitting back from the rose garden at a freshman Democratic congresswoman who made a profanity-laced vow to impeach him. NBC's Kristen Welker has the story.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: New Dem Congresswoman on Trump: “Impeach the M*****F*****!”]
KRISTEN WELKER: Just hours after making history as the first Palestinian-American woman sworn into Congress, Michigan Democrat Rashida Tlaib is sparking a firestorm caught on camera telling a crowd last night what she told her son about the President.
TLAIB: We are going to go in there and impeach the [BLEEP].
WELKER: The President firing back.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I thought that was a great dishonor to her and her family. I thought it was highly disrespectful to the United States of America.
WELKER: Tlaib was ignoring reporters today. But on Twitter, doubling down writing: “I will always truth to power.” New Speaker Nancy Pelosi at an MSNBC town hall.
HOUSE SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI: Generationally, that would not be language I would use.
JOY REID: Sure.
PELOSI: But nonetheless, I don't think she would make a big deal of it.
WELKER: But Tlaib, pushing impeachment on day one, even before the Mueller report prompting a barrage of Republican backlash.
HOUSE MINORITY LEADER KEVIN MCCARTHY: How do you work with anyone if this is what they really have planned? [SCREEN WIPE] Using foul language, they introduced that they just want to impeach the President.
HOLT: And some Democrats warning it could backfire.
DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSWOMAN ELIJAH CUMMINGS (MD): You cannot accomplish much of anything unless you have civility. [SCREEN WIPE] I think those kind of comments do not take us in the right direction.
WELKER: One progressive Democrat reintroducing articles of impeachment, a growing flash point in a new Congress. Kristen Welker, NBC News.
