One could say ABC was winking for Blinken on Thursday as Good Morning America co-host and former Clinton official George Stephanopoulos aired a friendly interview with Secretary of State Antony Blinken that Stephanopoulos boasted in a tease was a way for Blinken to give Americans “[t]he latest on the challenges pressing our country right now.”
At one point, Stephanopoulos even gushed to Blinken that his “face just lit up” when expressing pride for being an American.
Back in 2019 when Trump Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was interviewed by Stephanopoulos, the liberal journalist behaved far differently. In fact, Stephanopoulos accused Pompeo of being a “party to ethnic cleansing.”
Much of the interview focused on Russia’s unprovoked war against Ukraine with the first utterance shown not even being in the form of a question. Instead, Stephanopoulos remarked that, “in parts of Russia it seems like [Vladimir Putin is] preparing for all out war.” Only moments later did ask the first question: “How much worse will it get if he has to retreat from Kherson?”
Stephanopoulos continued to not ask questions and instead make statements, this time about Ukrianian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy: “But he said he's not going to negotiate with Vladimir Putin. Only with the next Russian president.”
Shortly thereafter, George had a question most viewers with a pulse knew Blinken wouldn’t answer: “Your read, the read of so many analysts is that Vladimir Putin is losing this war. He's desperate. If he responds with nuclear weapon, what happens?”
Following a question about whether Putin is rational, Stephanopoulos pivoted to China and, instead of pressing Blinken on U.S. foreign policy in the Asia-Pacific and whether their weakness has given China an opening like Russia felt with Ukraine, he continued to play it soft like he was gathering information for a book report (click “expand”):
STEPHANOPOULOS: Let's talk about China. President Xi about to embark on another term. You said just the other day that you’re now convinced that China is going to seek reunification with Taiwan on a much faster time line. What does that mean?
(....)
STEPHANOPOULOS: By any means necessary.
BLINKEN: Potentially by any means, through coercion and pressure and potentially, if necessary, by force. Taiwan is the major manufacturer of semiconductors. Our smart phones — they all have chips in them. A lot of that’s manufactured in Taiwan. If that's disrupted, that would have a major —
STEPHANOPOULOS: But — but China is so much larger than Taiwan. If they want to take Taiwan at some point, they’re just going to do it, won't they?
Stephanopoulos’s final region to discuss was Saudi Arabia and, again, it was more about a conversation between like-minded liberals instead of seeking both accountability and information:
STEPHANOPOULOS: President Biden about to announce this afternoon release of oil from the strategic petroleum reserve at a time when Saudi Arabia is not cooperating on the energy front. And that's led many of the President's allies to question whether Saudi Arabia is actually an ally anymore.
(....)
STEPHANOPOULOS: That's not the actions of an ally, is it?
BLINKEN: In this instance, it's not but we have a multiplicity of interests with Saudi Arabia.
Going big picture, Stephanopoulos wrapped by wondering “what do you say to” Americans distressed by the news and what’s happening around the globe and conclude “the world is more dangerous now than it's ever been.”
When Blinken replied in part that “[m]ost of the problems that we actually have to solve” involve “hav[ing] to be able to work with other countries,” and that reminded him of how much pride he finds from attending naturalization ceremonies, Stephanopoulos interjected (click “expand”):
BLINKEN: Later today here in Philadelphia, I'm going to get a chance to swear in some new American citizens, one of the parts of my job that gives me the greatest satisfaction.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Your face just lit up.
BLINKEN: It's the renewal of our country. My late stepfather became a citizen of the United States and used to say to me, you know, you were — are an American citizen by a very happy accident of birth. I'm an American by choice. That's a very powerful thing and that's what carries our country forward.
ABC’s winking at Blinken was made possible thanks to advertisers such as Carmax and Dove. Follow the links to see their contact information at the MRC’s Conservatives Fight Back page.
To see the relevant ABC transcript from October 20, click “expand.”
ABC’s Good Morning America
October 20, 2022
7:00 a.m. Eastern [TEASE][ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: ABC News Exclusive; Secretary of State One-on-One]
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Vladimir Putin tries to tighten his grip on Ukraine. At home this morning, the secretary of state responds. ABC News exclusive. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Putin escalating the war hours after declaring martial law in parts of Ukraine. President Zelenskyy urges people to leave. Now what's next in the war. [TO BLINKEN] Your read, the read of so many military analysts is that Vladimir Putin is losing this war. He's desperate. If he responds with nuclear weapons, what happens? [VOICE-OVER] Plus, the secretary on China's threats over Taiwan and Saudi Arabia not cooperating on the energy front. [TO BLINKEN] That's led many of the President's allies to question whether Saudi Arabia is actually an ally anymore. Are they still an ally? [VOICE OVER] The latest on the challenges pressing our country right now.
(....)
7:06 a.m. Eastern
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: ABC News Exclusive; One-on-One With Secretary of State; Antony Blinken on Ukraine, Oil & the Global Challenges Facing the U.S.]
STEPHANOPOULOS: And now to our exclusive interview with Secretary of State Antony Blinken. We covered hot spots around the world, beginning with Putin's latest moves in Ukraine.
(....)
7:06 a.m. Eastern
STEPHANOPOULOS: But also in parts of Russia it seems like he's preparing for all out war.
SECRETARY OF STATE ANTONY BLINKEN: What we've seen already in the steps that Putin’s taken, going increasingly after the population, indiscriminately bombing, power plants, bombs falling on schools, on hospitals, that's pretty close.
STEPHANOPOULOS: How much worse will it get if he has to retreat from Kherson?
(....)
7:07 a.m. Eastern
STEPHANOPOULOS: But he said he's not going to negotiate with Vladimir Putin. Only with the next Russian president.
BLINKEN: Well, he's been clear that diplomacy’s going to have to bring this to an end at some point, but what we've seen thus far is no interest on the part of Putin in meaningful diplomacy.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Your read, the read of so many analysts is that Vladimir Putin is losing this war. He's desperate. If he responds with nuclear weapon, what happens?
(....)
7:08 a.m. Eastern
STEPHANOPOULOS: So you think he's still rational?
BLINKEN: Look, it's hard to put yourself in someone else's mind. I think he's — he’s rational but the decisions he's making — maybe, better put, his objectives are not rational.
STEPHANOPOULOS: We’ve seen him using these Iranian drones.
BLINKEN: It’s a sign that the sanctions that we’ve imposed, including these export controls, have been denying Russia much of the technology it needs to replace what it's using up or to build new things, so it’s having to look around the world wherever it can to find more weapons.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: ABC News Exclusive; One-on-One With Secretary of State; Antony Blinken on Facing the Challenge from China]
STEPHANOPOULOS: Let's talk about China. President Xi about to embark on another term. You said just the other day that you’re now convinced that China is going to seek reunification with Taiwan on a much faster time line. What does that mean?
(....)
7:09 a.m. Eastern
STEPHANOPOULOS: By any means necessary.
BLINKEN: Potentially by any means, through coercion and pressure and potentially, if necessary, by force. Taiwan is the major manufacturer of semiconductors. Our smart phones — they all have chips in them. A lot of that’s manufactured in Taiwan. If that's disrupted, that would have a major —
STEPHANOPOULOS: But — but China is so much larger than Taiwan. If they want to take Taiwan at some point, they’re just going to do it, won't they?
(....)
7:09 a.m. Eastern
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: ABC News Exclusive; One-on-One With Secretary of State; Blinken on Oil Prices & Saudi Arabia’s Cooperation on the Energy Front]
STEPHANOPOULOS: President Biden about to announce this afternoon release of oil from the strategic petroleum reserve at a time when Saudi Arabia is not cooperating on the energy front. And that's led many of the President's allies to question whether Saudi Arabia is actually an ally anymore.
(....)
7:10 a.m. Eastern
ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: ABC News Exclusive; One-on-One With Secretary of State; Antony Blinken on Global Challenges Facing the U.S.]
STEPHANOPOULOS: That's not the actions of an ally, is it?
BLINKEN: In this instance, it's not but we have a multiplicity of interests with Saudi Arabia.
STEPHANOPOULOS: We’ve spent the last 20 minutes going through all the challenges facing the United States right now and, you know, when I talk to friends and family and they wake up to the headlines every day, they say it seems that the world is more dangerous now than it's ever been. What do you say to them?
(....)
7:11 a.m. Eastern
BLINKEN: Most of the problems that we actually have to solve that people are worried about, we have to be able to work with other countries. That's what our diplomacy is all about. Later today here in Philadelphia, I'm going to get a chance to swear in some new American citizens, one of the parts of my job that gives me the greatest satisfaction.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Your face just lit up.
BLINKEN: It's the renewal of our country. My late stepfather became a citizen of the United States and used to say to me, you know, you were — are an American citizen by a very happy accident of birth. I'm an American by choice. That's a very powerful thing and that's what carries our country forward.
STEPHANOPOULOS: You know, those naturalization ceremonies are always so powerful. And at yesterday’s, there were two dozen people sworn in from countries all over the world, including China, Russia and Ukraine.
AMY ROBACH: Wow.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Michael.
MICHAEL STRAHAN: All right. Great job there, George.
