ABC Hurls Deluge of Trump Hate Ahead of SOTU, CBS Goes Hard on GOP But Soft on Dems

Curtis Houck
February 24th, 2026 4:05 PM

Text to Speech

00:00 00:00
Font Size

On Tuesday, ABC’s Good Morning America (GMA) and CBS Mornings combined to offer widely negative rhetoric in previewing President Trump’s State of the Union, painting it as an almost hapless endeavor amid “his lowest numbers yet” to change the minds of voters poised to trigger a blue tsuanmi in November.

Unsurprisingly, GMA was the most negative. In short, they were nothing like they were in 2024 ahead of Joe Biden’s final State of the Union as they heralded his plans to “tout his record” in a “critical moment” against a “rowdy” GOP.

This time, co-host and former Clinton official George Stephanopoulos framed it as having come at a time when Trump is “facing his lowest numbers yet” plus “challenging midterms and a possible war with Iran.”

Senior political correspondent Rachel Scott started by suggesting Trump was in turmoil on his own side, stating in part that “even Republicans acknowledge not how President Trump wanted to head into his first State of the Union address of his second term on the heels of that massive decision by the Supreme Court declaring most of his tariffs unconstitutional.”

As for Democrats, Scott would only say “we have seen some outbursts during these State of the Union addresses” and, for this year, “we are learning that at least 39 Democrats plan to skip the speech altogether” with many attending “a counter-programming event over the National Mall.”

Scott then leaned into negative polls, concluding with Iran (which Stephanopoulos threw in a jab of his own) (click “expand”):

SCOTT: [A]ll of this comes at a critical midterm election year and as we learning the President is facing headwinds in the polls. According to our latest ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll, 60 percent of Americans disapprove of the President’s job in office. That’s the lowest since he was reelected. The majority of Americans also disapprove of the President’s handling on key issues, ranging from inflation, tariffs, immigration, and the economy. Tonight’s speech coming in the backdrop of a partial government shutdown with Democrats and Republicans at odds over funding for DHS. And one of the biggest questions tonight: Will the President outline for the American people, for Congress why he’s possibly considering a military strike in Iran, George.

STEPHANOPOULOS: It has not been done yet.

CBS Mornings had just over 15 minutes of preview coverage, but it too was almost entirely negative. 

Chief White House correspondent Nancy Cordes’s segment was the only one of the four blocks that had any real balance. She had the courtesy to bring up lowering gas prices, Trump Accounts, and Trump RX alongside the negative polls before parroting the wholly manufactured leftist narrative smearing USA Hockey:

The other two segments — respective interviews with House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) and Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) illustrated the double standards with the former facing hardballs and pressures whereas Slotkin was merely invited to explain her positions.


In the second hour, congressional correspondent Caitlin Huey-Burns went to bright-red Gastonia County, North Carolina to ask voters about Trump’s first year in office. That too was negative:

NBC’s Today offered the most balanced coverage. Senior White House correspondent Garrett Haake emphasized Trump will “focus heavily on the economy” since “[i]t’s the issue most important to voters as we begin this year’s midterm election year.”

To his credit, Haake offered the only sentence between the Monday evening and Tuesday morning flagship newscasts of the Monday morning’s angel families event at the White House: “On Monday, speaking to a gathering of families of Americans killed by undocumented immigrants, the President previewing possible applause lines.”

Haake balanced the sagging poll ratings with specific policy proposals Trump could unveil, which ABC refused to do (click “expand”):

HAAKE: But recent polls show Americans don’t share the President’s positivity, with his approval rating hovering just below 40 percent. The public souring on his handling of the economy and even immigration, long his signature issue, though the President has shrugged off negative polls. The President is expected to unveil new domestic policies aimed at tackling affordability, among them a new commitment from tech companies to pay increased electricity costs in communities where new AI data centers are being built. President Trump also expected to devote a portion of his speech to foreign policy, against the backdrop of a U.S. military buildup in the Middle East as the President weighs a strike on Iran. Dozens of Democrats plan to skip the speech tonight in protest.

CONGRESSMAN ROBERT GARCIA (D-CA): It’s important to show the American public that someone that has led the single most corrupt government in U.S. history. There has to be action against that.

HAAKE: Others will use their guests to send a message, including several lawmakers inviting survivors of abuse by Jeffrey Epstein and newly elected Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger, delivering the Democrats’ response. The President has spent the last several days slamming Supreme Court justices for overturning much of his tariff program, saying he was ashamed of them and that they perhaps shouldn’t even be invited to the speech tonight. Well, tonight, any justices that choose to attend will be seated just feet away from the President, which could create some awkward moments if he decides he has more to say about their work[.]

Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker also played it to the middle in her analysis.

Along with stating the obvious that “this is a critical speech for the President” and wondering “how exactly will he address the economy,” Welker questioned whether Trump will “stay on message” while “facing headwinds” such as being “underwater with his handling of the economy, 41 percent approve, 57 percent disapprove.”

After alluding to foreign policy, Welker said Trump will reportedly “focus on the fact that this year marks America’s 250th birthday, so expect a hopeful tone as well.”

She did the same with Democrats by pointing out past hijinks from Democrats have blown back in their faces and that one recent poll found the President is still more trusted than Democrats to handle major issues.

To see the relevant transcripts from February 24, click here (for ABC), here (for CBS), and here (for NBC).

Donor Privacy Policy