While all three broadcast evening newscasts tonight noted Hillary Clinton's reaction to Donald Trump's offensive comments regarding Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly and her menstrual cycle, NBC gave considerable attention to Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton's attempt to exploit the Trump kerfuffle in order to attack all Republican presidential candidates as anti-woman.
Here's the relevant transcript from NBC's Nightly News (emphasis mine)
NBC
Nightly News
August 10, 2015; 7:03 p.m. Eastern; 2 minutes, 20 seconds
LESTER HOLT, anchor: Hillary Clinton is now weighing in on Donald Trump's comments about women and the woman who moderated last week's debate. Trump offers no apologies for his remarks, but Hillary Clinton isn't biting her tongue either as she unloaded on the GOP front-runner today. Here's Andrea Mitchell.
ANDREA MITCHELL: Donald Trump today, still unrepentant about his attacks on Megyn Kelly.
DONALD TRUMP: The fact is she asked me a very inappropriate question. She should really be apologizing to me, you want to know the truth.
HILLARY CLINTON: He's having the time of his life.
MITCHELL: In new Hampshire Hillary Clinton slammed Trump along with the other Republican candidates for their positions on women's health.
CLINTON: And while what Donald Trump said about Megyn Kelly is outrageous, what the rest of the Republicans are saying about all women is also outrageous. Megyn Kelly is a strong woman. And more than capable of defending herself against Donald Trump. I'm worried about what Republican policies would do to the rest of America's women.
MITCHELL: And Clinton said Marco Rubio's opposition to abortion, even in cases of rape or incest, is worse than the way Donald Trump talks about women.
CLINTON: Andrea, I said it was offensive. I said it was outrageous. I stand by that. I know it makes great TV. I think the guy went way overboard. Offensive, outrageous. Pick your adjective. But what Marco Rubio said has as much of an impact in terms of where the Republican Party is today as anybody else on that stage.
MITCHELL: Why single out Rubio? The Clinton campaign sees the young Florida senator, a standout in the debate, as a real political threat. But first she has to deal with a challenge in her own party.
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders is drawing huge crowds, 25,000 people in Portland, Oregon last night. In New Hampshire Sanders now trails Clinton by just six points. Even some Democrats at Clinton's event today are undecided.
WOMAN #1: I think that she is worth considering. But I haven't definitely made up my mind yet.
WOMAN #2: I wouldn't say I'm 100 percent already set. I want to hear what everyone has to say.
MITCHELL: And how did Clinton explain going to Donald Trump's most recent wedding? She said she happened to be in Florida, thought it would be fun and entertaining, but that now that he's running for president she said, well, in her words, it's a little more troubling.
By contrast, here's how ABC's Tom Llamas and CBS's Scott Pelley briefly addressed Clinton's reaction to Trump, respectively (emphases mine):
ABC
World News Tonight
August 10, 2015; 6:34 p.m.; 2 minutes, 14 secondsDAVID MUIR, anchor: We turn now to Donald Trump doubling down on those controversial comments, saying there is no reason for him to apologize. His words directed towards Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly after her question during the debate about what he called some women in the past. Tonight why no apology and Hillary Clinton on what Trump said about Megyn Kelly. Here's ABC's Tom Llamas.
TOM LLAMAS: Tonight Donald Trump refusing to back down from these provocative comments about Fox News debate moderator Megyn Kelly.
DONALD TRUMP: You can see there was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever.
LLAMAS: And now, Democratic challenger Hillary Clinton taking him on.
HILLARY CLINTON: I know it makes TV. I think the guy went way overboard, offensive, outrageous, pick your adjective.
LLAMAS: But Trump telling George on This Week he was not referring to anything inappropriate when he talked about blood.
TRUMP: I was referring to nose, ears. They're very common statements. And only a deviant would think of what people said.
LLAMAS: Even declaring Kelly owes him an apology for asking this.
MEGYN KELLY: You've called women you don't like fat pigs, dogs, slobs, and disgusting animals. Your Twitter account has several--
TRUMP: Only Rosie O'Donnell.
[laughter from debate audience]
TRUMP from phone call in to Morning Joe: The fact is she asked me a very inappropriate question, she should really be apologizing to me, you want to know the truth.
LLAMAS: Though few of Trump's competitors took him on during the debate, the Kelly criticism bringing an anti-Trump chorus.
Gov. SCOTT WALKER (R-Wis.): It's a sideshow.
Sen. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-S.C.): This is not who we are as a party when it comes to women.
CARLY FIORINA: There's no excuse for this.
Sen. RAND PAUL (R-Ky.): I don't think vulgarity equates with insight.
Former Gov. JEB BUSH (R-Fla.): Give me a break! I mean, do we want to win?! Do we want to insult 53 percent of all voters? What Donald Trump said is wrong!
LLAMAS: Republicans haven't won the female vote in a presidential election since 1988. Carly Fiorina the only female Republican candidate tweeting, "Mr. Trump: There. Is. No. Excuse."
Trump, unleashing on Twitter, tweeting back: "I just realized that if you listen to Carly Fiorina for more than ten minutes straight, you develop a massive headache. She has zero chance.
LLAMAS, on camera: David, Trump is back out on the campaign trail tomorrow night in Michigan, then he heads to New Hampshire and Iowa later in the week, promising to release detailed plans on immigration reform and job creations, something he has yet to do as a candidate.
# # #
CBS
Evening News
August 10, 2015; 6:38 p.m. Eastern; 18 secondsSCOTT PELLEY, anchor: Today Hillary Clinton weighed in on Trump's remarks about Megyn Kelly. Clinton said they're quote, "outrageous." Clinton called Kelly a strong woman and more than capable of defending herself against Trump. Clinton also said she is worried about what Republican policies would do for the rest of American women.
