During the evening news coverage of President Joe Biden's press conference following the emergency NATO summit in Brussels, ABC's World News Tonight completely ignored Biden's backtracking on the purpose of the Russian sanctions. After claiming they would help deter Russia from invading Ukraine, on Thursday Biden reversed course and said "sanctions never deter." Despite ABC's silence on Biden's flip-flop, both CBS Evening News and NBC Nightly News did air Biden's comments.
As NewsBusters previously reported, Biden snapped at CBS News correspondent Christina Ruffini when she asked "what makes you think Vladimir Putin will alter course based on the action you’ve taken today?” Biden then wailed: “Let’s get something straight, do you remember, if you covered me, from the very beginning I did not say that, in fact, the sanctions would deter him. Sanctions never deter. You keep talking about that. Sanctions never deter.”
Later that evening, CBS Evening News aired part of the exchange in their report on the White House's new proposed sanctions "on what it called key enablers of the invasion, including dozens of Russian defense companies and more than 300 members of Russia's lower parliament, the Duma." They then aired part of Biden's exchange with Ruffini with little context:
BIDEN: Sanctions never deter.
NANCY CORDES: The President admitted the crippling international sanctions imposed so far may be wrecking Russia's economy, but they haven't forced Putin to change course, yet.
BIDEN: We will sustain what we're doing, not just next month, the following month, but for the remainder of this entire year. That's what will stop him.
NBC Nightly News during their coverage gave much more context to Biden's admission that the Russian sanctions do little to deter, while also playing up Vice President Kamala Harris's insistence that they do work.
Chief White House correspondent Kristen Welker reported how the "U.S. and NATO allies have unleashed significant sanctions against Russia for the invasion, but those penalties have not deterred Putin." Welker added that "the White House and Vice President Harris initially said was the goal."
HARRIS: The purpose of the sanctions has always been and continues to be deterrence.
WELKER: But today the President bristling when asked if that strategy was not working.
BIDEN: I did not say that in fact the sanctions would deter him. Sanctions never deter. You keep talking about that. Sanctions never deter. The main-ness of sanctions, the main-ness of sanctions, the increasing the pain. That's what will stop him.
Welker is of course right that the Biden administration insisted the sanctions would work to deter Putin from invading. As NewsBusters Associate Editor Kyle Drennen reported in the link above, "Secretary of State Antony Blinken explicitly told multiple media outlets that the purpose of economic sanctions was to deter Putin."
On CNN's State of the Union, Blinken said “the purpose of the sanctions in the first instance is to try to deter Russia from going to war,” while on NBC’s Meet the Press, Blinken argued that the sanctions were structured “to build everything we can to deter him [Putin] from the course that he’s now set on.”
ABC's blackout of Biden's flip-flop on the effectiveness of Russian sanctions was made possible by Jersey Mike's, and Pacific Life. Their information is linked.
To read the transcript of each segment click "expand":
CBS Evening News
3/24/2022
6:34:59 p.m. EasternNANCY CORDES: The White House also unveiled new sanctions on what it called key enablers of the invasion, including dozens of Russian defense companies and more than 300 members of Russia's lower parliament, the Duma.
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: Sanctions never deter.
CORDES: The President admitted the crippling international sanctions imposed so far may be wrecking Russia's economy, but they haven't forced Putin to change course, yet.
BIDEN: We will sustain what we're doing, not just next month, the following month, but for the remainder of this entire year. That's what will stop him.
NBC Nightly News
3/24/2022
7:02:53 p.m. EasternKRISTEN WELKER: After warning Vladimir Putin may use chemical and biological weapons in Ukraine tonight President Biden at an emergency NATO summit declaring the U.S. will take action if there is a chemical attack.
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: We would respond if he uses it, the nature of the response would depend on the nature of the use.
WELKER: But when pressed no specifics on whether military force is on the table.
BIDEN: It would trigger a response in kind. Whether or not you are asking whether NATO would cross, we'd make that decision at the time.
WELKER: The President saying this summit with leaders of NATO, the G-7, and the EU is sending an unmistakable message to Putin.
BIDEN: He didn't think we could sustain this cohesion. NATO has never, never been more united than it is today. Putin is getting exactly the opposite what he intended to have.
WELKER: Mr. Biden and NATO announcing new penalties against Russia, including new sanctions on Russian lawmakers and a billion dollars in humanitarian aid for Ukraine. That money a part of recently approved funds. But Ukraine's President Zelenskyy speaking by video to the summit was sharply critical of the U.S. and NATO for not doing more, saying Ukrainians are dying and NATO, quote, has yet to show what it can do to save people, pleading for tanks, fighter jets, and a no-fly zone. Zelenskyy saying Ukraine is waiting for real actions. Meanwhile, Mr. Biden saying he will push for Russia to be removed from the group of major economies known as the G-20 and that so far China, which like much of Europe still buys Russian oil and gas, has not given Russia more military aid.
BIDEN: China understands that its economic future is much more closely tied to the west than it is to Russia. And so I am hopeful that he does not get engaged.
WELKER: So far the U.S. and NATO allies have unleashed significant sanctions against Russia for the invasion, but those penalties have not deterred Putin. Something the White House and Vice President Harris initially said was the goal.
VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: The purpose of the sanctions has always been and continues to be deterrence.
WELKER: But today the President bristling when asked if that strategy was not working.
BIDEN: I did not say that in fact the sanctions would deter him. Sanctions never deter. You keep talking about that. Sanctions never deter. The main-ness of sanctions, the main-ness of sanctions, the increasing the pain. That's what will stop him.
