ABC’s chief national correspondent Terry Moran reported on Senator Bernie Sanders’ newly announced 2020 run with an embarrassing amount of enthusiasm, on Tuesday’s Good Morning America. Just as the media did covering his 2016 campaign, Moran spoke glowingly of Sanders' radical agenda and hoped that many Americans would “feel the Bern."
In his first report, Moran swooned over the “unlikely political rockstar” and self-described democratic socialist. Moran touted how Sanders had moved the Democrat party even further to the left, wondering if he could “bottle that lightning again” in 2020:
Yes, it's official, Bernie is back and you’ll remember the last time Bernie Sanders ran for president, when he announced hardly anybody noticed and then he ignited that astonishing grassroots movement that made him the most unlikely political rockstar and changed the Democratic party, shifting it decisively leftward but now the question is, at 77 years old, can Bernie bottle that lightning again?
In his second report, the ABC correspondent further praised Sanders,’ “no frills, no nonsense, no apologies proudly progressive agenda,” asking, “ Will America 'feel the Bern?'”
Moran whitewashed Sanders’ socialist, big government agenda, speaking of it only in positive terms:
"But his progressive platform, universal medicare for all healthcare, free tuition at state colleges and universities, a trillion dollars in infrastructure spending caught fire as thousands flocked to his rallies hoping to ‘feel the Bern,'" he touted.
As if that weren’t bad enough, Moran ended his report by touting Sanders had “made democratic socialism cool for millions of voters.”
Anchor George Stephanopoulos even seemed to “feel the Bern,” touting, “Yeah, he is always on message and he has that huge list of supporters!” But he worried, “This is such a different challenge from last time around,” referring to the plethora of far-left candidates running in the Democrat party for 2020.
It goes without saying that it’s hard to imagine any Republican candidate getting this kind of glowing coverage and approval. In fact, we already know how the media completely botched and downplayed President Trump’s support in their 2016 campaign coverage.
Read the full transcripts below:
Good Morning America
2/19/19
7:04:41-7:07:05AM EST
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Now to that breaking political news. Bernie Sanders announcing he's running for president again. His challenge fell short in 2016 and the field for the Democratic nomination much more crowded this time around. Terry Moran has the latest. Good morning, Terry.
TERRY MORAN: Good morning, yes, it's official, Bernie is back and you’ll remember the last time Bernie Sanders ran for president, when he announced hardly anybody noticed and then he ignited that astonishing grassroots movement that made him the most unlikely political rockstar and changed the Democratic party, shifting it decisively leftward but now the question is, at 77 years old, can Bernie bottle that lightning again? This morning, Senator Bernie Sanders is making it official.
SANDERS: Together you and I and our 2016 campaign began the political revolution. Now it is time to complete that revolution and implement the vision that we fought for.
MORAN: Sanders sent this message to his massive list of supporters letting them know he's getting back in the ring. His improbable run in 2016 gives him an edge in name recognition for 2020. He started that race as a little-known Independent senator from Vermont.
SANDERS: I know that if I do this, I start off as a significant
MORAN: But his progressive platform, universal medicare for all, free tuition at state colleges and universities, trillion dollars in infrastructure spending caught fire as thousands flocked to his rallies hoping to feel the Bern.
SANDERS: We need a political revolution.
MORAN: Sanders struggle to win African-American in states like South Carolina and he ultimately conceited to Hillary Clinton at the Democratic National Convention.
SANDERS: I move that Hillary Clinton be selected as the nominee of the Democratic party for President of the United States.
MORAN: But in a crowded 2020 field early polls show Bernie Sanders near the top of the contenders. Bernie Sanders begins this campaign dealing with an issue from the last one, Sanders has now twice apologized to women staff members who say they were harassed or mistreated during the last campaign. That's bound to come up again but the real question for Bernie Sanders, George, of course, is having ignited this progressive movement in the democratic party, can he now take advantage of it, take it all the way and win.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Yeah because so many other candidates have his ideas right now, Terry, thanks very much.
Good Morning America
2/19/19
8:04:16-8:06:28 AM EST
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: We move to the political news. Bernie Sanders announcing he's running for president again. Let's go back to our senior national correspondent Terry Moran with the latest. Good morning, Terry.
TERRY MORAN: Good morning, George. Will America feel the Bern? That’s the question this morning. Bernie Sanders has made it official and he's betting that this time at 77 years old his no frills, no nonsense, no apologies proudly progressive agenda can carry him all the way to the White House. This morning, Senator Bernie Sanders is making it official.
BERNIE SANDERS: Together you and I and our 2016 campaign began the political revolution. Now it is time to complete that revolution and implement the vision that we fought for.
MORAN: Sanders sent this message to his massive list of supporters letting them know he's getting back in the ring. His improbable run in 2016 gives him an edge in name recognition for 2020. [ Chanting ] He started that race as a little known Independent senator from Vermont.
SANDERS: I know if I do this I start as a significant underdog.
MORAN: But his progressive platform, universal medicare for all healthcare, free tuition at state colleges and universities, a trillion dollars in infrastructure spending caught fire as thousands flocked to his rallies hoping to feel the Bern.
SANDERS: Welcome to the political revolution.
MORAN: Sanders struggled to win African-American voters in states like South Carolina and he ultimately conceded to Hillary Clinton at the Democratic National Convention. In 2016 Bernie Sanders changed the democratic party. He made democratic socialism cool for millions of voters but this time around they've got a lot more choices, other candidates have co-opted his agenda. But, you know, there's one thing we learned about Bernie Sanders in 2016, don't count him out.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Yeah he is always on message and He has that huge list of supporters but this is such a different challenge from last time around.
MORAN: It really is. The party has changed because of him but now that vote is splintered. there are a lot of candidates who are adopting medicare for all and college tuition for all. So he is going to have to differentiate himself and there is unavoidably the question of age, he looks great but 77, that's getting on.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Terry Moran, thanks very much.
