ABC previewed their exclusive interview with Vice President Elect Kamala Harris on Wednesday’s Good Morning America. As the GMA co-anchor has done in the past, Robin Roberts was reluctant to press the Democrat on any issue with tough questions or criticism, and instead chose to gush over her "historic" win, instead.
In fact, that’s how she phrased her first softball to Harris:
In just a few short weeks Kamala Harris will make history when she is sworn in. But following a contentious and extended election season bringing the country together remains a major challenge. President Trump, what are your thoughts on his reluctance to acknowledge the election?
While Roberts invited criticism of President Trump, she refused to highlight criticism for the incoming administration.
Such as when she specifically asked Harris what their plan was to combat COVID beyond a mask-wearing “mandate:” “[W]hat specifically will this administration do to turn this pandemic around?” she asked. After Harris emphasized wearing masks and getting the vaccine but did not give any more specifics, Roberts didn’t press further. In her next question, Roberts refused to call out the Democrat for spreading anti-vaccine conspiracies leading up to the election:
ROBERTS: How do you go about doing that [making sure people get the vaccine] when you know there's so much mistrust, especially in the community of color?
As we’ve documented at NewsBusters, Harris told Americans in September not to trust President Trump on the coronavirus vaccine. ABC used Harris and Biden’s own words to spread mistrust about a COVID vaccine, and now they have the audacity to question why there’s mistrust, and ask Harris how to combat that mistrust, when they themselves were part of the problem?
Even in her toughest question of the previewed interview, Roberts had to gingerly qualify her question to Harris with a falsehood protecting Democrats:
ROBERTS: Leaders on both sides when it comes to the pandemic, they will put down strict guidelines.
HARRIS: Yeah.
ROBERTS: Even your colleague in California, strict guidelines but yet they don't follow through. What kind of message does that send to the American public?
Actually it hasn’t been “both sides,” it’s just been Democrats destroying businesses and livelihoods with their draconian measures that they then themselves break, something ABC refused to acknowledge in a report last week as well.
Instead of pressing Harris with hard questions, Roberts and her GMA co-anchors fawned over Harris's "historic" or "history" making win another five times throughout the interview and follow-up discussion. Treating Harris and Biden with kid gloves is routine for the media. We will see if she gets tougher questions in her full interview airing tonight on Nightline.
Geico and Consumer Cellular sponsored this softball segment, you can contact them at the Conservatives Fight Back page here.
See the relevant transcript portions below:
ABC’s Good Morning America
12/16/2020
ROBIN ROBERTS: We sat down at her Alma Mater, Howard University, just a short distance away from the Capitol, where she will be sworn in on January 20th.
KAMALA HARRIS: Yeah.
ROBERTS: Howard University. Just a short distance, of course, the Capitol, the White House, as a student could you have imagined being just days away from such a historic moment?
(..)
ROBERTS: In just a few short weeks Kamala Harris will make history when she is sworn in. But following a contentious and extended election season bringing the country together remains a major challenge. President Trump, what are your thoughts on his reluctance to acknowledge the election?
(..)
ROBERTS: And as the country reels from a raging pandemic that has led to more than 300,000 American lives lost and caused unemployment to soar, questions remain about how the new administration will work with Congress to bring relief to the American people.The stimulus package.
HARRIS: Yeah.
ROBERTS: When you're talking about how to work together and come together knowing there are people in need, what needs to be done or assured to make sure that it gets passed?
(..)
ROBERTS: He has said 100-day mask mandate. Other than that, what specifically will this administration do to turn this pandemic around?
HARRIS: Yeah, and the 100 days of the mask, he's urging. Like no punishment. They don't have to but is saying as a leader, please, everybody, work with me here for the first 100 days. Let's everybody just wear a mask and see the outcomes there because, of course, scientists and the public health officials tell us they'll be really great outcomes if everyone does wear a mask when they’re in public. It is about getting through the pandemic around making sure that everyone has access to the vaccine and that they take it.
ROBERTS: How do you go about doing that when you know there's so much mistrust, especially in the community of color?
HARRIS: That means about listening to the people, about remembering history and why people feel the way they do and then also reminding folks, this vaccine is just about one thing and one thing only, saving lives.
ROBERTS: Leaders on both sides when it comes to the pandemic, they will put down strict guidelines.
HARRIS: Yeah.
ROBERTS: Even your colleague in California, strict guidelines but yet they don't follow through. What kind of message does that send to the American public?
HARRIS: I think we all have to understand that right now this is a moment for everyone to sacrifice and if we're going to get through this together as a country, then we all have to do it.
ROBERTS: And while Harris stands on the cusp of history not only are there new challenges but a recent reminder that old ones still exist. A controversial op-ed calling for Dr. Jill Biden to drop "Doctor" from her title because her doctorate is in education, not medicine. What was your reaction when you read that, when you heard that?
(...)
ROBERTS: Now the Vice President-Elect and her husband, Doug Emhoff, are both preparing to shatter gender norms. How do you think he will put a stamp -- he's making history as well.
(..)
ROBERTS: She's really navigating the weight of responsibility of -- that goes along with being a first.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Just seeing her take that oath is going to be such a huge moment in our history.
ROBERTS: Very historic, but yet, George and Michael, she gets beyond that in saying that when I asked her as other VPs in history that once they are in office that they have special initiatives that they want to be a part of and want to push from the White House and I asked her does she have a special initiative of something.She said It's about the American people. She's very focused on that knowing it's an historic moment, knowing this is a big moment but just really focused on the job at hand. I kept pushing you know, 70 million voted for President Trump. 60% of House Republicans pushed the Supreme Court to get the election overturned so to say you want to work together is one thing but how do you go about doing it? And was encouraged by Mitch McConnell and what he finally admitted.
STEPHANOPOULOS: It took some time but it was the right thing to do at this point.
