At the top of Wednesday's NBC Today, co-host Matt Lauer worked to tarnish Mitt Romney officially becoming the GOP Nominee: "Mitt Romney secures the Republican presidential nomination....But will his ongoing relationship with Donald Trump overshadow his big moment? As Trump plays the birther card once again."
Moments later, Lauer continued to rain on Romney's achievement: "...even as he basks in the glow of securing the nomination, Donald Trump, who hosted a closed-door fundraiser for Romney in Las Vegas last night, has managed to once again grab some headlines by reigniting the debate over President Obama's birthplace. Should Romney have been quicker to distance himself from Trump?"
Meanwhile, a misleading on-screen headline read: "Not Letting Go; Trump Presses Birther Issue at Romney Fundraiser." That made it sound as if Trump made birther comments at an event with Romney present. In reality, the NBC coverage only showed Trump making such remarks in interviews separate from the event itself.
Alexander touted how: "The Obama campaign lashed out with this web video, attacking Romney for failing to shoot down extreme voices in his party..."
Wrapping up the report, Alexander was happy to highlight questions surrounding Romney's family heritage:
And the Romney campaign also released Mitt Romney's birth certificate late Tuesday, after a reporter's request, and yes, it shows that he, too, was born in the United States. But ironically, at the end of the day this Trump-fueled birth certificate battle ended up as a reminder that Romney's own father George Romney, who was born in Mexico, actually had his own birther controversy when he ran for president 44 years ago.
On Tuesday's NBC Nightly News, anchor Brian Williams proclaimed: "Donald Trump doubles down as an Obama birther, raising problems for Romney as Trump raises money for the candidate."
In that report, Alexander observed: "For Romney, who arrived in Las Vegas this afternoon with Trump's personal jet over his shoulder, the timing is awkward at the very least. With the two men scheduled to appear together at a private fundraiser tonight." He later concluded: "Now Romney finds himself having to answer questions about why he hasn't been more outspoken on this issue."
NBC has repeatedly hit Romney for his association with Trump, despite the celebrity businessman having two reality shows on the network.
Here is a full transcript of Alexander's May 30 Today report:
7:00AM ET TEASE:
MATT LAUER: It's a lock. Mitt Romney secures the Republican presidential nomination by winning the Texas primary. But will his ongoing relationship with Donald Trump overshadow his big moment? As Trump plays the birther card once again.
7:01AM ET TEASE:
ANN CURRY: Mitt Romney says he's honored and humbled to be the GOP nominee. It's an accomplishment that's been five years in the making. And it comes after a bitterly fought primary season, Matt.
LAUER: And he has a right to celebrate. But even as he basks in the glow of securing the nomination, Donald Trump, who hosted a closed-door fundraiser for Romney in Las Vegas last night, has managed to once again grab some headlines by reigniting the debate over President Obama's birthplace. Should Romney have been quicker to distance himself from Trump? We'll be talking about that in just a couple of minutes.
7:02AM ET SEGMENT:
LAUER: We begin on a Wednesday morning with presidential politics and Mitt Romney now with enough delegates to become the Republican presidential nominee. NBC's Peter Alexander has the latest on this. Peter, good morning.
PETER ALEXANDER: Matt, good morning to you. With the Republican nomination all sewn up, Mitt Romney now heads into what is a crucial 90-day stretch ahead of the Republican convention, nearly neck and neck with the President. This week he launched a new series of attacks trying to court those much-needed independent voters, targeting President Obama for wasting taxpayer money. But on the very day he clinched the nomination, that message was largely "Trumped."
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Not Letting Go; Trump Presses Birther Issue at Romney Fundraiser]
With the Republican nomination now secure, Mitt Romney is betting the road to the White House goes through the Las Vegas strip.
MITT ROMNEY: It's entirely possible that late in the evening of November 6th, the nation is going to be wondering what's going to happen in Nevada.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: You can do it!
ROMNEY: There, exactly.
DONALD TRUMP: I don't consider myself birther or not birther. But there are some major questions here.
ALEXANDER: Single-handedly renewing questions about where the President was born, whether he's a U.S. citizen. A claim that was discredited more than a year ago when President Obama released his Hawaii birth certificate, due in part to pressure from Trump himself. Trump tweeted: "@BarackObama is practically begging @MittRomney to disavow the place of birth movement, he is afraid of it and for good reason." And later, sparred on CNN.
TRUMP: There are many people that don't agree with that birth certificate. They don't think it's authentic, Wolf.
WOLF BLITZER: I don't know when you say many people who don't agree-
TRUMP: Many people.
BLITZER: Like who? Give me a name of somebody in a position of authority in Hawaii says
TRUMP: There are many people that believe-
BLITZER: Give me a name.
TRUMP: There are many people. I don't give names.
ALEXANDER: The Obama campaign lashed out with this web video, attacking Romney for failing to shoot down extreme voices in his party, like John McCain did four years ago.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: He's an Arab.
JOHN MCCAIN: No, ma'am. No, ma'am. He's a – he's a decent family man, citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with.
ALEXANDER: On a day the Romney campaign wanted to celebrate in Las Vegas, instead it was dealing with a Trump side show, insisting in a statement, "Governor Romney has said repeatedly that he believes President Obama was born in the United States." Late Tuesday at the Trump event, even Newt Gingrich rallied behind Romney.
NEWT GINGRICH: Governor Romney is not distracted. The Republican Party is not distracted. We believe that this is an American-born job-killing president.
ALEXANDER: And the Romney campaign also released Mitt Romney's birth certificate late Tuesday, after a reporter's request, and yes, it shows that he, too, was born in the United States. But ironically, at the end of the day this Trump-fueled birth certificate battle ended up as a reminder that Romney's own father George Romney, who was born in Mexico, actually had his own birther controversy when he ran for president 44 years ago. Matt.
LAUER: Alright, Peter Alexander on this story. Peter, thank you very much.
