Following a Hillary Clinton campaign rally on Saturday that featured singer Katy Perry and former President Bill Clinton, NBC and ABC were beside themselves in gushing over the event. On Saturday’s NBC Nightly News, correspondent Kelly O’Donnell proclaimed: “Hillary Clinton's team is going all in on star power....husband Bill Clinton's first campaign stop here in Iowa....superstar hit maker [Katy Perry], whose song is Clinton’s campaign theme.... After a tough slide this summer, Clinton has hit a high note.”
At the top of Sunday’s NBC Today, co-host Jeff Rossen declared: “Hear them roar. Hillary Clinton rolls out some serious star power in Iowa, Katy Perry and her husband, the former president, hitting the campaign trail for the for the first time.” Minutes later, fellow co-host Erica Hill hailed: “Hillary Clinton bringing out her A-team Saturday in Iowa.”
Hill turned to Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd and wondered: “This was, understandably, a pretty good week by all accounts for Hillary Clinton. Is this the new campaign that we'll see, with former President Clinton there by her side?” Todd replied: “I think so. I think this campaign team thinks they have – they’re acting as if they have a little swagger now.”
ABC’s Good Morning America on Sunday provided nearly identical fawning coverage, as co-host Dan Harris led the broadcast by announcing: “Star power. Katy Perry roaring in support of Hillary Clinton at a big campaign rally, also featuring a former president....The candidate herself feeling energized in Iowa.”
Introducing the report minutes later, fellow co-host Paula Faris touted: “Hillary Clinton brought out a pair of heavy hitters, her husband and pop star Katy Perry...” Correspondent David Wright cheered: “Hillary Clinton's enjoying a bit of a star turn here in Des Moines, introduced by two rock stars as you say, Katy Perry and Bill Clinton.”
Wright noted that it was “Bill Clinton's debut on the campaign trail for his wife” as well as “Katy Perry's debut standing up for the Clinton campaign.” A soundbite ran of Perry telling Clinton supporters: “I stand and I march with Hillary. I believe in her future, her vision.”
Sounding like a fan, Wright hailed: “At the Iowa Jefferson-Jackson dinner, Hillary Clinton did roar.” A clip played of Clinton vowing: “We're going to build an America where a father can tell his daughter, ‘You can be anything you want to be, including President of the United States of America!’”
On World News Tonight that evening, Wright hyped: “In Iowa this weekend, Hillary Clinton's campaign rolled out the big guns. Katy Perry and Bill Clinton urging voters to break that glass ceiling once and for all.”
On Monday’s Good Morning America, correspondent Jon Karl told viewers: “Hillary Clinton seemed to be riding high in Iowa over the weekend with a little help from Katy Perry. And also Bill Clinton....Hillary Clinton seeming as confident as ever as she addressed the annual Jefferson-Jackson dinner, one of the biggest events of the year for Iowa Democrats. “
Wrapping up that report, Karl highlighted:
Today is Hillary Clinton's birthday. And as any politician will tell you, that means a chance to raise money. Last night, she celebrated with a star-studded fund-raiser where Tony Bennett sang happy birthday, along with Demi Lovato and John Legend. But George, what she would really like is another two weeks like she has just had.
Here are transcripts from NBC’s Today and ABC’s Good Morning America on October 25:
Today
8:00 AM ET TEASEJEFF ROSSEN: Hear them roar.
KATY PERRY [SINGING AT CLINTON CAMPAIGN RALLY: You're gonna hear me roar.
ROSSEN: Hillary Clinton rolls out some serious star power in Iowa, Katy Perry and her husband, the former president, hitting the campaign trail for the for the first time.
(...)
8:15 AM ET SEGMENT
ERICA HILL: On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton bringing out her A-team Saturday in Iowa. President Bill Clinton, former president, making his first appearance on the campaign trail alongside Katy Perry, whose hit song Roar just so happens to be the Clinton campaign song.
BILL CLINTON: I've never been the warm-up act for Katy Perry before.
HILL: First time for everything, right, Chuck Todd? Chuck Todd is moderator –
CHUCK TODD: I bet he enjoyed that, though.HILL: I'm going to go out on a limb and agree there with you, Chuck. I think so. So speaking of Bill Clinton, this is really the first time that we have seen him out there with Hillary Clinton on the campaign trail. This was, understandably, a pretty good week by all accounts for Hillary Clinton. Is this the new campaign that we'll see, with former President Clinton there by her side?
TODD: I think so. I think this campaign team thinks they have – they’re acting as if they have a little swagger now. I think that they believe Bill Clinton – and they're seen this in their own polling – among Democrats, Bill Clinton is as popular as Barack Obama. And if Barack Obama’s not yet a surrogate for her, Bill Clinton is a good one. So I do think now you're seeing sort of the next phase of the campaign on that front. So I think we're going to see a lot more Bill Clinton than we did before. Look, 12 days ago, there was concerns that is she was too much a part of the past? Does she have what it takes? Well, debate, preparation, all that thing, suddenly Democratic elites, Democratic donors feel a lot better. So now the campaign feels more comfortable putting Bill Clinton out there, too.
(...)
GMA
8:01 AM ET TEASE
DAN HARRIS: And star power. Katy Perry roaring in support of Hillary Clinton at a big campaign rally, also featuring a former president.
BILL CLINTON: I’ve never been the warm-up act for Katy Perry before.
HARRIS: The candidate herself feeling energized in Iowa.
8:13 AM ET SEGMENT
PAULA FARIS: Now to 2016 and the race for the White House. Now saying it’s a big weekend for the Democrats is a bit of an understatement. Hillary Clinton brought out a pair of heavy hitters, her husband and pop star Katy Perry, before she and her main rival Bernie Sanders strutted their stuff at a very influential dinner in Des Moines. And ABC’s David Wright is there with the very latest this morning. Hi, David.
DAVID WRIGHT: Hi, Paula, Hillary Clinton's enjoying a bit of a star turn here in Des Moines, introduced by two rock stars as you say, Katy Perry and Bill Clinton. But this is not a coronation, it's clear that Bernie Sanders wants to take that crown.
Hillary Clinton brought out the big guns, including a pop star dressed like a superhero.
KATY PERRY [SINGING]: Baby you're a firework.
WRIGHT: And a former president now campaigning to be the first-ever first husband.
BILL CLINTON: I’ve never been the warm-up act for Katy Perry before.
WRIGHT: This was Bill Clinton's debut on the campaign trail for his wife.
BILL CLINTON: I want thank all of you for showing up and for supporting her.
WRIGHT: Katy Perry's debut standing up for the Clinton campaign.
KATY PERRY: I stand and I march with Hillary. I believe in her future, her vision.
WRIGHT: And lending her voice, too.
PERRY [SINGING]: You’re gonna hear me roar.
WRIGHT: At the Iowa Jefferson-Jackson dinner, Hillary Clinton did roar.
HILLARY CLINTON: We're going to build an America where a father can tell his daughter, “You can be anything you want to be, including President of the United States of America!”
(...)
