Displaying a stunning double standard on Thursday’s NBC Today, host Savannah Guthrie immediately dismissed 2012 Republican nominee Mitt Romney calling for the release of Donald Trump’s tax returns: “Donald Trump has been very clear, I mean when he was sitting right here, he said, ‘I pay low taxes because I don't want to pay high taxes.’ Is there a bombshell there? Does it matter for Trump? Who cares?”
Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd agreed: “I don't think it matters on his tax rate.” He then observed: “But there’s some irony here that Mitt Romney is doing to Donald Trump, by just sort of openly speculating and trolling him on this, what Harry Reid did to Mitt Romney four years ago, when Harry Reid just said, ‘You know what? I’ve heard he’s not paid any taxes.’”
MSNBC political analyst Nicolle Wallace chimed in: “But the difference is it hurt Romney, I’m not sure it hurts Trump. He’s running against a rigged system.”
In 2012, NBC was obsessed with Romney’s tax returns and Senator Reid’s false accusations against the GOP candidate, declaring the former Massachusetts governor to be “under intense pressure” from the issue that “won’t go away.”
In fact, Guthrie herself wondered if Romney had “something to hide” about his taxes.
On Thursday, Guthrie had dramatically changed her tune on the topic, claiming Romney’s questioning of Trump’s taxes to be an example of “People just dropping little stink bombs everywhere” throughout the 2016 campaign.
It certainly was never described as a “stink bomb” when Reid was the one making the charge.
On ABC’s Good Morning America, political analyst Matthew Dowd went further than Guthrie, labeling Romney’s remarks on Trump’s taxes to be “bizzare.”
Here is a transcript of the February 25 exchange:
(...)
7:15 AM ET
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: And then, finally, this issue of taxes. Mitt Romney thinking maybe there’s a bombshell there. Donald Trump has been very clear, I mean when he was sitting right here, he said, “I pay low taxes because I don't want to pay high taxes.” Is there a bombshell there? Does it matter for Trump? Who cares?
CHUCK TODD: I don't think it matters on his tax rate. The only thing that would matter to Trump would be what Romney brought up, if his net worth is not nearly what it was. But there’s some irony here that Mitt Romney is doing to Donald Trump, by just sort of openly speculating and trolling him on this, what Harry Reid did to Mitt Romney four years ago, when Harry Reid just said, “You know what? I’ve heard he’s not paid any taxes.” You know as a way to – Mitt Romney, this is his way of participating in the stop-Trump movement. We’ll see how it works.
NICOLLE WALLACE: But the difference is it hurt Romney, I’m not sure it hurts Trump. He’s running against a rigged system.
GUTHRIE: This is a real feature of this campaign, “I’ve heard this.” People just dropping little stink bombs everywhere.
WALLACE: Right, right.
(...)
