All three network morning shows on Thursday heralded President Obama blasting Donald Trump during a trip to Japan, declaring that world leaders were “rattled” by the Republican candidate. In stark contrast, when then-President Bush criticized then-Senator Obama’s views on foreign policy during an overseas trip in 2008, those same networks lined up Democrats to denounce the “political shot heard 'round the world.”
At the top of NBC’s Today on Thursday, co-host Savannah Guthrie proclaimed: “Global threat? President Obama, traveling in Japan, with his harshest criticism yet of Donald Trump, saying he’s rattled foreign leaders.” A soundbite ran of Obama warning: “A lot of the proposals that he’s made display either ignorance of world affairs or a cavalier attitude.”
In the report that followed, correspondent Hallie Jackson reiterated: “President Obama is clearly eager to take on Trump himself, on offense now overseas....unleashing his harshest criticism yet against Donald Trump and how he's viewed by world leaders....Calling out the Republican frontrunner for his knowledge of international affairs.”
On ABC’s Good Morning America, co-host George Stephanopoulos followed a clip of Obama’s attack by observing: “Pretty clear...the President is not going to hold back at all on taking on Trump.” Correspondent Jon Karl agreed: “Yeah. When he's firing a missile like that from Japan, you know that he is eager to get out there on the campaign trail. His legacy is on the line this fall. The President is waiting to get out on the campaign trail and is eager to do it.”
On CBS This Morning, co-host Gayle King touted: “President Obama said a short time ago in Japan that world leaders are worried about the rise of Donald Trump.” In n excerpt, Obama ranted: “They are not sure how seriously to take some of his pronouncements. But they're rattled by him, and for good reason.”
While all three broadcasts gleefully promoted Obama going after Trump by name on foreign soil, when President Bush vaguely alluded to then-candidate Obama’s liberal world view while speaking in front of the Israeli parliament in 2008, the network evening newscasts pounced.
Then-CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric fretted over “a two-pronged Republican attack today on Barack Obama on a key foreign policy matter.” Then-NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams announced: “...today's political shot heard 'round the world. The concussion was instantaneous. Upon hearing the news, one Democratic Senator used a word we can't use on this broadcast.” In the later report, Joe Biden was quoted, “THIS IS B******T.” Then-ABC World News anchor Charles Gibson noted: “President Bush, addressing Israel's parliament, made comments to which Barack Obama and other Democrats took offense...”
The Nightly News report featured then-Senator Hillary Clinton slamming Bush: “President Bush's comparison of any Democrat to Nazi appeasers is both offensive and outrageous.” A soundbite followed of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi: “What the President did in that regard is beneath the dignity of the office of President.”
All of the hyperbolic coverage stemmed from Bush noting that “some seem to believe that we should negotiate with the terrorists and radicals” during his speech in Israel. He didn’t even mention Obama’s name.
Here are excerpts of the May 26 coverage on the three morning shows:
Today
7:00 AM ET TEASE:
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: Global threat? President Obama, traveling in Japan, with his harshest criticism yet of Donald Trump, saying he’s rattled foreign leaders.
BARACK OBAMA: A lot of the proposals that he’s made display either ignorance of world affairs or a cavalier attitude.
GUTHRIE: Back here, a Trump rally in attitude leads to more clashes.
7:02 AM ET TEASE:
MATT LAUER: In the meantime, President Obama really did have some strong words for Donald Trump. You just heard a small portion. He went on from there, we're going to show you more of that coming up.
7:13 AM ET SEGMENT:SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: Also this morning, President Obama is weighing in on the presidential race in a big way, speaking at a summit in Japan. The President is hammering Donald Trump and his policies and weighing in on the Democratic side of things as well.
While here at home, a Trump rally has led to clashes between protesters and police for a second straight day. Our Decision 2016 team is on the story again. Let's start with NBC's Hallie Jackson. Hallie, good morning.
HALLIE JACKSON: Hi, Savannah, good morning. As people line up already for Donald Trump's rally here in Montana, the candidate’s going after Democrats. But President Obama is clearly eager to take on Trump himself, on offense now overseas.
President Obama in Japan this morning, unleashing his harshest criticism yet against Donald Trump and how he's viewed by world leaders.
BARACK OBAMA: They are not sure how seriously to take some of his pronouncements, but they're rattled by him, and for good reason.
JACKSON: Calling out the Republican frontrunner for his knowledge of international affairs.
OBAMA: The proposals that he’s made display either ignorance of world affairs or a cavalier attitude or an interest in getting tweets and headlines instead of actually thinking through what it is that is required to keep America safe and secure and prosperous, and what’s required to keep the world on an even keel.
(...)
GMA
7:10 AM ET(...)
STEPHANOPOULOS: Meanwhile, Jon, at his press conference talking about Donald Trump again, saying world leaders he's talked to are surprised by the rise of Donald Trump and not sure how seriously to take him. Let's look.
BARACK OBAMA: They're rattled by him. And for good reason. Because a lot of the proposals that he's made display either ignorance of world affairs or a cavalier attitude or an interest in getting tweets and headlines.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Pretty clear, Jon, the President is not going to hold back at all on taking on Trump.
KARL: Yeah. When he's firing a missile like that from Japan, you know that he is eager to get out there on the campaign trail. His legacy is on the line this fall. The President is waiting to get out on the campaign trail and is eager to do it.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Okay, Jon Karl, thanks very much.
CBS This Morning
7:06 AM ETGAYLE KING: President Obama said a short time ago in Japan that world leaders are worried about the rise of Donald Trump.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Obama: World Leaders Concerned About Billionaire]
BARACK OBAMA: They are paying very close attention to this election. I think it's fair to say that they are surprised by the Republican nominee. They are not sure how seriously to take some of his pronouncements. But they're rattled by him, and for good reason.
