Appearing on NBC’s Today Wednesday morning, correspondent Andrea Mitchell could not contain her excitement as she swooned over Hillary Clinton becoming the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party: “...after two bruising presidential primary campaigns, Hillary Clinton, finally able to write her page in the history books....embracing her place in American history.”
Mitchell cheered: “Women have come close before, but never like this. The United States, now, a step closer to possibly electing a woman to its highest office, as Hillary Clinton hopes to join a club long-established by other nations. Like the U.K., with Margaret Thatcher, and Germany's Angela Merkel.”
A soundbite was featured of Clinton’s former press secretary as First Lady, Lisa Caputo, who declared: “This is meaningful for our country, I think for the role of women in our society, and to demonstrate to the world that we are as progressive as we say we are.”
Later in the fawning report, Mitchell fretted over Clinton “struggling to earn stronger loyalty among younger women” who were “latching on to Bernie Sanders,” and proclaimed: “An ironic twist for someone who has arguably been a defining figure in women's empowerment, as First Lady, U.S. Senator, and Secretary of State.”
A clip ran of New York Times reporter Amy Chozick lamenting: “That's been something sort of surprising to her campaign, that young women haven't had a reflective gender allegiance and just kind of gotten behind her candidacy because of its historic nature.”
Mitchell noted: “Clinton hoping her historic run isn't lost on voters in the fall.” Footage played of Clinton telling Mitchell: “So many people talk to me about what it means to them. Women and girls, fathers of daughters, people who understand the historic meaning of this moment.”
Wrapping up the press release, Mitchell argued that in 2008, “Clinton was trying so hard to prove she could be a commander in chief, she didn't focus on her gender,” but assured viewers that “this time, it is becoming a central theme of her campaign, breaking that glass ceiling at last.”
During live coverage on MSNBC Tuesday night, Mitchell fondly reminisced over her career covering Clinton.
Here is a full transcript of softball June 8 Today segment:
8:12 AM ET
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: No matter what side of the aisle you're on, there's no denying Hillary Clinton has made history, as she secures her party's nomination. 100 years after the first woman was elected to Congress, 35 years after the first woman would sit on the Supreme Court, Clinton is now as close as any woman has ever been to being this country's commander in chief. And NBC’s Andrea Mitchell is here with more on a milestone. Andrea, good morning again.
ANDREA MITCHELL: It is indeed, good morning again to you, Savannah. On Tuesday night in Brooklyn, after two bruising presidential primary campaigns, Hillary Clinton, finally able to write her page in the history books.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Hillary Clinton Makes History; What Does Nomination of First Woman Really Mean?]
Hillary Clinton, embracing her place in American history.
HILLARY CLINTON: Thanks to you, we've reached a milestone. Her campaign, seizing the moment, by releasing this new video to celebrate the historic first.
CLINTON [CAMPAIGN VIDEO]: If America is going to lead, we need to learn from the women of the world who have blazed new paths.
MITCHELL: Women have come close before, but never like this. The United States, now, a step closer to possibly electing a woman to its highest office, as Hillary Clinton hopes to join a club long-established by other nations. Like the U.K., with Margaret Thatcher, and Germany's Angela Merkel.
LISA CAPUTO [FMR. PRESS SECRETARY TO FIRST LADY HILLARY CLINTON]: This is meaningful for our country, I think for the role of women in our society, and to demonstrate to the world that we are as progressive as we say we are.
MITCHELL: It's a mantle she's taken up since her days as First Lady.
CLINTON: Women's rights are human rights.
MITCHELL: To the campaign trail, in response to an attack from Donald Trump.
CLINTON: If fighting for women's health care and paid family leave and equal pay is the playing the woman card, then deal me in!
MITCHELL: After he accused her of playing the woman's card, her website even offering donors a literal official woman card. But nearly eight years after coming just short of breaking that glass ceiling.
CLINTON [JUNE 7, 2008]: Thanks to you, it's got about 18 million cracks in it.
MITCHELL: This year's run challenged by something even she predicted back then.
CLINTON: From now on, it will be unremarkable for a woman to win primary state victories. Unremarkable to think that a woman can be the President of the United States. And that is truly remarkable, my friends.
MITCHELL: While recent polls show a stark gender divide between Clinton and Trump supporters, she’s struggling to earn stronger loyalty among younger women, many latching on to Bernie Sanders instead.
AMY CHOZICK: That's been something sort of surprising to her campaign, that young women haven't had a reflective gender allegiance and just kind of gotten behind her candidacy because of its historic nature.
MITCHELL: An ironic twist for someone who has arguably been a defining figure in women's empowerment, as First Lady, U.S. Senator, and Secretary of State. But those decades in the spotlight may also be working against Clinton, as both Democratic and Republican voters gravitate toward outsiders. Still, with the general election now in a dead-heat, Clinton hoping her historic run isn't lost on voters in the fall.
CLINTON: So many people talk to me about what it means to them. Women and girls, fathers of daughters, people who understand the historic meaning of this moment.
MITCHELL: Eight years ago, Hillary Clinton was trying so hard to prove she could be a commander in chief, she didn't focus on her gender. Well, this time, it is becoming a central theme of her campaign, breaking that glass ceiling at last.
GUTHRIE: And we'll see if voters respond to it.
MITCHELL: Exactly.
GUTHRIE: Andrea, thank you very much.
