While covering Republican efforts to reform the tax system and the health care industry, on Monday’s CBS This Morning, correspondent Major Garrett turned to Democrats to tear down both GOP agenda items, claiming the Trump administration tax plan was “angling to benefit the wealthy” and that the President “caved to conservatives” by maintaining his opposition to ObamaCare subsidies.
After noting that Trump “said the economy still needs trillions in tax cuts to spur growth,” Garrett declared: “Ohio Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown said a Trump administration staffed with many former Goldman Sachs executives was angling to benefit the wealthy instead of the middle class.”
After the reporter quoted the left-wing lawmaker’s attack line, a soundbite followed of Brown proclaiming: “The people closest to the President, whispering in his ear, all want to do tax cuts for – want to do trickle-down economics.”
Garrett next fretted over Trump standing by his executive order ending massive government health insurance subsidies that propped up ObamaCare:
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he’s open to bringing a bipartisan bill to the floor that would restore $7 billion in annual subsidies the President eliminated almost two weeks ago....When Republican Lamar Alexander and Democrat Patty Murray announced their health care deal, the President at first supported it....Then he dumped it. With very little evidence, Mr. Trump called the bill a giveaway to insurance companies.
Garrett then highlighted another Democrat denouncing the move: “Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said the President caved to conservative pressure.” A clip ran of Schumer ranting: “He called both Senators Murray and Alexander and said come to a solution. Then they come to a solution, the right-wing attacks it, and he backs off. That’s not leadership.”
On Friday, the morning show’s co-hosts all grilled House Speaker Paul Ryan on the tax plan as they employed Democratic Party talking points, with Norah O’Donnell even shouting at him: “That’s not a middle class tax cut!”
The liberal media have spent decades pushing for higher taxes and blasting any attempt to allow Americans to keep more of their own money. Such bias has remained constant despite government tax revenues being at record levels.
The slanted reporting from Garrett was brought to viewers by TD Ameritrade, Hellmann’s, and Toyota.
Here is a full transcript of the October 23 segment:
7:05 AM ET
CHARLIE ROSE: President Trump is leaning on congressional Republicans to finish tax reform quickly. He asked GOP House members on a conference call to go along with the Senate’s budget blueprint that would make it easier to pass the tax cut. The President will go to Capitol Hill tomorrow to meet Republican senators there for the first time. Major Garrett is at the White House with the effort to win a legislative victory. Major, good morning.
MAJOR GARRETT: Good morning. The President’s message to those House Republicans can be summarized as follows: Hurry up. House GOP leaders still cling to hopes they can pass a tax cut by Thanksgiving. Two key benchmarks lie ahead, finalizing the budget this week, and releasing the tax cut legislation and all of those nitty-gritty details next week.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: A Taxing Agenda; President Pushes for Tax Reform & ObamaCare Fix]
DONALD TRUMP: There’s a great spirit for it. People want to see it.
GARRETT: President Trump, who for days has hailed stock market records and low unemployment, said the economy still needs trillions in tax cuts to spur growth.
TRUMP: I call it tax cuts. It is tax reform also, but I call it tax cuts. It’ll be the biggest cuts ever in the history of this country.
GARRETT: Ohio Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown said a Trump administration staffed with many former Goldman Sachs executives was angling to benefit the wealthy instead of the middle class.
SEN. SHERROD BROWN [D-OH]: The people closest to the President, whispering in his ear, all want to do tax cuts for – want to do trickle-down economics.
GARRETT: The President also purportedly wants a short-term ObamaCare fix. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he’s open to bringing a bipartisan bill to the floor that would restore $7 billion in annual subsidies the President eliminated almost two weeks ago.
SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL [R-TN, SENATE MAJORITY LEADER]: We need a bill the President will actually sign. And I’m not certain yet what the President’s looking for here.
GARRETT: When Republican Lamar Alexander and Democrat Patty Murray announced their health care deal, the President at first supported it.
TRUMP: That’s a very good solution.
GARRETT: Then he dumped it. With very little evidence, Mr. Trump called the bill a giveaway to insurance companies.
TRUMP: I won’t do anything to enrich the insurance companies.
GARRETT: Alexander and Murray denied the charge, while Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said the President caved to conservative pressure.
SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER [D-NY, SENATE MINORITY LEADER]: He called both Senators Murray and Alexander and said come to a solution. Then they come to a solution, the right-wing attacks it, and he backs off. That’s not leadership.
GARRETT: The White House has been vague on tax cut details, keeping them under wraps until the last minute, then hoping Republicans will rapidly fall in line. That was pretty much the strategy behind three failed attempts to repeal and replace ObamaCare. The White House bet this time, Norah, the fourth time is the charm.
NORAH O’DONNELL: Alright, let’s see. Major, thank you.
