On Sunday, the political panel on ABC’s This Week was eager for Democrats to win control of the House of Representatives in November’s midterm elections so that liberal lawmakers could launch numerous investigations into the Trump administration. Moderator George Stephanopoulos sparked off the discussion by declaring: “If the president’s concerned about self-preservation, he better do well in the midterms. Republicans better do well.”
That prompted laughter from the panel, as the anchor touted: “...our friends at FiveThirtyEight have put out their first forecast for the midterm elections. And they say that Democrats have a three in four chance to win control of the House...” Moments later, political analyst Matthew Dowd excitedly chimed in: “...get ready for a bumpy ride if the Democrats take the House back in 2019. If we thought we had a fabulous 2017, an exciting time, get ready for when they have the investigative body.”
Later in the segment, Stephanopoulos proclaimed: “Setting aside impeachment, Democrats with subpoena power on Ways and Means Committee, House Oversight Committee, can create a world of hurt for this White House.”
Unlike the giddiness displayed by Stephanopoulos and Dowd, conservative Wall Street Journal columnist Jason Riley warned against a Democratic win: “And I wonder if the president realizes this. That things are – his agenda is gonna stop – ” Stephanopoulos interrupted: “Different world.” Riley continued: “It will be a different world. And he might think, ‘Oh, I’ll have fun with a Speaker Pelosi as a foil.’ No, it won’t be any fun.”
Democratic strategist Karen Finney enthusiastically predicted:
I absolutely think he realizes it because it will also mean, forget about impeachment, the Russia investigation and all of the stonewalling that we’ve seen from the Republicans on a number of things that Democrats have been asking for in terms of various materials. I mean, talk about paranoid behavior we’re going to see in terms of the Democrats’ ability to have more access, in theory, and create more trouble for him on that.
Stephanopoulos then suggested another line of attack for Democrats: “Before you even get to Russia, the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, if it’s a Democrat, can get the president’s tax returns and give it to every single member of Congress.” Finney was on the same page: “Yes.”
The eagerness with which Stephanopoulos and some of his pundits were rooting for Democrats to investigate Trump made it clear which party they hoped would prevail in November.
Here are excerpts of the August 19 discussion on This Week:
9:49 AM ET
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: If the president’s concerned about self-preservation, he better do well in the midterms. Republicans better do well. [Laughter] I want to bring up from FiveThirtyEight, our friends at FiveThirtyEight have put out their first forecast for the midterm elections. And they say that Democrats have a three in four chance to win control of the House, Republicans have a one in four chance to keep control in the House.
(...)
9:51 AM ET
MATTHEW DOWD: Two predictions I will make is get ready for a bumpy ride if the Democrats take the House back in 2019. If we thought we had a fabulous 2017, an exciting time, get ready for when they have the investigative body. And two is I think one thing we ought to pay attention to on election night is there’s going to be a whole bunch of new leaders emerge that we have not even heard of.
(...)
9:54 AM ET
STEPHANOPOULOS: Setting aside impeachment, Democrats with subpoena power on Ways and Means Committee, House Oversight Committee, can create a world of hurt for this White House.
JASON RILEY [COLUMNIST, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL]: And I wonder if the president realizes this. That things are – his agenda is gonna stop –
STEPHANOPOULOS: Different world.
RILEY: It will be a different world. And he might think, “Oh, I’ll have fun with a Speaker Pelosi as a foil.” No, it won’t be any fun. [Laughter] It will not be fun at all.
KAREN FINNEY: But I think he – I absolutely think he realizes it because it will also mean, forget about impeachment, the Russia investigation and all of the stonewalling that we’ve seen from the Republicans on a number of things that Democrats have been asking for in terms of various materials. I mean, talk about paranoid behavior we’re going to see in terms of the Democrats’ ability to have more access, in theory, and create more trouble for him on that.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Before you even get to Russia, the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, if it’s a Democrat, can get the president’s tax returns...
FINNEY: Yes.
STEPHANOPOULOS: ...and give it to every single member of Congress.
(...)
