During her 10:00 a.m. ET hour show on Friday, MSNBC anchor Hallie Jackson informed viewers that the Joe Biden’s presidential campaign was “furious” that the “media is even covering” any allegations of corruption against his son Hunter. Later in the day, fellow anchor Andrea Mitchell touted a reporter sympathizing with Biden about the “brutal” campaign.
After noting that “the President is clearly going after Joe Biden” with an ad campaign highlighting Hunter Biden’s suspicious business dealings in Ukraine, Jackson proclaimed: “I know that the Biden campaign is furious with the fact that the media is even covering what the President is saying about Joe Biden at all.” Turning to correspondent Mike Memoli, she wondered: “How are they planning to fight back on all of this?”
Memoli delivered talking points:
Well, Hallie, you put your finger on it, which is that we’ve seen the Biden campaign itself has been working overdrive since these allegations first started surfacing about what the President and his allies think the Vice President did in Ukraine. They’ve been very forceful behind the scenes, especially in rebutting those allegations, but also making a political case that what we’re seeing here is an effort by the President essentially to pick his opponent. And that they think this is about a president who fears Joe Biden.
In the noon ET hour, anchor Andrea Mitchell eagerly featured a clip of Biden responding to a softball question about the controversy: “Meanwhile, The Reno Gazette, a reporter there, in Nevada, has asked Joe Biden if he expected the race to be this brutal.” The reporter sympathetically asked: “Did you think it would be this hard or the attacks would be so brutal against Hunter?”
Biden replied in part: “ Yeah, I did, I did. The American people know me, know who I am. And they know him, they know who he is. We’re a family. We’ve been through a lot worse. And we know what real pain is.”
Mitchell emphasized: “‘We know what real pain is.’”
In September, Biden yelled at Fox News reporter Peter Doocy for asking about Hunter’s sweatheart deal. The former Vice President then instructed journalists: “...you should be looking at Trump.” Clearly MSNBC has taken that direction.
Here is a transcript of Jackson’s October 4 exchange with Memoli:
10:50 AM ET
(...)
HALLIE JACKSON: Listen, the President is clearly going after Joe Biden. His campaign is going after Joe Biden. I know that the Biden campaign is furious with the fact that the media is even covering what the President is saying about Joe Biden at all. How are they planning to fight back on all of this? What’s the effect as you talk to advisers there?
MIKE MEMOLI: Well, Hallie, you put your finger on it, which is that we’ve seen the Biden campaign itself has been working overdrive since these allegations first started surfacing about what the President and his allies think the Vice President did in Ukraine. They’ve been very forceful behind the scenes, especially in rebutting those allegations, but also making a political case that what we’re seeing here is an effort by the President essentially to pick his opponent. And that they think this is about a president who fears Joe Biden.
What we haven’t heard from as much though is from the Vice President himself, and this is something that a lot of Democrats I’ve been talking to think is a mistake. He’s only had a handful of public events in the past few weeks. We did see him just two nights ago in Reno, very late east coast time, deliver his most forceful rebuttal to this, saying that he’ll put his reputation of integrity and public service up against Donald Trump any day of the week and “I’m not going anywhere.”
But a lot of Democrats think he needs to do more. We may hear from him where Ali [Vitali] is today, in Los Angeles. He also hasn’t taken questions from his press corps, so perhaps he’ll do that today.
JACKSON: Mike, thank you for that.
Here is a transcript of Mitchell touting the Reno Gazette question to Biden hours later:
12:43 PM ET
(...)
ANDREA MITCHELL: Meanwhile, The Reno Gazette, a reporter there, in Nevada, has asked Joe Biden if he expected the race to be this brutal. This was Wednesday in Reno.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN [REPORTER, RENO GAZETTE]: Did you think it would be this hard or the attacks would be so brutal against Hunter?
JOE BIDEN: Yeah, I did, I did. The American people know me, know who I am. And they know him, they know who he is. We’re a family. We’ve been through a lot worse. And we know what real pain is.
MITCHELL: “We know what real pain is.” Donna, he then, the next night or that night, I guess later that night, gave a tougher speech, pushing back harder against the President. But how is he doing? He’s not doing that well with his fundraising. You know, is this having an impact on him?
FMR. REP. DONNA EDWARDS [WASHINGTON POST CONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST]: Well, I mean, I think no doubt it would have an impact on anyone who’s been attacked in this kind of way, especially with the kind of untruths that the President of the United States has leveled against the former Vice President.
(...)
