On Tuesday, anchors, correspondents, and pundits on CBS This Morning all agreed that the real winner of the Democratic Iowa caucus was actually President Trump, given all the chaos that plagued the contest. The network broadcast labeled Monday’s inauspicious start to the 2020 Democratic primary season an “embarrassment” that only “helps the President.”
“So this morning, the two chief political exports of Iowa are uncertainty and embarrassment,” correspondent Major Garrett proclaimed early in the show. Wrapping up the report, he sounded exasperated: “So the Iowa Democratic Party better get its act together, and soon, if it’s going to claim any legitimacy in this process.” Co-host Tony Dokoupil remarked: “Not a good look for Iowa, not a good look for the Democrats.”
During an interview with 2020 Democratic contender Pete Buttigieg minutes later, Dokoupil pressed: “Does the fact that there are now multiple candidates calling themselves victorious, does that create chaos that helps the President spin a narrative that the Democrats don’t know what they’re doing?”
In a follow-up, fellow co-host Gayle King observed: “I would imagine at the White House they are doing the hula today because it does look like a hot mess for the Democrats.” She then wondered: “What does it say that the Democrats couldn’t get something so important right, right out the gate?”
After the interview, correspondent Ed O’Keefe reported live from New Hampshire and warned:
Meanwhile, some Republicans are already seizing on last night’s caucus mishap to mock Democrats. Take, for example, what Donald Trump Jr. tweeted, quote, “Everyone’s really excited about the prospect of turning over our entire health care system to you guys,” he said about Democrats. Arguing that if they can’t even get an election done, how could they run the country?
King replied: “Ed, yup, it seems like the jokes are going to start writing themselves.” She then cited more evidence of that: “President Trump is also appearing to rejoice over the confusion in Iowa. A short time ago, he tweeted this, ‘The Democrat caucus is an unmitigated disaster. Nothing works, just like they ran the country.’”
Reporting from Iowa again in the 7:30 a.m. ET half hour, Garrett highlighted: “In a tweet this morning, President Trump tried to take advantage of all this chaos, saying what happened in Iowa was a big win for him.”
During a panel discussion at the top of the 8:00 a.m. ET hour, CBS News political analyst and Republican strategist Terry Sullivan announced: “Look, at the end of the day, the real winner here, the results are in, is Donald Trump.” Both King and co-host Anthony Mason immediately agreed with his assessment.
Sullivan continued: “I mean, how is he not the winner from this? Every front page of every newspaper no longer has a candidate’s picture on it and their name, it has ‘Indecision in Iowa’....‘Chaos.’” King declared: “Can’t you see at the White House today, Terry, they’re saying to the Democrats, ‘Keep doing what you’re doing.’”
Turning to fellow political analyst and Democratic strategist Robby Mook moments later, Dokoupil fretted: “I mean, doesn’t it hurt the party when you’ve got Don Jr. saying things like, ‘These are the people who want to run your health care’?” Mook acknowledged it was a problem for Democrats.
Dokoupil added: “You know, I’m not a political expert, you guys are, but that sounds pretty effective.” Sullivan concluded: “I mean, yeah. Look, this is a big blow for the Democratic Party and the entire process.”
Clearly this was not the kind of media coverage Democrats were expecting the morning after the Iowa caucus.
Here are excerpts of the February 4 coverage on CBS This Morning:
7:05 AM ET
MAJOR GARRETT: So this morning, the two chief political exports of Iowa are uncertainty and embarrassment.
(...)
7:08 AM ET
GARRETT: And for the voters, thousands of whom showed up to these caucuses for the very first time, this is not what they expected, certainly not what they promised. So the Iowa Democratic Party better get its act together, and soon, if it’s going to claim any legitimacy in this process.
TONY DOKOUPIL: Not a good look for Iowa, not a good look for the Democrats.
(...)
7:11 AM ET
DOKOUPIL: You and the other candidates have been very careful to not undermine party unity as you campaign against one another. But now we have this chaotic result coming out of Iowa. Does the fact that there are now multiple candidates calling themselves victorious, does that create chaos that helps the President spin a narrative that the Democrats don’t know what they’re doing?
PETE BUTTIGIEG: We are competing, and you’re going to see this competition play out. But what we all know and all agree on are the values that bring us together and the absolute need to deliver a new and better presidency.
GAYLE KING: I would imagine at the White House they are doing the hula today because it does look like a hot mess for the Democrats. Does it – what does it say that the Democrats couldn’t get something so important right, right out the gate?
(...)
7:16 AM ET
ED O’KEEFE: Meanwhile, some Republicans are already seizing on last night’s caucus mishap to mock Democrats. Take, for example, what Donald Trump Jr. tweeted, quote, “Everyone’s really excited about the prospect of turning over our entire health care system to you guys,” he said about Democrats. Arguing that if they can’t even get an election done, how could they run the country?
KING: Ed, yup, it seems like the jokes are going to start writing themselves. Thank you very much.
President Trump is also appearing to rejoice over the confusion in Iowa. A short time ago, he tweeted this, “The Democrat caucus is an unmitigated disaster. Nothing works, just like they ran the country.”
(...)
7:33 AM ET
GARRETT: In a tweet this morning, President Trump tried to take advantage of all this chaos, saying what happened in Iowa was a big win for him.
(...)
8:06 AM ET
TERRY SULLIVAN: Look, at the end of the day, the real winner here, the results are in, is Donald Trump.
ANTHONY MASON: Yeah.
KING: Yes.
SULLIVAN: I mean, how is he not the winner from this? Every front page of every newspaper no longer has a candidate’s picture on it and their name, it has “Indecision in Iowa.”
KING: “Chaos.”
SULLIVAN: “Chaos.”
KING: Can’t you see at the White House today, Terry, they’re saying to the Democrats, “Keep doing what you’re doing.”
SULLIVAN: Right. Well, I think they’ve been saying that for a while at the White House.
(...)
8:08 AM ET
DOKOUPIL: You think it’s just going to move on? I mean, doesn’t it hurt the party when you’ve got Don Jr. saying...
ROBBY MOOK: Yeah.
DOKOUPIL: ...things like, “These are the people who want to run your health care”? You know, I’m not a political expert, you guys are, but that sounds pretty effective.
SULLIVAN: I mean, yeah. Look, this is a big blow for the Democratic Party and the entire process.
(...)
