When you’re a Democratic Party operative disguised as a journalist, like NBC’s Andrea Mitchell, you don’t worry about blatantly cheerleading for your favorite left-wing politicians. That was certainly on display during Thursday’s Today show, as the senior Washington correspondent gleefully claimed that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris had “delivered a scathing indictment” against President Trump in their first joint campaign appearance.
“And it is game on,” Mitchell excitedly announced at the start of the glowing propaganda piece. She then marveled over how the Democratic presidential ticket politicized the pandemic and declared Harris to be Biden’s new “weapon”: “Joe Biden, Kamala Harris will receive a public health briefing today on the coronavirus as their campaign kickoff made clear President Trump’s handling of the pandemic will be a central focus of their attacks and Kamala Harris will be a major weapon in prosecuting that case.”
Mitchell hailed the unusual campaign event held Wednesday afternoon:
It was a rollout unlike any other, with the new running mates addressing a small group of reporters and campaign staff in a high school gym in Delaware while remaining socially distant. Biden praising Harris as an ideal governing partner, calling her smart, tough, and experienced....They also underscored the historic moment, with Harris becoming the first black woman to join a major party ticket.
The hack reporter then fantasized that the campaign would be some kind of prosecution of Trump: “With the COVID-shortened campaign now in full swing, the Democrats delivered a scathing indictment of Donald Trump’s presidency.” A soundbite ran of Harris hurling insults: “America is crying out for leadership. Yet we have a president who cares more about himself than the people who elected him.”
While that rhetoric from Harris was just fine, Mitchell scolded the President for daring to hit back:
MITCHELL: President Trump said he did not watch his opponents, but he did take aim at Harris.
DONALD TRUMP: She is very short on facts. She – I think she’s going to be a big failure.
MITCHELL: And doubling down overnight, a Trump campaign email calling Harris “the meanest, most horrible, most disrespectful, most liberal of anyone in the U.S. Senate.”
Despite the whole segment serving as a Biden-Harris campaign ad, Mitchell made sure emphasize the DNC message of the day: “The new team is already playing up their partnership, with Biden tweeting this image of the candidates dressed almost identically in blue suits, with the caption, ‘Let’s get to work, Kamala Harris.’”
This is the kind of active promotion of the Democratic ticket that viewers can expect from partisan shills like Mitchell throughout the rest of the general election campaign.
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Here is a full transcript of the August 13 segment:
7:03 AM ET
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: Let’s start with politics. The race for the White House, it is on. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris making their public debut as running mates, laying out their vision for the country yesterday afternoon. The reaction from the President, swift and strong. Andrea Mitchell is NBC ‘s senior Washington correspondent. Andrea, good morning.
ANDREA MITCHELL: Good morning. And it is game on. Joe Biden, Kamala Harris will receive a public health briefing today on the coronavirus as their campaign kickoff made clear President Trump’s handling of the pandemic will be a central focus of their attacks and Kamala Harris will be a major weapon in prosecuting that case.
Overnight, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris making the campaign’s first joint fundraising appearance, following their official debut earlier as the 2020 Democratic presidential ticket.
JOE BIDEN: Your next vice president of the United States, Kamala Harris.
MITCHELL: It was a rollout unlike any other, with the new running mates addressing a small group of reporters and campaign staff in a high school gym in Delaware while remaining socially distant. Biden praising Harris as an ideal governing partner, calling her smart, tough, and experienced.
JOE BIDEN: She knows how to make the hard calls. She’s ready to do this job on day one.
MITCHELL: They also underscored the historic moment, with Harris becoming the first black woman to join a major party ticket.
BIDEN: All across the nation, little girls woke up, especially little black and brown girls, who so often feel overlooked and undervalued in their communities, but today, today just maybe they’re seeing themselves for the first time in a new way.
HARRIS: Joe, I’m so proud to stand with you. And I do so mindful of all the heroic and ambitious women before me.
MITCHELL: With the COVID-shortened campaign now in full swing, the Democrats delivered a scathing indictment of Donald Trump’s presidency.
HARRIS: America is crying out for leadership. Yet we have a president who cares more about himself than the people who elected him.
MITCHELL: President Trump said he did not watch his opponents, but he did take aim at Harris.
DONALD TRUMP: She is very short on facts. She – I think she’s going to be a big failure.
MITCHELL: And doubling down overnight, a Trump campaign email calling Harris “the meanest, most horrible, most disrespectful, most liberal of anyone in the U.S. Senate.”
The day’s most poignant moment came when Biden noted the friendship Harris forged with his late son Beau when both served as state attorneys general.
BIDEN: I know how much Beau respected Kamala and her work. And that mattered a lot to me, to be honest with you, as I made this decision.
HARRIS: Beau was the kind of guy who inspired people to be a better version of themselves. And when I would ask him, where’d you get that? Where’d this come from? He’d always talk about his dad.
MITCHELL: The new team is already playing up their partnership, with Biden tweeting this image of the candidates dressed almost identically in blue suits, with the caption, “Let’s get to work, Kamala Harris.”
Republicans are taking notes, with some of the President’s own advisers worrying about his scattershot Twitter attacks in trying to define either Joe Biden or Kamala Harris. Savannah?
GUTHRIE: Alright, Andrea, thank you.
