Appearing on NBC’s Sunday Today, Meet the Press host Chuck Todd desperately hoped that Donald Trump would somehow take the media “spotlight” off of “the Democratic Party’s problems” leading into the 2022 midterm elections. He gleefully referred to the former Republican president as “the single greatest asset the Democratic Party has right now.”
“He’s flailing all over the country....So what is he doing now, going after Republicans who are not supportive of him and then chasing the last election everywhere he goes?,” host Willie Geist remarked in reference to Trump. Todd sneered: “Trying to figure out what’s in Donald Trump’s head, right? That’s a scary place that none of us want to live rent free inside his head, though I think many of us do.”
With the headline on screen blaring that “Trump Controls GOP Ahead of Midterms,” Todd showed his partisanship by bragging that the former president was “the single greatest asset the Democratic Party has right now.” Pretending as if he wasn’t a part of the very media that decides which stories get covered, Todd proclaimed: “Without Donald Trump in the way, I think the Democratic Party’s problems would be a bit more in the spotlight, if you will.”
Todd predicted electoral success for Democrats as long as he and his press colleagues could distract from Biden’s failures by hyping Trump:
But Donald Trump, by dividing his party the way he’s done, look, it’ll be the singular reason why, if Terry McAuliffe wins in Virginia, in this political environment, he will have Donald Trump to thank. So Donald Trump is a huge asset right now to the Democratic Party and President Biden.
In other words, so-called “journalists” like Todd will make sure to focus on anything that takes the “spotlight” off of topics that are politically damaging for Democrats and attack Republicans instead.
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Here is a full transcript of the September 26 segment:
8:07 AM ET
WILLIE GEIST: Chuck Todd is NBC’s political director and moderator of Meet the Press. Chuck, good morning, good to see you.
CHUCK TODD: Good morning.
GEIST: So let’s talk about what Donald Trump exactly is up to here. Took a defeat in Arizona when the so-called Cyber Ninjas couldn’t come up with enough votes to find that election belonged to Donald Trump. Of course, it didn’t. He wants to go into Texas, which he handily, and have a review of that election. He’s flailing all over the country and if you listen to two of your guests today, Bob Woodward and Bob Costa, and their new book, they say he’s likely to run again. So what is he doing now, going after Republicans who are not supportive of him and then chasing the last election everywhere he goes?
TODD: Yeah, I love you asking me that question, Willie, what is he doing now? Trying to figure out what’s in Donald Trump’s head, right? That’s a scary place that none of us want to live rent free inside his head, though I think many of us do. I know I have for a time being while he was president. But look, he clearly – it’s the same thing that has driven Donald Trump for 30 years, obsession with people either on his side or not on his side. So, look, this is a – he’s creating a cult of personality movement or he has created a cult of personality movement. It’s not ideologically driven, it’s just driven by what’s good for Trump is, he believes, is good for the Republican Party. What’s bad for Trump, he believes, is bad for the Republican Party. And that’s how he’s operating. That’s how he’s picking candidates.
And right now, he’s the single greatest asset the Democratic Party has right now. Without Donald Trump in the way, I think the Democratic Party’s problems would be a bit more in the spotlight, if you will. But Donald Trump, by dividing his party the way he’s done, look, it’ll be the singular reason why, if Terry McAuliffe wins in Virginia, in this political environment, he will have Donald Trump to thank. So Donald Trump is a huge asset right now to the Democratic Party and President Biden.
GEIST: And ironic that he’s in the state of Georgia yesterday, which a lot of Republicans believe his participation in those Senate races cost them the United States Senate.
TODD: Right.
GEIST: Chuck, thank you so much. We will look for more this morning on Meet the Press, as always. Chuck’s topic is crisis of confidence in the Biden administration. Chuck will be joined by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and New Jersey Senator Cory Booker.
