On Tuesday, the Big Three networks' morning newscasts all hyped President Obama's appearance on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live the previous evening. On CBS This Morning, Gayle King, a political donor for the Democrat, marveled how the President's "timing is good. He seems to have a lot of fun with 'Mean Tweets.' He takes it all in stride." On Today, NBC's Matt Lauer touted Obama's "phone drop moment" after he mocked Donald Trump on the late-night program. Cecilia Vega spotlighted the same "Mean Tweets" segment on ABC's Good Morning America. [video below]
CBS This Morning played a clip of the "phone drop moment" just after the beginning of its broadcast during its regular "Eye Opener" segment. The newscast later played more from the "Mean Tweets" sketch at the bottom of the 7 am Eastern hour. King then chimed in with her compliment about the chief executive's "timing":
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA (from ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live): 'Barack Obama is the Nickelback of presidents.' (audience laughs) 'Obama couldn't negotiate getting a Whopper without pickles.' (audience laughs) 'Barack Obama dances like how his jeans look.' (audience laughs) You know, this jeans thing. This is so old. (audience laughs) This was years ago. Come on! 'My mom bought new conditioner and it sucks. It isn't even conditioning my hair. I blame Obama.' (audience laughs and applauds) 'Barack Obama: bro, do you even lift?' (audience laughs) Well, I lifted the ban on Cuban cigars. That's worth something. (audience laughs and applauds)
GAYLE KING: (Charlie Rose laughs) Yeah, his timing is good. He seems to have a lot of fun with 'Mean Tweets'—
NORAH O'DONNELL: Yeah—
KING: He takes it all in stride.
ABC's Good Morning America also wasted little time before playing a soundbite from the President's "Mean Tweets" segment. Several minutes later, Vega included the anti-Trump "phone drop moment" in her report on the presidential race:
CECILIA VEGA (voice-over): Even President Obama getting in on the action on Jimmy Kimmel.
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA (from ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live): But what we haven't seen before, I think, is somebody questioning the integrity of elections and the will of the people.
VEGA: Trump landing a spot on Kimmel's 'Mean Tweets' — the President all too happy to play along.
OBAMA: 'President Obama will go down as perhaps the worst president in the history of the United States, exclamation point.' -@RealDonaldTrump. Well, @realDonaldTrump, at least I will go down as a president.
VEGA (on-camera): Yeah, ouch.
Obama's retort to Trump was also Today's "Campaign Moment" of the day on NBC:
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: And now, for Today's 'Campaign Moment,' the President reading 'Mean Tweets.'
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA (from ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live): 'President Obama will go down as perhaps the worst president in the history of the United States, exclamation point.' -@realDonaldTrump. Well, @RealDonaldTrump, at least I will go down as a president. (audience cheers and applauds)
GUTHRIE: President—
MATT LAUER: A phone drop moment—
GUTHRIE: Yeah, exactly! The President having a little fun on Jimmy Kimmel Live — just dropped the phone at the end of that—
LAUER: Yeah, exactly — pretty good.
