While Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton was resting off a case of pneumonia in her New York state home Tuesday, President Barack Obama was hitting the campaign trail on her behalf in Pennsylvania. And ABC and CBS evening newscasts gave the president’s performance rave reviews. “Today, President Obama appeared for her in Philadelphia, and he looked a little bit like a retired athlete thrilled to be back in the game,” hyped CBS Evening News anchor Scott Pelley.
CBS reporter Nancy Cordes spoke glowingly about Obama’s speech during her report. “President Obama sought to inoculate Clinton today against questions about her health,” she joked, “His comments were just what the doctor ordered for a recuperating Clinton who spent the day accepting flower deliveries at her Chappaqua, New York, home.”
Cordes even hyped Vice President’s Joe Biden’s shot at Donald Trump, “In North Carolina, Vice President Biden questioned Trump's stamina.” Biden quipped that he would like to go for a jog with the Republican nominee, but said he doubts Trump’s ability to keep up.
ABC’s World News Tonight took a similar path, with anchor David Muir touting the president as Clinton’s “pinch hitter.” The report by Cecilia Vega was little more than a glorified play-by-play of Obama’s take down of Trump. “With Hillary Clinton at home recovering, President Obama took over on the campaign trail today, stepping up to the podium, loosening his tie, blowing a kiss and getting right down to business,” she started off.
“As the flower deliveries poured into Clinton's Chappaqua home, Obama described her as a fighter,” lauded Vega, while a little while later she exclaimed, “And he would not quit attacking Donald Trump!” She seem to take enjoyment in setting the scene for Obama’s swipes at Trump, “The president's sleeves rolled up, he hit Trump's promise to be a fighter for the working class.”
Closing out the segment, the pair at ABC praised the miraculous timing of Obama’s scheduled stump speech:
DAVID MUIR: Both the president and the first lady, their events were scheduled before Clinton got sick. But what are you hearing from the Clinton camp? They must be grateful, given the timing of these appearances.
VEGA: David, this certainly could not come at a better time, given the health questions lingering over Secretary Clinton right now.
Transcripts below:
CBS
Evening News
September 13, 2016
6:33:18 PM EasternSCOTT PELLEY: Hillary Clinton will return to her campaign on Thursday after being laid low by pneumonia over the weekend. Today, President Obama appeared for her in Philadelphia, and he looked a little bit like a retired athlete thrilled to be back in the game. Here's Nancy Cordes.
[Cuts to video]
BARACK OBAMA: And I got whooped here in Pennsylvania. She whooped me.
NANCY CORDES: President Obama sought to inoculate Clinton today against questions about her health.
OBAMA: You want to debate who’s more fit to be our president? One candidate who has traveled to more countries than any secretary of state ever has, has more qualifications than pretty much anyone who has ever run for this jo. And the other who isn't fit in any way, shape, or form to represent this country abroad and be its commander in chief.
CORDES: His comments were just what the doctor ordered for a recuperating Clinton who spent the day accepting flower deliveries at her Chappaqua, New York, home.
OBAMA: We always like the new shiny thing. I benefited from that when I was a candidate. And we-- we take for granted sometimes what is steady and true. And Hillary Clinton is steady and she is true.
CORDES: In North Carolina, Vice President Biden questioned Trump's stamina.
JOE BIDEN: I'd like to jog with him. I don't think he could keep up.
CORDES: But he admitted the Clinton camp could have been more open.
BIDEN: They screwed up. The staff acknowledged they should have on Friday just straight up said, she'd been diagnosed with pneumonia.
CORDES: Clinton has signaled it was her decision to keep quiet.
HILLARY CLINTON: I just didn't think it was going to be that big a deal.
CORDES: A decision Trump's campaign manager initially criticized.
KELLYANNE CONWAY: It's incredibly important to be forth coming. If you have a diagnosis of pneumonia.
CORDES: But today, Kellyanne Conway seemed to set a different standard for own candidate, who has released even fewer details about his health.
CONWAY: I don't know why we need such extensive medical reporting when we all have a right to privacy.
[Cuts back to live]
CORDES: Clinton's campaign just announced that she will be getting one more full day of rest here in Chappaqua before resuming her campaign duties. She was originally scheduled to appear in Las Vegas tomorrow, Scott, but now, those honors will be done by her husband.
ABC
World News Tonight
September 13, 2016
6:34:09 PM EasternDAVID MUIR: In the meantime, we turn now to the race for president tonight, and with Hillary Clinton off the trail, sidelined by pneumonia, her pinch hitter was ready to punch. President Obama making the case for Clinton in Philadelphia, and with the president's approval rating now at 58 percent, the best since early in his presidency, he showed up, took aim, and told the supporters there that Clinton beat him in Pennsylvania eight years ago. Here's ABC's Cecilia Vega.
[Cuts to video]
CECILIA VEGA: With Hillary Clinton at home recovering, President Obama took over on the campaign trail today, stepping up to the podium, loosening his tie, blowing a kiss and getting right down to business.
BARACK OBAMA: This is not me going through the motions here. I really, really, really want to elect Hillary Clinton.
VEGA: As the flower deliveries poured into Clinton's Chappaqua home, Obama described her as a fighter.
OBAMA: No matter how daunting the odds, no matter how many times people knock her down and mess with her, she does not quit. She doesn't quit. She doesn't quit.
VEGA: And he would not quit attacking Donald Trump.
OBAMA: And then, you got the Donald. Who just last week went on Russian state television to talk down our military and to curry favor with Vladimir Putin. He loves this guy. Can you imagine Ronald Reagan idolizing somebody like that?
VEGA: The president's sleeves rolled up, he hit Trump's promise to be a fighter for the working class.
OBAMA: He spent most of his life trying to stay as far as way from working people as he could. And now this guy's going to be the champion of working people? Huh? I mean, he wasn't going to let you on his golf course.
VEGA: And then, a stern warning to young people.
OBAMA: You can't stay home because, you know, well, she's been around for a long time. Well, you know what? This is not reality TV.
VEGA: President Obama urging voters to choose the woman who has been a fixture in American politics for decades.
OBAMA: We always like the new, shiny thing. I benefited from that when I was a candidate. And we take for granted sometimes what is steady and true. And Hillary Clinton's steady. And she is true.
[Cuts back to live]
MUIR: And Cecilia Vega live tonight from Brooklyn. And Cecilia, Michelle Obama will be out on the trail later this week. Both the president and the first lady, their events were scheduled before Clinton got sick. But what are you hearing from the Clinton camp? They must be grateful, given the timing of these appearances.
VEGA: David, this certainly could not come at a better time, given the health questions lingering over Secretary Clinton right now. We were told by aides just a few minutes ago that she watched the president's speech from home. She is feeling much better. And David, they tell us, she will be back out on the trail on Thursday.
