ABC, NBC: Clinton Corruption Charge Overused and Thrown Around a Lot

November 6th, 2016 1:20 PM

With Election Day just two days away, both ABC and NBC seemingly continued to try to slow Hillary Clinton’s descent in the polls, Sunday, by downplaying all the talk surrounding multiple FBI investigations into her activities. On ABC's This Week, Clinton lackey George Stephanopoulos tried to shutdown such talk from Republican Party Chairman Reince Priebus by flippantly declaring, “You're just throwing out a lot of words there.

Priebus pooh-poohed the media’s antics and “complete obsession with every transgression and every quote from the last 30 years…” He then preceded to rattle off the list of Clinton’s recent offenses the media doesn’t care to report, “Using John Podesta and his team's words, ‘screwed up’ everything that she's ever touched. And you look at Russia. You look at Libya. You look at Benghazi. Look at her e-mails. Look at the Clinton foundation, Bill Clinton Inc.”

Stephanopoulos cut Priebus off arguing, “I think both sides would say they've been subjected to unfair media during this election, I can assure you of that.” But Priebus wouldn’t do down easy and mentioned how Clinton staffers smashed phone, with hammers and deleted 33,000 emails, that is was triggered Stephanopoulos’ outrageous declaration. “No reasonable prosecutor would bring this case,” he continued.

The argument was similar on NBC’s Meet the Press, where moderator Chuck Todd took exception with former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich’s description of a possible Clinton presidency as continued corruption. “Can I ask you quickly? You use the word “let the corruption continue.” Have we been too loose with some words,” Todd wondered.

Look, there's actual corruption that is a crime and then, you know, there's sometimes we use that word to describe legal politics,” Todd went on to explain, “Fair or not. Do you worry we have let language get too loose?” The NBC moderator also noted that calling the Clinton’s corrupt was a “big charge.

Gingrich countered hard by detailing the exact nature of the issue and slammed the media for going along with the Clintons:

It’s not a big charge, It's the US Constitution! There's a section in the constitution called the Emoluments Clause that says, “No one, nor their spouse, can take money from foreigners.” She has to be guilty of 70 or 100 counts just on that one charge. Then you look at the people who came into the office – and by the way, the real interesting thing about WikiLeaks, and everything else, is they showed us how corrupt the system was. They showed us people were being told, “You need to get them in because they're giving to the foundation.” I think the real corruption is the lack of the media being willing to be honest about how much lawlessness the Clintons stand for and how much they have ripped off the American people.

Transcripts below: 

 

ABC
This Week
November 6, 2016
9:21:12 AM Eastern

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: So you believe he'll accept a clear result?

REINCE PRIEBUS: I do. And I think that the big issue, though, for Donald Trump is, not you, but generally there is a huge media pile-on and it took obviously a big toll, I think, on the election. This total and complete obsession with every transgression and every quote from the last 30 years of Donald Trump when we have another candidate that has totally-- using John Podesta and his team's words, screwed up everything that she's ever touched. And you look at Russia. You look at Libya. You look at Benghazi. Look at her e-mails. Look at the Clinton foundation, Bill Clinton Inc. You know, Harry Truman said that, “The only way a politician can get rich is by being crooked.” I don’t know how Hillary--

STEPHANOPOULOS: I think both sides -- I think both sides would say they've been subjected to unfair media during this election, I can assure you of that. But let’s look at the alternative if indeed Donald Trump does win--

PRIEBUS: I don't know too many people that have bleached computers and taken hatchets to blackberries and deleted 33,000 e-mails while secretary of state.

STEPHANOPOULOS: You're just throwing out a lot of words there. It doesn't -- if doesn't counter the conclusion of James Comey.

PREIBUS: It sounds pretty bad.

STEPHANOPLOULOS: No reasonable prosecutor would bring this case, but let me ask you about –

PRIEBUS: That was in June, George. But that was in June. What did he say last week? He said that the e-mails that he's reviewing that found on Anthony Weiner's laptop could be pertinent to an ongoing investigation.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Everything you were just talking about happened—Everything you were just talking about happened before June. I want to –

PRIEBUS: She's created -- she's sold her position as secretary of state to give -- put money in her pocket and Bill Clinton's pocket. Something is not right. Come on. It's not Normal behavior, George. You know that. I'm saying something that average, normal people would listen to and say, “It doesn't seem right that she made $250 million a few years after leaving public office.” It's bizarre.

Tell the Truth 2016

NBC
Meet the Press
November 6, 2016
10:49:18 AM Eastern

CHUCK TODD: Can I ask you quickly, you use the word “let the corruption continue.” Have we been too loose with some words? I say that because –

NEWT GINGRICH: No.

TODD: Look, there's actual corruption that is a crime and then, you know, there's sometimes we use that word to describe legal politics. Fair or not, do you worry we have let language get too loose?

GINGRICH: No, Chuck. I worry -- with all due respect to you as a person. You know we're pretty good friends. I worry the elite media has blindly refused to tell the truth. Every foreign gift, foreign speech --

TODD: It's a big charge.

GINGRICH: While she was secretary of state—every one—It’s not a big charge, It's the US Constitution! There's a section in the constitution called the Emoluments Clause that says, “No one, nor their spouse, can take money from foreigners.” She has to be guilty of 70 or 100 counts just on that one charge. Then you look at the people who came into the office – and by the way, the real interesting thing about WikiLeaks, and everything else, is they showed us how corrupt the system was. They showed us people were being told, “You need to get them in because they're giving to the foundation.” I think the real corruption is the lack of the media being willing to be honest about how much lawlessness the Clintons stand for and how much they have ripped off the American people.