On Wednesday night, President Trump had dinner at the White House with Senate and House Minority Leaders Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi. And in the wake of that development, two of the Big Three Networks (ABC and NBC), who had been almost exclusively negative about Trump for the last several months, suddenly found nice things to say about him.
“President Trump is reaching across the aisle inviting Congressional Democratic leaders to join him for dinner at the White House this evening,” hyped Anchor Lester Host as he led into the segment on NBC Nightly News. “They'll have a lot on their plates from taxes to health care, but not getting a spot at the table, top Republican leaders.”
NBC Chief White House Correspondent Hallie Jackson began her report by noting how “President Trump [was] working to woo Democrats with an open door and open arms.” And after noting that the issues tax reform, health care, and the protection of Dreamers where “on the menu,” she seemed almost gleeful that Republican leaders were not invited.
“Notably not in the room? The Republican Senate Majority Leader and Speaker of the House,” Jackson added. “The President frustrated with the failure of health care reform, now trying something new as he looks for a win and looks past the partisanship of the last eight months.”
Both networks seemed excited by the fact that Trump was no longer using any of his infamous nick names when talking about the Democratic Leaders. “Tonight, they're back for an intimate dinner with the President. He calls them Chuck and Nancy now. A friendlier tone that's raising questions about where he really stands,” reported ABC’s Mary Bruce during World News Tonight.
Earlier in the day, Trump had a meeting with both Republican and Democratic Leaders at the White House as well. And Bruce sounded optimistic about the President’s tone there, suggesting that in “meeting with members of both parties at the White House today, the Republican President sounded a lot like a Democrat, saying the wealthy may have to pay higher taxes.”
In wrapping up her report, Bruce concluded by appearing to applaud the difficult position Trump had put the Congressional GOP leadership in. “Many Republicans I've talked with were shocked and frustrated by the President's deal with Schumer and Pelosi. But publicly, Republican leaders are putting on a positive spin,” she asserted.
After almost 9 months of decisively negative coverage of Trump, so far two-thirds of the Big Three networks seemed pleased with Trump’s negotiations with Democrats.
Transcript below:
NBC Nightly News
September 13, 2017
7:11:10 PM EasternLESTER HOLT: President Trump is reaching across the aisle inviting Congressional Democratic leaders to join him for dinner at the White House this evening. They'll have a lot on their plates from taxes to healthcare, but not getting a spot at the table, top Republican leaders. Let's get more from Chief White House Correspondent Hallie Jackson.
[Cuts to video]
HALLIE JACKSON: President Trump working to woo Democrats with an open door and open arms.
DONALD TRUMP: I will tell you, I'm not skeptical. And I think that if we can do things in a bipartisan manner, that will be great.
JACKSON: The President also hosting Democratic leaders Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer for dinner. On the menu? Tax reform, protecting so-called Dreamers and health care. Notably not in the room? The Republican Senate Majority Leader and Speaker of the House. Why not also insight Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan?
SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS: Look, you've got the leader of the Republican party sitting at the table.
JACKSON: The President frustrated with the failure of healthcare reform now trying something new as he looks for a win and looks past the partisanship of the last eight months. Remember this about Pelosi?
(...)
...
ABC
World News Tonight
September 13, 2017
6:38:15 PM EasternDAVID MUIR: Tonight, President Trump inviting Senator Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi to the White House. Two Democratic leaders, of course. It comes after he brokered a deal with them just last week. ABC's Mary Bruce tonight, on a White House now insisting President Trump is a Republican.
[Cuts to video]
MARY BRUCE: Meeting with members of both parties at the White House today, the Republican President sounded a lot like a Democrat, saying the wealthy may have to pay higher taxes.
DONALD TRUMP: If they have to go higher, they'll go higher, frankly.
BRUCE: With his own Party struggling to deliver on his agenda, the President has been wooing the other side. In the Oval Office last week, he struck that government funding deal with Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi. Tonight, they're back for an intimate dinner with the President. He calls them Chuck and Nancy now. A friendlier tone that's raising questions about where he really stands.
The President has called Chuck Schumer a clown, Pelosi a loser, but now he seems to recognize that he needs them. How does that work, what changed?
(...)
MUIR: So, let's get to Mary Bruce live from the White House tonight. And Mary, we all remember it was just recently, last week, in fact, the President, Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, all seeing eye to eye. That was last week in the Oval Office. What are Republican leaders saying about this dinner tonight?
BRUCE: David, many Republicans I've talked with were shocked and frustrated by the President's deal with Schumer and Pelosi. But publicly, Republican leaders are putting on a positive spin. Asked today if he's afraid the President will go over his head and work with Democrats, House Speaker Paul Ryan responded with just one word: “Nope.” David?
MUIR: Mary Bruce, live at the White House tonight. Mary, thank you.
