ABC kicked off Sunday’s Good Morning America with five minutes dedicated to the government shutdown. And despite the fact that Democrats were bragging that they had the votes to do it, the liberal network trashed Republicans and touted how President Trump would take all the blame.
“The government is not going to stay closed forever. The question is how long will it take. And you can see the argument on both sides. As our polls show, you guys showed it, people coming into this debate believe the President and Republicans will be to blame by a wide wide margin,” hyped Clinton lackey George Stephanopoulos while he was giving his “analysis." Yet there was no mention the CNN poll from Friday that showed that 56 percent of Americans don't believe DACA was worth the shutdown.
Even before Stephanopoulos started mouthing off, the network was pouring on the partisan hyperbole. Correspondent David Wright introduced his segment on the shutdown by bemoaning about an early morning Trump tweet that praised Congressional Republicans and knocked Democrats. “That gives you a sense of where we stand on this shutdown: Not even close to resolving things,” he whined.
And when the video started to play, Wright declared that because of the shutdown “lady liberty [was] on lockdown” when it was just closed. “The ultimate symbol of a partisan battle over immigration so intense it has ground the federal government to a standstill,” he continued to opine.
When presenting the arguments of both sides, Wright treated the Republican claims of Democrats holding the American people hostage as just inflammatory rhetoric. But he treated Democratic smears with the utmost seriousness. “The Democrats accuse the President of negotiating in bad faith,” he echoed. “They insist the shutdown is proof the Republicans aren't fit to govern.” He then played a clip of Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) blaming the Washington State train derailment on Trump, even though it was Congress, under Obama, who voted to push off the safety requirements.
Wright mocked Trump for declaring that “now arrives the hour of action” one year ago during his inauguration speech. “Instead of action there's now a full-scale government shutdown,” he chided. “During the 2013 government shutdown, citizen Trump accused President Obama of failing to lead,” he continued before playing a clip of himself at a White House press conference snidely asking: “Why isn't he following his own advice?”
After the report was over, co-anchor Dan Harris asked Wright about a White House answering machine message that said: “Thank you for calling the White House. Unfortunately, we cannot answer your call today because Congressional Democrats are holding government funding including funding for our troops and other national security priorities hostage to an unrelated immigration debate.” “This is one of the many ways the normal business of government has been weaponized for politics,” he sneered.
In addition to trashing Trump and Republicans over the shutdown, ABC highlighted a ridiculous poll they conducted that purported to show that nearly half the country thought Trump was insane. “Trump's approval rating right now, historically low. Also, we have nearly half of Americans questioning his mental stability and nearly two-third rejecting his assertion that he's a genius,” touted Harris. There was no mention of the fact that a recent medical test proved that liberal media narrative fake news.
The relevant portions of the Transcript are below:
ABC
Good Morning America
January 21, 2018
8:02:59 AM [Government shutdown: 4 minutes 51 seconds](…)
DAVID WRIGHT: Good morning Dan and Paula as the government shutdown enters day two the President is up and tweeting saying: “Great to see how hard Republicans are fighting for our military and safety along the border. Democrats just want illegal immigrants to pour in the country.” That gives you a sense of where we stand on this shutdown: Out even close to resolving things.
[Cuts to video]
This morning lady liberty on lockdown.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: I think it's dumb on both sides.
WRIGHT: The ultimate symbol of a partisan battle over immigration so intense it has ground the federal government to a standstill.
MITCH MCCONNELL: Day one of the Senate Democrats’ government shutdown.
WRIGHT: Republicans accuse the Democrats of holding the nation hostage. For the sake of illegal immigrants.
(…)
WRIGHT: The Trump campaign released this inflammatory ad suggesting the Democrats will have blood on their hands.
AD: Democrats who stand it our way will be complicit in every murder committed by illegal immigrants.
WRIGHT: The Democrats accuse the President of negotiating in bad faith.
CHUCK SCHUMER: Negotiating with President Trump is like negotiating with jello.
WRIGHT: They insist the shutdown is proof the Republicans aren't fit to govern.
NANCY PELOSI: He promised infrastructure, he gave us a train wreck. Now one-year anniversary, a big fat failure, F for that first year.
WRIGHT: One year after President Trump vowed to end Washington gridlock once and for all--
DONALD TRUMP: The time for empty talk is over. Now arrives the hour of action.
WRIGHT: Instead of action there's now a full-scale government shutdown. Many federal workers have been through this before.
(…)
WRIGHT: During the 2013 government shutdown, citizen Trump accused President Obama of failing to lead.
TRUMP: You have to get everybody in the room and you have to be a lead. The president has to lead.
WRIGHT: Why isn't he following his own advice?
(…)
WRIGHT: As of today the idea of a bipartisan deal seems like a lost art in Washington.
(…)
DAN HARRIS: David, you mentioned in your story that the Trump camp released the new ad criticizing Democrats saying they’ll have blood on their hands if there are murders by illegal immigrants. They also tinkered with the voice message at the White House. So if you call the White House you get a special message. What's going on there?
WRIGHT: Yeah. This is one of the many ways the normal business of government has been weaponized for politics. If you call into the White House switchboard, this is what you hear.
VOICE MESSAGE: Thank you for calling the White House. Unfortunately, we cannot answer your call today because Congressional Democrats are holding government funding including funding for our troops and other national security priorities hostage to an unrelated immigration debate.
WRIGHT: Go figure. All any of us can do is hope with the rest of the country this thing is over quickly.
(…)
PAULA FARIS: Do you think they're actually going to get something done and compromise here?
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Well, they're going to have to eventually. The government is not going to stay closed forever. The question is how long will it take. And you can see the argument on both sides. As our polls show, you guys showed it, people coming into this debate believe the President and Republicans will be to blame by a wide wide margin. But the White House believes they have the better argument going forward to this idea the Democrats are holding the government hostage for illegal immigration. What complicates that is that many Republicans, at least four Republicans did not vote to keep the government open either on Friday. The question is, if Republicans can get unified they might be able to figure out a way to get to the next step.
(…)
HARRIS: Let's just dig into the ABC/Washington Post poll that you referenced. Trump's approval rating right now, historically low. Also, we have nearly half of Americans questioning his mental stability and nearly two-third rejecting his assertion that he's a genius. How damaging is this dynamic to his overall agenda?
(…)
