Always eager to the promote underhanded swipes at President Trump, Tuesday’s NBC Nightly News hyped former First Lady Michelle Obama’s precedent-shattering swing comparing his time in office to the country living with their “divorced dad.” Instead of reporting on the outrage from the comment, NBC chose to move onto sympathizing with those fearing the Mueller report because it could out them as sources of “damaging information” against Trump.
“Tonight, former First Lady Michelle Obama is weighing in with rare remarks about the man who replaced her husband as president,” anchor Lester Holt nonchalantly announced. “The comments, sure to raise eyebrows in the White House where officials are bracing for impact from the redacted Mueller report, now less than 48 hours away from release.”
White House correspondent Kristen Welker touted the former First Lady for “taking aim at the current president” in a “rare rebuke, breaking precedent,” before playing this soundbite: “It's tough. You know, sometimes you spend weekends with divorced dad. That feels like it's fun, but then you get sick. That's what America is going through. We're kind of living with divorced dad right now.”
“Mrs. Obama speaking Sunday in London, never mentioning President Trump by name, saying, ‘it may feel like a dark chapter, but any story has its highs and lows,’” Welker added.
From there, Welker moved onto sharing the worries of current and former White House officials:
It comes as the White House braces for the Mueller report. Some current and former officials who cooperated with Mueller tell NBC News they're concerned the report could expose them as the source of damaging information about the President.
While Welker was solely focused on slamming Trump, many others weren’t so keen on Obama’s use of outdated tropes attacking divorced fathers. CNN’s Dana Bash even criticized the former First Lady: “It’s not the 1950s. And there are lots of divorced dads. I would venture to say most divorced dads, who don’t just have their kids on the weekends but have their kids as a major co-parent.”
TMZ highlighted two divorced dads on Twitter who were disappointed with Obama’s comments:
Someone tweeted, "I admire @MichelleObama, but I really wish she wouldn't use divorced dads as a metaphor for Trump. I hear some of them are quite awesome." Someone else said, "As a divorced dad, I do my best to raise my son into a kind of man of which we all can be proud. Your comment doesn't help people see that I'm conscientious and competent to do a good job."
Our friend Larry O'Connor, from Washington, D.C. based radio station WMAL, shared his displeasure with the former First Lady on Twitter. "As a divorced dad with four children I really don't appreciate this," he said.
It's sad that NBC’s sought to amplify the comments to take swings at Trump.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
NBC Nightly News
April 16, 2019
7:09:40 p.m. EasternLESTER HOLT: Tonight, former First Lady Michelle Obama is weighing in with rare remarks about the man who replaced her husband as president. The comments, sure to raise eyebrows in the White House where officials are bracing for impact from the redacted Mueller report, now less than 48 hours away from release. Here is Kristen Welker.
[Cuts to video]
KRISTEN WELKER: It was a rare rebuke, breaking precedent. Former First Lady Michelle Obama taking aim at the current president.
MICHELLE OBAMA: It's tough. You know, sometimes you spend weekends with divorced dad. That feels like it's fun, but then you get sick. That's what America is going through. We're kind of living with divorced dad right now.
WELKER: Mrs. Obama speaking Sunday in London, never mentioning President Trump by name, saying, “it may feel like a dark chapter, but any story has its highs and lows.”
It comes as the White House braces for the Mueller report. Some current and former officials who cooperated with Mueller tell NBC News they're concerned the report could expose them as the source of damaging information about the President.
DONALD TRUMP: I heard it's going to come out on Thursday. That's good, and there can't be anything there because there was no crime. There was no anything.
[Cuts back to live]
WELKER: As for Michelle Obama's comments, we reached out to the White House, and so far no response. Lester?
HOLT: All right, Kristen, thank you.
