Perhaps driven by an obsessive belief in the collusion delusion, NBC political director Chuck Todd spent Sunday declaring that President Trump was “interfering” with British politics and trying to help get former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson elected prime minister. Meanwhile, Todd had either defended or ignored President’s Obama’s efforts to get his preferred leaders and policies voted in around the globe.
The conspiracy theories started on Sunday Today after NBC White House correspondent Mike Viqueira insisted Trump “ignited controversy” in an interview with British newspaper The Sun “when he appeared to favor former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson's bid to be the next prime minister of Great Britain.”
“Well, I like him. I've always liked him. I don't know he's going to be chosen, but I think he's a very – a very good guy,” Trump said. The NBC reporter then hyped British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn’s response: “President Trump's attempt to decide who will be Britain's next PM is an entirely unacceptable interference in our democracy.”
Of course, NBC refused to mention Corbyn’s own ongoing controversies with his past anti-Semitic remarks. Failing to mention and pushback against anti-Semitism from political allies has become a disturbing trend from NBC.
Viqueira was also excited by the idea that President Trump would have to face 250,000 protesters (which showed up during his last visit) and a giant balloon shaped in his likeness wearing a diaper.
Seemingly to rebuke Viqueira, host Willie Geist noted that “The President, in fairness, was asked a direct question about Boris Johnson, which he answered by saying he's ‘a very good guy’.” But that gave way to Todd decrying Trump’s outspokenness:
Yeah, you know, the President and diplomatic guardrails are things that don't go together in the Trump-era. So, every other president is briefed and told don't weigh in on another country's political debate. But that's not Donald Trump. He's going to, shall we say, interfere in another country's election.
After suggesting it would be the priority of Trump’s hosts to keep him distracted and away from British politics, Todd worried that “the risk here is the President going off script and impacting the current political crisis in that country. And that is an uncomfortable place to be normally. This President loves being in a position like that.”
Later on Meet the Press, NBC correspondent Carol Lee confronted Todd with the fact that President Obama weighed in on the Brexit referendum. To which Todd angrily huffed that it was “that Cameron’s invitation”. He also suggested that this showed Trump didn’t care about Russian interference in American politics.
Todd didn’t show the same concern when foreign leaders were weighing in and attacking then-candidate Trump during the 2016 election. And calling a candidate “a very good guy” pales in comparison to the $350,000 in taxpayer money Obama sent to an activist group in Israel in a failed attempt to block the reelection of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. That’s true election interference NBC and Todd (and the rest of the liberal media for that matter) refuse to report.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
NBC’s Sunday Today
June 2, 2019
8:06:44 a.m. EasternWILLIE GEIST: President Trump leaves later for London where his visit already is stirring heated reaction on a couple of fronts. This before the President heads this week to the sacred beaches of Normandy, France, to commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day. NBC’s Mike Viqueira is live for us at the White House this morning. Mike, good morning.
MIKE VIQUEIRA: Good morning to you, Willie. There are already questions about just how warm a welcome President Trump will get in London when he arrives there Monday for a state visit. But comments Mr. Trump made in an interview with the British media outlet have raised eyebrows on the eve of his trip.
[Cuts to video]
The British paper The Sun pressed President Trump for his reaction to comments Meghan Markle, the Duchess of us Sussex made about Mr. Trump in 2015. His answer is making headlines.
UNIDENTIFIED JOURNALIST: She said she’d move to Canada if you got elected. It turned out she moved to Britain.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Yeah, that’d be good. There are a lot of people moving here, so what can I say? I didn't know she was nasty.
VIQUEIRA: President Trump arrives in Britain for a three-day state visit on Monday. But even before the Markle remark, there were already ominous signs of anger among local residents. Big anti-Trump protests are planned, along with a reappearance of a large inflatable and unflattering balloon meant to parody the President, as seen in this promotion by British broadcaster Sky News.
When Mr. Trump came to Britain last year, he avoided London, where an estimated 250,000 people marched against him. This time, the pomp and ceremony of a state visit will that the center of a very big stage, with events planned at Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey.
In The Sun interview, the President also ignited controversy when he appeared to favor former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson's bid to be the next prime minister of Great Britain.
TRUMP: Well, I like him. I've always liked him. I don't know he's going to be chosen, but I think he's a very – a very good guy.
VIQUEIRA: That comment drew a strong rebuke from British opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn, who wrote in part, “President Trump's attempt to decide who will be Britain's next PM is an entirely unacceptable interference in our democracy.”
As the President departs, Congress returns to Washington from a week-long break. And the fight over a host of issues from tariffs on Mexico to possible impeachment proceedings will be on the front burner.
[Cuts back to live]
And, Willie, the President also plans to visit Ireland on this trip as well as attending ceremonies in France surrounding the 75th anniversary of D-Day.
GEIST Mike Viqueira at the White House. Mike thanks very much. Chuck Todd is NBC's political director and moderator of Meet the Press. Chuck, good morning. Good to see you as always.
TODD: Good morning.
GEIST: Interesting time for the President to be over in the UK, just days away from Theresa May, the prime minister stepping away from her position. The President, in fairness, was asked a direct question about Boris Johnson, which he answered by saying he's a very good guy. What can we expect on this trip over there?
TODD: Yeah, you know, the President and diplomatic guardrails are things that don't go together in the Trump-era. So, every other president is briefed and told don't weigh in on another country's political debate. But that's not Donald Trump. He's going to, shall we say, interfere in another country's election.
But, look, I, you know, I expect there to be a lot of protests and I expect there to be an effort by the -- by his host to try to keep him from seeing it. And so it is -- I think this is -- I think the risk here is the President going off script and impacting the current political crisis in that country. And that is an uncomfortable place to be normally. This President loves being in a position like that.
GEIST: Yeah, exactly. He’s not shown any shyness about doing that in the past. He may do it again this week.
(…)
