In another blatant attempt by the liberal media to drum up resentment against President Trump with more false reporting, the Monday editions of ABC’s World News Tonight and the CBS Evening News featured reports claiming the President was putting the life of the so-called “whistleblower” behind the Ukraine phone complaint, at risk.
Both began with over-the-top hyperbolic opening teases, with ABC anchor David Muir proclaiming: “Tonight, fast-moving developments. The President says he is now trying to find out the identity of the whistleblower. Saying, “I deserve to meet my accuser.” It comes amid increasing concern over the whistleblower's security.”
“Tonight breaking news from Washington. House Democrats subpoena President Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani. How investigators are using his recent TV appearances to ask for documents. Plus, new concerns over the whistleblower's safety. Is his or her life in danger,” failing CBS anchor Norah O’Donnell said for her part.
After again twisting the “favor” Trump asked the president of Ukraine about, and without mentioning the fact that the whistleblower was represented by an anti-Trump organization, Muir pushed their claim “the President’s own words” were putting their client’s life at risk:
Tonight, President Trump says they're working on learning who this whistleblower is, that he has a right to know his accuser. It is prompting security concerns for that person, whose attorney now says the President's own words are putting the whistleblower in danger. Congressional Democrats could meet with that whistle-blower very soon.
After reading off more of the statement from the whistleblower’s lawyers, ABC senior White House correspondent Cecilia Vega huffed that “the President is ramping up his attacks, more than 80 tweets this weekend alone, including this one. The President saying, ‘Like every American, I deserve to meet my accuser.’”
She then made it seem as though the President was responsible for a “bounty” placed on the identity of the person:
The whistleblower's lawyer says he has “serious concerns” about his “client's personal safety,” writing, "Certain individuals have issued a $50,000 bounty for any information about his identity." The lawyer mentioning the President's own caught on camera message to diplomats last week.
In reality, the “bounty” was something cooked up by grifters on social media who cannot be trusted.
In CBS’s report, White House correspondent Weijia Jiang whined that “Mr. Trump tried to discredit the whistleblower again…” She then parroted the whistleblower’s lawyers, who said they had “serious concerns” for their “client's personal safety.” “[C]iting President Trump's comments that he or she was a spy and could be charged with treason or worse,” Jiang added.
She then leaned on more hyperbolic statements from a Democratic lawmaker:
JIANG: Democratic Senator Mark Warner, number two in the Intelligence Committee, said the comments are inappropriate and dangerous.
SEN. MARK WARNER (D-VA): I think the potential threat to this whistleblower’s life is a realistic concern. If I were the whistleblower or anyone else the whistleblower talked to, I think it would be a rational conclusion to say you may be in jeopardy.
Then there was the fact that CBS’s 60 Minutes lied about the whistleblower being under federal protection. Even after CBS was rebuked by the whistleblower’s lawyers, the network stood by their bogus reporting.
O’Donnell also touted a new CBS News poll that found “more than half, 55 percent approve” of impeaching President Trump. Interesting how that worked out.
The transcripts are below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s World News Tonight
September 30, 2019
6:30:18 p.m. Eastern [Tease]DAVID MUIR: Tonight, fast-moving developments. The President says he is now trying to find out the identity of the whistleblower. Saying, “I deserve to meet my accuser.” It comes amid increasing concern over the whistleblower's security.
(…)
6:31:53 p.m. Eastern
MUIR: Good evening and it's great to have you with us here as we start another week. And we begin tonight with fast-moving developments in the impeachment inquiry, all triggered by that phone call between President Trump and the president of Ukraine. With hundreds of millions in U.S. military aid being held, President Trump saying, "I would like you to do us a favor."
Tonight, President Trump says they're working on learning who this whistleblower is, that he has a right to know his accuser. It is prompting security concerns for that person, whose attorney now says the President's own words are putting the whistleblower in danger. Congressional Democrats could meet with that whistle-blower very soon.
(…)
6:32:42 p.m. Eastern
CECILIA VEGA: In the oval office today, President Trump said his administration is working to learn identity of the whistleblower whose claims led to that impeachment inquiry.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Mr. President, do you now know who the whistleblower is, sir?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: We're trying to find out about a whistleblower. When you have a whistleblower that reports things that were incorrect.
VEGA: Tonight, the whistleblower's lawyer responding, saying his client “is entitled to anonymity.” Adding: “the individual is not to be retaliated against. Doing so is a violation of federal law.” But the President is ramping up his attacks, more than 80 tweets this weekend alone, including this one. The president saying, "Like every American, I deserve to meet my accuser."
The whistleblower's lawyer says he has “serious concerns” about his “client's personal safety,” writing, "Certain individuals have issued a $50,000 bounty for any information about his identity." The lawyer mentioning the President's own caught on camera message to diplomats last week.
TRUMP: You know what we used to do in the old days when we were smart? Right? With spies and treason -- we used to handle it a little differently than we do now.
VEGA: House Democrats leading that impeachment inquiry say they now have a tentative deal to meet with the whistle-blower.
(…)
CBS Evening News
September 30, 2019
6:30:19 p.m. Eastern [Tease]NORAH O’DONNELL: Tonight breaking news from Washington. House Democrats subpoena President Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani. How investigators are using his recent TV appearances to ask for documents. Plus, new concerns over the whistleblower's safety. Is his or her life in danger?
(…)
6:32:30 p.m. Eastern
O’DONNELL: There is a new CBS News poll out tonight that provides the first snapshot of how Americans feel about the impeachment inquiry. More than half, 55 percent approve. Americans are divided over the question of whether the President deserves to be impeached. 42 percent say he does. 36 percent disagree. Nearly one in four feel it's too soon to say.
(…)
6:34:03 p.m. Eastern
WEIJIA JIANG: Mr. Trump tried to discredit the whistleblower again after tweeting, "I deserve to meet my accuser."
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: We're trying to find out about a whistleblower. We have a whistleblower that reports things that are incorrect.
JIANG: An attorney for the whistleblower sent a letter to the acting director of national intelligence, expressing “serious concerns we have regarding our client's personal safety,” and citing President Trump's comments that he or she was a spy and could be charged with treason or worse.
Democratic Senator Mark Warner, number two in the Intelligence Committee, said the comments are inappropriate and dangerous.
SEN. MARK WARNER (D-VA): I think the potential threat to this whistleblower’s life is a realistic concern. If I were the whistleblower or anyone else the whistleblower talked to, I think it would be a rational conclusion to say you may be in jeopardy.
(…)
