In a recent interview with TIME magazine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he never approached conversations with President Trump “from the position of a quid pro quo.” It was a declaration that poked a major hole in the left’s impeachment narrative, but the liberal broadcast networks would have none of it during their Monday evening newscasts. Two of them downplayed the comments and one just flat out refused to report them.
“Trump's strategy all along: deny he's done anything wrong and trash the process. Today, he argued the president of Ukraine backs him up,” scoffed ABC senior national correspondent Terry Moran on World News Tonight.
Moran interrupted a soundbite of Trump explaining what Zelensky said to contradict the President:
But the Ukrainian President never said Trump did nothing wrong and he criticized the decision to withhold military aid. "I never talked to the President from the position of a quid pro quo," he told TIME. "But you have to understand, we're at war. If you're our strategic partner, then you can't go blocking anything for us."
Of course, that was followed up with anchor David Muir hyping up the new impeachment hearing set to take place later in the week. “And Terry, we know members of the House Intelligence Committee are now getting a chance to read that report tonight before they vote tomorrow. Then, of course, the report goes to the Judiciary Committee for their first public hearings on Wednesday,” he touted.
There was a similar song and dance on CBS Evening News with chief congressional correspondent Nancy Cordes. After another soundbite of Trump telling people to check out what Zelensky said, Cordes downplayed the quid pro quo balloon being popped:
In a new interview, President Zelensky does tell TIME magazine that he never discussed a quid pro quo with President Trump. But, he also criticizes Mr. Trump's decision to withhold military aid this summer at the same time U.S. officials were pressuring Ukraine to investigate a Democrat, Joe Biden. "You have to understand, we're at war," Zelensky said. “If you're our strategic partner, then you can't go blocking anything for us. I think that's just about fairness.”
She too hyped the Judiciary Committee hearings coming up. “This week, just as it did during the Clinton proceedings in 1998, the House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing to examine historical precedent for impeaching a president,” she reported. Adding: “Tonight, the House Intelligence Committee is putting the finishing touches on its findings after interviews and hearings with 17 witnesses.”
NBC Nightly News chose not to inform their viewers about what President Zelensky said. Instead, chief White House correspondent Hallie Jackson celebrated NBC political director Chuck Todd losing his mind when Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) dared to mention the fact media reports (including liberal ones) attested to Ukraine being involved in election meddling in 2016.
The transcripts are below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s World News Tonight
December 2, 2019
6:38:58 p.m. Eastern(…)
TERRY MORAN: Trump's strategy all along: deny he's done anything wrong and trash the process. Today, he argued the president of Ukraine backs him up.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Today, the Ukrainian president came out and said very strongly that President Trump did absolutely nothing wrong. That should be case over.
MORAN: But the Ukrainian president never said Trump did nothing wrong and he criticized the decision to withhold military aid. "I never talked to the President from the position of a quid pro quo," he told TIME. "But you have to understand, we're at war. If you're our strategic partner, then you can't go blocking anything for us."
[Cuts to video]
DAVID MUIR: So, let’s get right to Terry Moran he’s live at the White House tonight. And Terry, we know members of the House Intelligence Committee are now getting a chance to read that report tonight before they vote tomorrow. Then, of course, the report goes to the Judiciary Committee for their first public hearings on Wednesday.
(…)
CBS Evening News
December 2, 2019
6:39:07 p.m. Eastern(…)
NANCY CORDES: Before departing for London and while in the air, President Trump railed against the impeachment process, which enters a new phase this week.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Look at the words that the Ukrainian president, that he just issued, and you know it's a hoax.
CORDES: In a new interview, President Zelensky does tell TIME magazine that he never discussed a quid pro quo with President Trump. But, he also criticizes Mr. Trump's decision to withhold military aid this summer at the same time U.S. officials were pressuring Ukraine to investigate a Democrat, Joe Biden. "You have to understand, we're at war," Zelensky said. “If you're our strategic partner, then you can't go blocking anything for us. I think that's just about fairness.”
(…)
CORDES: This week, just as it did during the Clinton proceedings in 1998, the House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing to examine historical precedent for impeaching a president. White House lawyers have been invited to participate in Wednesday’s hearing, but rejected the offer Sunday, calling the process a sham.
(…)
CORDES: Tonight, the House Intelligence Committee is putting the finishing touches on its findings after interviews and hearings with 17 witnesses. In a preemptive strike, the Republicans on that committee released their own report today, insisting there is still “no direct, firsthand evidence” that President Trump pressured his Ukrainian counterpart.
(…)
