As Speaker Nancy Pelosi was exiting a Thursday press conference after announcing she had directed her chairmen to draw up articles of impeachment, Sinclair reporter James Rosen questioned her on whether or not she felt “hate” towards President Trump. Her anger flared as she lashed out in response (something they would have condemned President Trump for). It was that irate response that drew the attention of CBS Evening News and NBC Nightly News as they both hyped it as something awesome.
During her opening tease for their impeachment segment, CBS anchor Norah O’Donnell built up Pelosi’s “warning” against Rosen:
NORAH O’DONNELL: No choice but to act. The Speaker of the House declares there will be articles of impeachment. Before angrily warning a reporter:
SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): Don't mess with me when it comes to words like that.
O’DONNELL: Tonight, the question that set the Speaker off.
Impeachment was the first story CBS got to (ABC and NBC led with a jewelry heist). O’Donnell seemed awestruck when reporting how, “Addressing the nation from the Capitol, the Speaker says President Trump's conduct leaves her no choice, that nothing less than American democracy is at stake.”
After vaguely noting that Rosen’s question stemmed from a comment House Judiciary Committee ranking member Doug Collins (R-GA) made during the impeachment hearing on Wednesday, CBS chief congressional correspondent Nancy Cordes played nearly the entire exchange (Click “expand”):
REP. DOUG COLLINS (R-GA): You just don't like the guy!
NANCY CORDES: One reporter asked Pelosi about that as she left the podium today.
JAMES ROSEN: Do you hate the President, Madam Speaker?
PELOSI: I don't-- I don't hate anybody. I don't-- I was raised in a Catholic house. We don't hate anybody, not anybody in the world. So don't-- don't you accuse me of--
ROSEN: I did not accuse you.
PELOSI: You did. You did.
ROSEN: I asked a question.
PELOSI: You did. Let me just say this--
CORDES: The Speaker stormed back to the microphone.
PELOSI: I pray for the President all the time. So, don't mess with me when it comes to words like that.
There was similar fanfare during the opening tease delivered by NBC anchor Lester Holt. “The historic move by Speaker Nancy Pelosi ordering articles of impeachment drawn up against President Trump and the heated moment a reporter asking Pelosi, ‘do you hate the President?’” They too played the sound might of Pelosi telling Rosen not to mess with her.
As he led into the segment, Holt touted how Pelosi was “deadly serious” when she set “history” to unfold “as Democrats take a dramatic and material step toward impeaching President Trump. With the President even today clinging to his mantra that it's all a hoax…”
“House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tonight wielding the power of her office in an effort to remove the President from his,” boasted NBC White House correspondent Peter Alexander. He didn’t play a soundbite of the question, but he did highlight Pelosi’s answer:
ALEXANDER: Also bristling at a question today, Speaker Pelosi, as she was leaving a news conference, asked by a reporter whether she hates the President.
PELOSI: I don't hate anybody. I don't -- I was raised in a Catholic house. We don't hate anybody. [Transition] I pray for the President all the time. So, don't mess with me when it comes to words like that.
When President Trump slammed the press, it was a destructive attack on the First Amendment, our institutions, and our democracy. But when Pelosi did it, it was considered her just flexing her power.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
CBS Evening News
December 5, 2019
6:30:20 p.m. Eastern [Opening Tease]NORAH O’DONNELL: No choice but to act. The Speaker of the House declares there will be articles of impeachment. Before angrily warning a reporter:
SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): Don't mess with me when it comes to words like that.
O’DONNELL: Tonight, the question that set the Speaker off.
(…)
6:31:55 p.m. Eastern
O’DONNELL: Good evening, and thank you so much for joining us. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is making it official, greenlighting Congress to begin drafting articles of impeachment. Addressing the nation from the Capitol, the Speaker says President Trump's conduct leaves her no choice, that nothing less than American democracy is at stake. It was a day of high drama and hot tempers.
(…)
6:33:34 p.m. Eastern
REP. DOUG COLLINS (R-GA): You just don't like the guy!
NANCY CORDES: One reporter asked Pelosi about that as she left the podium today.
JAMES ROSEN: Do you hate the President, Madam Speaker?
PELOSI: I don't-- I don't hate anybody. I don't-- I was raised in a Catholic house. We don't hate anybody, not anybody in the world. So don't-- don't you accuse me of--
ROSEN: I did not accuse you.
PELOSI: You did. You did.
ROSEN: I asked a question.
PELOSI: You did. Let me just say this--
CORDES: The Speaker stormed back to the microphone.
PELOSI: I pray for the President all the time. So, don't mess with me when it comes to words like that.
CORDES: The President quickly accused Pelosi of having a “nervous fit.”
(…)
NBC Nightly News
December 5, 2019
7:00:59 p.m. Eastern [Opening Tease]LESTER HOLT: The historic move by Speaker Nancy Pelosi ordering articles of impeachment drawn up against President Trump and the heated moment a reporter asking Pelosi, “do you hate the President?”
SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): So, don't mess with me when it comes to words like that.
HOLT: The President daring Democrats to impeach him fast. Could it happen by Christmas?
(…)
HOLT: History unfolding tonight as Democrats take a dramatic and material step toward impeaching President Trump. With the President even today clinging to his mantra that it's all a hoax, a deadly serious House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was directing House leaders to start drafting articles of impeachment. Peter Alexander has late details.
[Cuts to video]
PETER ALEXANDER: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tonight wielding the power of her office in an effort to remove the President from his.
(…)
ALEXANDER: Also bristling at a question today, Speaker Pelosi, as she was leaving a news conference, asked by a reporter whether she hates the President.
SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): I don't hate anybody. I don't -- I was raised in a Catholic house. We don't hate anybody. [Transition] I pray for the President all the time. So, don't mess with me when it comes to words like that.
(…)
