Ahead of President Trump’s State of the Union address Tuesday night, Gallup, a polling service often cited by the media, released their latest findings that showed the President’s approval rating hitting a new record high of 49 percent (highest ever from Gallup), despite the impeachment trial. It was an inconvenient truth that ABC’s World News Tonight and NBC Nightly News refused to report during their evening newscasts ahead of the address.
In fact, ABC News was so dismissive of the President’s standing, anchor David Muir suggested Trump simply “believes he has much to celebrate tonight,” before previewing the State of the Union.
In contrast, CBS Evening News was willing to admit the President’s approval rating had jumped. “Yet impeachment seems to be helping him. A new Gallup poll gives him a 49 percent job approval rating, the highest since he took office,” reported White House correspondent Ben Tracy.
Tracy also noted that the President did have some wins under his belt that he could tout, evening pointing out one of his honored guests:
But White House officials say the President is not planning to utter the "I" word tonight. Instead, he'll focus on the economy and what he's calling the great American comeback. He will also tout the killing of Iran's top general, Qasem Soleimani. One White House guest is the widow of a soldier killed in Iraq by a Soleimani-supplied roadside bomb.
“The stock market is soaring, and economic growth hit 2.3 percent last year. But that's less than the three percent annual growth the President policy promised,” he added.
Fox News Channel’s Special Report also highlighted Trump’s improved job approval rating, with chief White House correspondent John Roberts recalling: “As it did with President Clinton, 21 years ago, impeachment appears to have improved president Trump's standing with voters, a new Gallup poll has his approval now at 49 percent, his highest number ever in Gallup.”
Adding: “His approval among Republicans stands at 94 percent, while overall 63 percent of respondents approve of his handling of the economy.”
Roberts also shared this soundbite of the Vice President’s chief of staff, Marc Short boasting of other administration victories:
MARC SHORT: While Democrats have been focused on this partisan impeachment, this President has actually been staying focused on negotiating new trade deals with Mexico and Canada, a new trade deal with China, and at the same time eliminating the most dangerous terrorists in the world Soleimani and Baghdadi.
ABC did note that the stock market was up today, but attributed to positive news about China’s handling of the coronavirus and trade. And, as NewsBusters had previously reported, the networks were not usually keen on sharing Trump’s victories, particularly economic ones.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
CBS Evening News
February 4, 2020
6:36:45 p.m. Eastern(…)
BEN TRACY: But White House officials say the President is not planning to utter the "I" word tonight. Instead, he'll focus on the economy and what he's calling the great American comeback. He will also tout the killing of Iran's top general, Qasem Soleimani. One White House guest is the widow of a soldier killed in Iraq by a Soleimani-supplied roadside bomb.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: We're going to talk about the achievements that we've made. Nobody's made achievements like we've made, so many different things.
TRACY: The stock market is soaring, and economic growth hit 2.3 percent last year. But that's less than the three percent annual growth the President policy promised.
Yet impeachment seems to be helping him. A new Gallup poll gives him a 49 percent job approval rating, the highest since he took office.
[Cuts back to live]
Now, if President Trump does not mention impeachment tonight, he'll be following in the footsteps of Bill Clinton. Back in 1999, Clinton gave his own address during his own impeachment trial, and he avoided the topic. Instead, and this may sound familiar, he talked about the economy. Norah.
Fox News Channel’s Special Report
February 4, 2020
6:10:46 p.m. Eastern(…)
JOHN ROBERTS: As it did with President Clinton, 21 years ago, impeachment appears to have improved president Trump's standing with voters, a new Gallup poll has his approval now at 49 percent, his highest number ever in Gallup. His approval among Republicans stands at 94 percent, while overall 63 percent of respondents approve of his handling of the economy.
MARC SHORT: While Democrats have been focused on this partisan impeachment, this President has actually been staying focused on negotiating new trade deals with Mexico and Canada, a new trade deal with China, and at the same time eliminating the most dangerous terrorists in the world Soleimani and Baghdadi.
[Cuts back to live]
ROBERTS: Tonight's State of the Union address will serve as a template for the Trump campaign ahead. And while there are a couple of things the President could get some common ground with Democrats on, such as lowering the price prescription drugs and infrastructure this year, a lot of what the President will talk about is what would come in the second term if the President gets reelected.
