During their Tuesday evening newscasts, the broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC) proved they were staunchly anti-police by railing against President Trump for defending law enforcement with an executive order proposing much-needed reforms. Along with decrying the executive order for not going “far enough,” they were outraged that Trump would surround himself with police officers in the White House Rose Garden.
ABC chief White House correspondent Jon Karl (who also leads the anti-Trump White House Correspondents Association), was particularly irked by Trump’s persistence in defending the police from leftist radicals. “The President's speech today in the Rose Garden started out as a plea for unity...But the President quickly turned to tough talk about law and order,” he griped on World News Tonight.
As if one couldn’t be for police and reforms at the same time, Karl suggested Trump tricked people with the signing ceremony. “The event was called for the President to sign an executive order the White House billed as an effort to address the issues raised by the protests across the country in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, but the President spent most of his remarks defending law enforcement,” he whined.
Karl was also outraged that Trump chose to have cops at the signing ceremony. “But when it came time to sign the executive order, the President was surrounded by nine law enforcement official us, only one of them black,” he huffed. “The order makes no mention whatsoever of racism in policing.”
Over on the CBS Evening News, White House correspondent Ben Tracy also found it bizarre that cops would be at the White House:
With pressure mounting to address excessive force by police departments, President Trump took the unusual step of surrounding himself with police officers today as he signed an executive order suggesting new standards for law enforcement.
And despite admitting that the executive order made progress on pushing for reforms permissible on the federal level, Tracy bemoaned that, “the order is merely a list of recommendations, not legal restrictions.” He further complained: “And the President used his speech today less as a conversation about racial bias in policing and more as a rally supporting officers.”
Of course, Tracy again misled CBS viewers. The fact of the matter was; the abilities of executive orders were limited. The Office of the President did not have the power to dictate the operations of a local police department, but they could encourage change. Congress could pass a law mandating their policies, which they’re working on, but the president couldn’t.
Over on NBC Nightly News, White House correspondent Peter Alexander started on a fair note, pointing outTrump had met privately with some of the families who had relatives killed by police. He also was fair in noting what the executive order called for:
The order directs police to adopt new standards for the use of force, including new restrictions on chokeholds, launches a program to partner social workers with police on calls involving homelessness or mental health issues. And creates a national database to track officers with a record of excessive force complaints, aimed at preventing the rehiring of what the President called “bad police officers.”
But that changed when Alexander lamented: Still, the President is strongly defending police and blasting calls to defund them as radical and dangerous.”
So, according to the networks, there was no middle ground. You were either for abolishing police departments or you were for a tyrannical police state.
The transcripts are below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s World News Tonight
June 16, 2020
6:32:21 p.m. EasternDAVID MUIR: But we're going to begin with President Trump on policing in America. After three weeks of protests calling for change, President Trump in an emotional meeting behind closed doors with families of victims. And the President in the Rose Garden today signing an executive order, recommending restricting choke holds to be used only if an officer's life is in danger, but not a mandatory ban. He said police departments should share abuse complaints about officers. The President also insisting, quote, “Americans want law and order,” adding, “some of them don't even know that's what they want.”
But with protests across this country, the President did not address racism in America. And what the families who met with the President said afterward. Our chief White House correspondent, Jonathan Karl leading us off tonight.
[Cuts to video]
JON KARL: The President's speech today in the Rose Garden started out as a plea for unity.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: To all of the hurting families, I want you to know that all Americans mourn by your side. Your loved ones will not have died in vain.
KARL: But the President quickly turned to tough talk about law and order.
TRUMP: Americans want law and order. They demand law and order. Some of them don't even know that's what they want, but that's what they want.
KARL: The event was called for the President to sign an executive order the White House billed as an effort to address the issues raised by the protests across the country in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, but the President spent most of his remarks defending law enforcement.
TRUMP: But I strongly oppose the radical and dangerous efforts to defund, dismantle, and dissolve our police departments. Americans know the truth. Without police, there is chaos.
KARL: His opponent, Joe Biden, says he doesn't support defunding the police, either.
Before the event, the President met privately for at least an hour with several black families whose loved ones were killed by police (…) But when it came time to sign the executive order, the President was surrounded by nine law enforcement official us, only one of them black.
The order makes no mention whatsoever of racism in policing. In his remarks, the President insisted that the problem of misconduct is limited to a very small number of police officers.
TRUMP: I use the word tiny. It's a very small percentage, but you have them.
KARL: The executive order encourages local police departments to follow higher standards on use of force and de-escalation, and to report and to report instances of police misconduct to a national registry.
(…)
CBS Evening News
June 16, 2020
6:36:07 p.m. Eastern(…)
NORAH O’DONNELL: Today, President Trump called on police departments to track complaints of excessive force against officers. And part of a new executive order critics say doesn't go far enough. CBS Ben Tracy reports tonight from the White House.
[Cuts to video]
BEN TRACY: With pressure mounting to address excessive force by police departments, President Trump took the unusual step of surrounding himself with police officers today as he signed an executive order suggesting new standards for law enforcement.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: These standards will be as high and as strong as there is on Earth.
TRACY: Mr. Trump's executive order creates a database to track officers with excessive force complaints, suggests banning chokeholds in most cases, and calls on departments to deploy social workers when responding to the homeless and mentally ill.
But the order is merely a list of recommendations, not legal restrictions. And the President used his speech today less as a conversation about racial bias in policing and more as a rally supporting officers.
TRUMP: Without police, there is chaos. Without law, there is anarchy. And without safety, there is catastrophe.
TRACY: Democrats say the President's action is not enough and want a ban on all chokeholds and to make it easier to sue police for misconduct.
(…)
NBC Nightly News
June 16, 2020
7:06:50 p.m. EasternLESTER HOLT: After massive protests following the death of George Floyd, President Trump signed an executive order on police reform today, while declaring Americans also want law and order. Peter Alexander is at the White House.
[Cuts to video]
PETER ALEXANDER: President Trump today, after meeting privately with the families of African-Americans whose deaths sparked protests, signing an executive order, vowing changes within America's police departments.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: All Americans mourn by your side. Your loved ones will not have died in vain. We are one nation, we grieve together, and we heal together.
ALEXANDER: The order directs police to adopt new standards for the use of force, including new restrictions on chokeholds, launches a program to partner social workers with police on calls involving homelessness or mental health issues. And creates a national database to track officers with a record of excessive force complaints, aimed at preventing the rehiring of what the President called “bad police officers.”
TRUMP: There are very tiny -- I use the very good tiny. It’s a very small percentage. But you have them.
ALEXANDER: Still, the President is strongly defending police and blasting calls to defund them as radical and dangerous.
TRUMP: Americans want law and order. They demand law and order. They may not say it, they may not be talking about it. But that's what they want. [Transition] We need to bring law enforcement and communities closer together, not to drive them apart.
(…)
