The 2020 election reports by CBS political correspondent Ed O’Keefe have been an almost nightly dose of Biden campaign propaganda on CBS Evening News. While he may not often say anything explicitly anti-Trump, his segments have turned into a regurgitation of Biden camp talking points and gooey retellings of the ticket’s activities for the day.
For a while now, NewsBusters has documented O’Keefe’s possible audition for a position in the hypothetical Biden administration; such as when he telegraphed his intention to only speak favorably about Biden’s eventual VP pick and defend them, covered up his candidate quoting communist monster Mao Tse-tung, and morbidly touting how states “inundated with [COVID] infections” were moving to Biden.
O’Keefe spent nearly all of his Thursday report boasting about how Biden and his running mate, Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) were “trying to show how they would lead during the pandemic.”
At the top of his Biden propaganda spew, O’Keefe went on about his ticket was demanding governors implement mandatory mask mandates:
ED O’KEEFE: Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden said today it's time for every American to mask up.
JOE BIDEN: Every governor should mandate mandatory mask-wearing. [Transition] Be a patriot. Protect your fellow citizens. Protect your fellow citizens. Step up. Do the right thing.
O’KEEFE: His running mate, Kamala Harris, backed him up.
SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA): That's what real leadership looks like. [Transition] We should all be wearing a mask for the next three months because it will save lives.
“The California Senator also said voters should be asking the Trump administration a key question,” he gushed. That question was: “When am I going to get vaccinated?”
Further keeping viewers tapped into the day’s events for the campaign, O’Keefe recalled how “the pair rolled out a new proposal with a series of virtual meetings with scientists and economists.”
Keeping his promise to cover Harris favorably and defend her, O’Keefe claimed the President “leveled a sexist attack on Harris.” Here’s the soundbite O’Keefe played as his evidence:
TRUMP: And now you have a sort of a madwoman, I call her, because she was so angry and so-- such hatred with Justice Kavanaugh.
What do you think? Was O’Keefe telling the truth? Of course, he didn’t ask Harris about Biden’s many misconduct accusers like Tara Reade had demanded in an exclusive with NewsBusters.
Leading up to this, O’Keefe had spent months burying even more Biden controversies than noted above. Earlier this month he edited a video of Biden asking his black CBS colleague, Errol Barnett, “are you a junkie?” In that same vein, back in June, he downplayed Biden’s long history of racist comments. And before that, he came to Biden’s defense when CBS ended their blackout of Reade’s rape allegation.
O’Keefe’s Thursday Biden spew was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Allegra and Prevagen. Their contact information is linked if you want to let them know about what they’re funding. CBS Evening News has also asked people to text anchor Norah O’Donnell at this number: (202) 217-1107.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
CBS Evening News
August 13, 2020
6:35:58 p.m. EasternMARGARET BRENNAN: The COVID crisis was the first order of business today for Joe Biden and his new running mate, Senator Kamala Harris. They appeared together for the second straight day and called for a nationwide mandatory mask order. Here's CBS' Ed O’Keefe.
[Cuts to video]
ED O’KEEFE: Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden said today it's time for every American to mask up.
JOE BIDEN: Every governor should mandate mandatory mask wearing. [Transition] Be a patriot. Protect your fellow citizens. Protect your fellow citizens. Step up. Do the right thing.
O’KEEFE: His running mate, Kamala Harris, backed him up.
SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA): That's what real leadership looks like. [Transition] We should all be wearing a mask for the next three months because it will save lives.
O’KEEFE: The California Senator also said voters should be asking the Trump administration a key question.
HARRIS: When am I actually going to get vaccinated? Because there may be some grand gestures offered by the current President about a vaccine, but it really doesn't matter until you can answer the question, "When am I going to get vaccinated?"
O’KEEFE: Trying to show how they would lead during the pandemic, the pair rolled out a new proposal with a series of virtual meetings with scientists and economists.
President Trump fired back, late today.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I trust the American people and the governors want to do the right thing to make the smart decisions and Joe doesn't.
O’KEEFE: Earlier, he leveled a sexist attack on Harris.
TRUMP: And now you have a sort of a mad woman, I call her, because she was so angry and so-- such hatred with Justice Kavanaugh.
O’KEEFE: Biden and Harris now plan to speak to the Democratic convention next week from a Wilmington event center. Harris is set to speak Wednesday, and Biden a week from tonight. Ed O’Keefe, CBS news, Washington.
