Not even 24 hours after The New York Times published its joke of a report about President Trump’s taxes, Democrats and the media had already jumped the shark with their accusations. During their Monday newscasts, the CBS Evening News and NBC Nightly News attempted to promote Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) crazy conspiracy theory that the President was owned by foreign governments via the over $400 million in loans for his business, suggesting it was a “national security” threat.
The coverage on NBC was insidious. White House correspondent Geoff Bennett didn’t even play the soundbite of the Speaker making the accusation to MSNBC earlier in the day. Instead, he relied on NBC senior business correspondent and MSNBC host Stephanie Ruhle.
“It's a national security issue,” Ruhle proclaimed, parroting Pelosi. “You could potentially have a sitting president who owes hundreds of millions of dollars. The American people are going to want to know who he owes that money to and can he make it clear he can put country over business interests?”
Interestingly, Ruhle had spoken on the same MSNBC program just moments before Pelosi. Bennett also seemed to take pleasure in suggesting Trump was drowning in a “mountain of debt.”
And while he spent a lot of time making hay out of how Trump supposedly paid only $750 in federal income taxes the year he was elected, Bennett only briefly admitted: “Mr. Trump did pay other forms of federal taxes.” And then, it was gone.
CBS, on the other hand, was upfront about how they were doing Pelosi’s bidding and pushing the unfounded conspiracy theory. “Well, today, the Speaker of the House suggested those debts could be a threat to national security,” announced anchor Norah O’Donnell as she led into the segment. She then lied and claimed, “the President does not appear to be denying the facts in the Times report.”
Back in reality, the President had held a press conference on Sunday (the same day the report dropped) and called it “fake news," which was a fact CBS White House correspondent Ben Tracy would later contradict her on.
Tracy also elevated Pelosi’s ridiculous conspiracy theory:
TRACY: The records also show Mr. Trump took in $73 million from foreign deals during his first two years in office. And is now facing hundreds of millions of dollars in loans coming due.
PELOSI: This President appears to have over $400 million in debt, 420, whatever it is, million dollars in debt. To whom? Different countries? What is the leverage they have? So, for me, this is a national security question.
Again, back in reality, a simple reading of the Executive Branch Personnel Public Financial Disclosure Report showed just who President Trump allegedly owed money to and none of them were foreign governments.
Looking over Trump’s alleged liabilities on page 35 of the document showed he had 14 loans to eight lenders. Such lenders included (as they appeared on the document): Ladder Capital Finance, Deutsche Bank, Investors Savings Bank, Amboy Bank, Chevy Chase Trust Holdings, The Bryn Mawr Trust Company, Chicago Unit Acquisition, and Professional Bank.
This divorce from reality was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Crest on CBS and Norton Antivirus. Their contact information is linked so you can tell them about the biased news they fund. CBS Evening News had also requested that people “text Norah” at this number: (202) 217-1107.
The transcripts are below, click "expand" to read:
CBS Evening News
September 28, 2020
6:32:24 p.m. Eastern(…)
NORAH O’DONNELL: The New York Times says it has documents showing President Trump paid only $750 in income tax his first year in office. That his businesses are losing money, and that he personally owes $421 million on loans made to his companies. Well, today, the Speaker of the House suggested those debts could be a threat to national security. And tonight the President does not appear to be denying the facts in the Times report.
(…)
BEN TRACY: The records also show Mr. Trump took in $73 million from foreign deals during his first two years in office. And is now facing hundreds of millions of dollars in loans coming due.
SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI: This president appears to have over $400 million in debt, 420, whatever it is, million dollars in debt. To whom? Different countries? What is the leverage they have? So, for me this is a national security question.
(…)
NBC Nightly News
September 28, 2020
7:03:36 p.m. Eastern(…)
GEOFF BENNETT: The records also paint a picture of a president facing a mountain of debt. Over the next four years, the Times says, more than $300 million in loans that President Trump is personally responsible for will come due.
STEPHANIE RUHLE: It's a national security issue. You could potentially have a sitting president who owes hundreds of millions of dollars. The American people are going to want to know who he owes that money to and can he make it clear he can put country over business interests?
BENNETT: The Times notes that Mr. Trump did pay other forms of federal taxes.
(…)
