What’s old was new again as President Trump’s time in office appeared to end as it began, with the liberal media making outlandish and irresponsible claims that he was going to start a costly and bloody war. That was the theme on Tuesday for both ABC’s World News Tonight and CNN’s Cuomo PrimeTime, with the former unspooling vague fears from anonymous sources suggesting Trump might be looking to deploy troops abroad or here in the homeland.
Teeing up chief global affairs correspondent Martha Raddatz to scare the wits out of their viewers regarding a shakeup at the Pentagon, ABC anchor David Muir wondered: “And if this is unsettling for folks at home, what do your sources tell you tonight, is there any concern this could put national security at risk?”
Citing no one in particular and proving no evidence of her claims, Raddatz proclaimed: “There is concern about what this means, is the President planning a military operation? Or the use of federal troops, which [former Secretary of Defense Mark] Esper opposed.”
“Even Mitch McConnell praised Esper today and Republican John Cornyn, a member of the Senate GOP leadership said of Trump's decision to fire Esper, ‘I don't think it helps him and I don't think it helps the country,’” she added.
It’s worth noting that on Election Night 2016, Raddatz was on the verge of tears as she talked about what the troop on the frontlines in Afghanistan and Iraq could face with Trump as commander-in-chief. The emotions really kicked in as she described how failed vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine didn’t trust Trump with the life of his Marine son.
Later on in the night, CNN host Chris Cuomo was speaking with former Bill Clinton and George W. Bush counterterrorism official Richard Clarke and suggested that Trump pending election litigation could lead to a 9/11-type situation: “The finding of the [9/11] Commission was that the delay in transition because of the litigation made a material difference in the preparedness of the administration for the extant-threat of terror.”
Clarke shot down that comparison (because he was involved) and proposed a scenario more akin to George H. W. Bush’s transition to Clinton. “George Bush invaded Somalia after he lost his bid for re-election, and he left that steaming pile for Bill Clinton,” he said. “There are people out there who may want to take advantage of what they think is chaos in the U.S. Iran might, North Korea might, even Russia and China might.”
A few minutes later, Clarke continued his baseless speculation and fearmongering by suggesting Trump could leave Joe Biden with a full-blown war to distract him from the coronavirus (Click “expand”):
What if, for example, Iran, which is still, you know, wanting to settle the score for when Trump killed General Soleimani? You know, what if they tried to settle that score in the next 70 days and what if Trump responds in a big way militarily and he ends up leaving a war going on with Iran as his gift to Biden? That's not inconceivable.
What if North Korea decides to do something? What if China or Russia -- What if Russia makes moves in Ukraine during this period and Trump doesn't respond, and then Biden has to come in and the first thing he has to deal with, instead of the virus, instead of the economy, is some armed conflict overseas? That could happen.
Now, no other phrase besides fake news perfectly sums up what these two outlets were doing. This is CNN.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s World News Tonight
November 10, 2020
6:40:45 p.m. Eastern(…)
DAVID MUIR: Well, Martha, you covered Washington, you’ve covered the Pentagon for years, have you ever seen an interim period like this, a defense secretary out, three more top Pentagon officials tonight. And if this is unsettling for folks at home, what do your sources tell you tonight, is there any concern this could put national security at risk?
MARTHA RADDATZ: You know, David, no one has seen anything like this. There is concern about what this means, is the President planning a military operation? Or the use of federal troops, which Esper opposed.
Even Mitch McConnell praised Esper today and Republican John Cornyn, a member of the Senate GOP leadership said of Trump's decision to fire Esper, "I don't think it helps him and I don't think it helps the country."
(...)
CNN’s Cuomo PrimeTime
November 10, 2020
9:35:30 p.m. Eastern(…)
CHRIS CUOMO: The finding of the commission was that the delay in transition because of the litigation made a material difference in the preparedness of the administration for the extant-threat of terror.
RICHARD CLARKE: Yeah, I know that was their conclusion. I'm not sure it's true, because that transition, the Clinton counterterrorism team in the White House, all of it stayed on into the Bush administration. So the expertise continued. That's not always the case.
I've been through three transitions, twice in the White House and once on the transition team, and things happen during transition times. You know, the world doesn't stop. George Bush invaded Somalia after he lost his bid for re-election, and he left that steaming pile for Bill Clinton. So, you don't know what's going to happen. The world continues on. There are people out there who may want to take advantage of what they think is chaos in the U.S. Iran might, North Korea might, even Russia and China might.
(…)
9:37:35 p.m. Eastern
CLARKE: I think that everyone in Washington knows how this is going to come out and the Republicans are just humoring him. Because he's still going to be a potent force even when he leaves office.
But Chris, ask yourself what happens if somebody wants to settle a score during this period.
CUOMO: Yeah.
CLARKE: What if, for example, Iran, which is still, you know, wanting to settle the score for when Trump killed General Soleimani? You know, what if they tried to settle that score in the next 70 days and what if Trump responds in a big way militarily and he ends up leaving a war going on with Iran as his gift to Biden? That's not inconceivable.
What if North Korea decides to do something? What if China or Russia -- What if Russia makes moves in Ukraine during this period and Trump doesn't respond, and then Biden has to come in and the first thing he has to deal with, instead of the virus, instead of the economy, is some armed conflict overseas? That could happen.
(…)
