Before Biden had even delivered his address Thursday night detailing his plans to fight coronavirus and revive the economy, his allies in the liberal media were already singing its praises. Or, as CBS Evening News anchor Norah O’Donnell described it, his plans to “rescue the country.” Meanwhile, NBC Nightly News essentially ended their broadcast with a pro-Biden ad talking about how his job was “slow history down” and keep it from coming at us so quickly.
“Tonight, President-elect Joe Biden is showing how he plans to rescue the country from the coronavirus pandemic and the struggling economy. It is a big plan with an even bigger price tag,” O’Donnell touted as she handed it off to anti-Trump White House correspondent Weijia Jiang.
In between old soundbites of Biden, Jiang boosted the loose ideas that the President-elect had already put out (Click "expand"):
Tonight, the President-Elect will explain how he plans to address the crisis, announcing a nearly 2 trillion-dollar rescue package he'll urge lawmakers to pass quickly.
(…)
There is new evidence today the situation is getting worse, as nearly 1 million Americans filed for unemployment in the first week of the year. Mr. Biden's plan would provide another round of stimulus checks, increase unemployment insurance, and up the child tax credit.
With the pandemic continuing to kill thousands of people a day and overwhelming many emergency rooms nationwide, Mr. Biden will also call for $400 billion in new funding to help get control of the virus and improve the vaccine rollout.
“But today, a senior Biden official told CBS News one challenge is the distribution system they are inheriting from the Trump administration is much worse than they could have imagined,” Jiang concluded, parroting an anonymous source.
For ABC’s part, World News Tonight took part in a rather generic boasting about the money Biden was going to throw at problems. Senior congressional correspondent Mary Bruce touted it as “a massive, ambitious plan.” And She didn’t bat an eye at the “nearly $2 trillion” price tag as she rattled off where the money was going.
Over on NBC, special correspondent Harry Smith recorded what boiled down to a pro-Biden political ad that glorified how he was going to supposedly heal the country.
“History sometimes happens so quickly we can barely keep up. It was just last Wednesday when the unimaginable happened. The insurrection at the Capitol. Video has emerged that show it was even worse, if possible, than we first believed,” he began before recalling the second impeachment of President Trump.
He added: “It feels as if we're being shaken upside down, regaining equilibrium is a struggle. We have soldiers protecting the Capitol this week, even sleeping on the floor because the republic is still under threat.”
And who was going to put the brakes on and save us from the chaos? “And in just six days, Joe Biden will be sworn in as the new president. His task, to get the country back on its feet and maybe slow history down a bit,” he said, trying to calm NBC’s viewers. He might as well have proclaimed it was “morning in America.”
Smith was the same NBC correspondent who helmed their “My Big Idea” and “What Matters” series where he promoted the radical policies of the Democratic presidential field, and only listened to the concerns of Democratic voters.
The transcripts are below, click "expand" to read:
CBS Evening News
January 14, 2021
6:44:33 p.m. EasternNORAH O’DONNELL: Tonight, President-elect Joe Biden is showing how he plans to rescue the country from the coronavirus pandemic and the struggling economy. It is a big plan with an even bigger price tag. We get more now from CBS's Weijia Jiang in Wilmington, Delaware.
[Cuts to video]
WEIJIA JIANG: As plans for the Biden inauguration move forward, the White House continues to empty out and prepare for his arrival. But maximum security measures will prevent crowds from welcoming Mr. Biden to Washington, where he faces daunting challenges, namely a raging pandemic and a spiraling economy.
Tonight, the President-Elect will explain how he plans to address the crisis, announcing a nearly 2 trillion-dollar rescue package he'll urge lawmakers to pass quickly.
(…)
JIANG: There is new evidence today the situation is getting worse, as nearly 1 million Americans filed for unemployment in the first week of the year. Mr. Biden's plan would provide another round of stimulus checks, increase unemployment insurance, and up the child tax credit.
With the pandemic continuing to kill thousands of people a day and overwhelming many emergency rooms nationwide, Mr. Biden will also call for $400 billion in new funding to help get control of the virus and improve the vaccine rollout.
(…)
[Cuts back to live]
JIANG: The President-elect has complained that the vaccine rollout has, so far, been too slow, and he vows to do better. But today, a senior Biden official told CBS News one challenge is the distribution system they are inheriting from the Trump administration is much worse than they could have imagined. Norah.
O’DONNELL: Weijia Jiang, thank you.
NBC Nightly News
January 14, 2021
7:28:16 p.m. EasternLESTER HOLT: Finally, a look forward after an unprecedented week. Here's Harry Smith.
[Cuts to video]
HARRY SMITH: History sometimes happens so quickly we can barely keep up. It was just last Wednesday when the unimaginable happened. The insurrection at the Capitol. Video has emerged that show it was even worse, if possible, than we first believed. And just one week later, the President was impeached again. No president has ever been impeached twice. And some Republicans joined the effort. Who saw that coming?
It feels as if we're being shaken upside down, regaining equilibrium is a struggle. We have soldiers protecting the Capitol this week, even sleeping on the floor because the republic is still under threat. It's all quite real, unlike the fiction about the election being stolen. And in just six days, Joe Biden will be sworn in as the new president. His task, to get the country back on its feet and maybe slow history down a bit. Harry Smith, NBC News, New York.
