Shortly before their evening newscasts Thursday, news broke that the Biden administration had approved a plan to give terrorists housed at Guantanamo Bay (including 9/11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed) precious doses of the coronavirus vaccine ahead of most Americans. Doing their part to cover-up President Biden’s blunder, CBS has yet to report the story to viewers on any of their flagship morning and evening newscasts.
For their part, both ABC and NBC put off covering the story until the weekend, with the latter waiting until the administration dropped the plan after the backlash. The tone of both networks came off as puzzled by the original decision, rather than the disgust and condemnation they would have lobbed at former President Trump.
Between their Saturday and Sunday morning reports, ABC and NBC each gave the story less than a minute of airtime. ABC dedicated 48 seconds total (23 on Saturday and 25 on Sunday). NBC also gave it a total of 48 seconds (27 on Saturday and 21 on Sunday).
ABC’s coverage was only in the form of speedy news briefs during their Good Morning America newscasts on both days.
“Happening right now, a Department of Defense spokesperson confirms to ABC News that the Pentagon has given the green light for detainees and prisoners at Guantanamo Bay to be offered COVID-19 vaccinations,” reported co-anchor Dan Harris. “Among them Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind behind the September 11th attacks. This, of course, comes as many U.S. states are struggling to keep up with the demand for those who qualify to receive the vaccine here.”
The network skipped the story for Saturday’s World News Tonight, only to pick it up again on Sunday once the plan was scrapped. “Happening right now, the Pentagon now halting a plan to vaccinate Guantanamo Bay inmates. The Department of Defense facing swift backlash after saying it would offer and administer vaccines to detainees and prisoners,” co-anchor Whit Johnson updated viewers.
He also parroted Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby, who suggested vaccinating terrorists was a way to keep the troops there safe.
For Saturday’s NBC Nightly News, anchor Jose Diaz-Balart approached the story like an oddity with correspondent Meagan Fitzgerald (Click “expand”):
JOSE DIAZ-BALART: Meagan, amid the nationwide vaccine shortage, the Pentagon now reversing its decision to vaccinate inmates at Guantanamo Bay? What do we know?
MEAGAN FITZGERALD: Jose, that's right. The detainees were set to be given that first dose of the vaccine as soon as next week. It was a controversial move that sparked backlash. Now, the Pentagon announcing today that they're pausing that decision and they're saying that no vaccines have been administered.
Fitzgerald gave an update to the story the following morning, cramming it into a general report about the pandemic and policy. “As the Pentagon pauses its controversial plan to offer vaccines to detainees at Guantanamo Bay,” she reported.
Adding: “The announcement coming shortly after House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy tweeted, ‘President Biden told us he would have a plan to defeat the virus on day one. He just never told us that it would be to give the vaccine to terrorists before most Americans.’”
CBS’s silence on the story was the latest in bizarre and ridiculous coverage from the network when it came to vaccine distribution. Earlier this month, they bashed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for shifting doses between hospitals. And they bashed him again a few days later, because he was planning ahead to make sure the elderly got their second dose.
The transcripts are below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s Good Morning America
January 30, 2021
7:30:51 a.m. Eastern [23 seconds]DAN HARRIS: Happening right now, a Department of Defense spokesperson confirms to ABC News that the Pentagon has given the green light for detainees and prisoners at Guantanamo Bay to be offered COVID-19 vaccinations. Among them Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind behind the September 11th attacks. This, of course, comes as many U.S. states are struggling to keep up with the demand for those who qualify to receive the vaccine here.
(…)
ABC’s Good Morning America
January 31, 2021
8:31:03 a.m. Eastern [25 seconds]WHIT JOHNSON: Happening right now, the Pentagon now halting a plan to vaccinate Guantanamo Bay inmates. The Department of Defense facing swift backlash after saying it would offer and administer vaccines to detainees and prisoners. Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby saying the plan has been paused and that no detainees have been vaccinated. Kirby adding, the agency remains committed to keeping troops at the base safe.
NBC Nightly News
January 30, 2021
6:36:25 p.m. Eastern [27 seconds](…)
JOSE DIAZ-BALART: Meagan, amid the nationwide vaccine shortage, the Pentagon now reversing its decision to vaccinate inmates at Guantanamo Bay? What do we know?
MEAGAN FITZGERALD: Jose, that's right. The detainees were set to be given that first dose of the vaccine as soon as next week. It was a controversial move that sparked backlash. Now, the Pentagon announcing today that they're pausing that decision and they're saying that no vaccines have been administered.
(…)
NBC’s Sunday Today
January 31, 2021
8:03:48 a.m. Eastern [21 seconds](…)
MEAGAN FITZGERALD: As the Pentagon pauses its controversial plan to offer vaccines to detainees at Guantanamo Bay. The announcement coming shortly after House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy tweeted, “President Biden told us he would have a plan to defeat the virus on day one. He just never told us that it would be to give the vaccine to terrorists before most Americans.”
(…)
