'Pay the Consequences': Nets Praise Biden Pulling 'Hammer' on Unvaxxed

September 9th, 2021 8:48 PM

President Biden’s new constitutionally dubious national vaccine mandate for mid to large businesses, announced Thursday, gave the broadcast networks the cover they needed to lash out at the unvaccinated viciously. They rolled around in violent rhetoric as they praised the President for “taking off the gloves,” taking a “hammer” to bear against them, and making them “pay the consequences.” One even scoffed at the legal questions and suggested Biden was just doing what he needed to do.

NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt was the most overtly violent as he described Biden as pulling out a blunt weapon with which to beat the unvaccinated into submission. “Clearly frustrated by the pace of COVID-19 vaccinations in this country, President Biden tonight is trading out the velvet glove for a hammer,” he touted, “unveiling a broad and largely new COVID strategy heavily grounded in vaccine mandates, meant to compel millions of American workers to be vaccinated.”

Pitying Biden’s frustrations was a common theme throughout the evening newscasts. It was the excuse ABC anchor David Muir gave on World News Tonight for Biden’s threat against Republican governors:

One more question on this tonight, Rachel Scott live at the White House. And Rachel, the President taking aim at local officials that he said are actively working to undermine the fight against COVID by opposing masks and vaccination mandates. He said, "I'll get them out of the way."

The President clearly frustrated with politics, the fights, the images like the ones we saw just today out of Tennessee, that young man trying to make the case. The president saying this is getting in the way of halting this virus.

 

 

Over on CBS Evening News, anchor Norah O’Donnell was also lauding Biden for “taking off the gloves to get more Americans to roll up their sleeves.” She also boasted about him suggesting the unvaccinated had blood on their hands. “He took special aim at the nearly 80 million eligible Americans who have refused shots saying, quote, ‘your refusal is costing all of us,’” she said.

Building off of her, CBS senior White House correspondent Weijia Jiang gushed for how Biden had “call[ed] out the vaccine holdouts” and told them to “get vaccinated or pay the consequences.” She also flashed her disdain for Republicans by commending the President on “call[ing] out southern state Republican governors for standing in the way of progress.

Further, on ABC, congressional correspondent Rachel Scott openly scoffed at the serious questions regarding the constitutional legality of Biden’s executive orders and defended them as the ends (or “frustration”) justified the means:

The administration, though, already receiving push-back to this. Just moments ago, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem tweeted this message to the President, "See in you court."

The bottom line here is that hospitalizations are rising; the administration knew that they had to take aggressive action to counter this. And the President believes the steps he announced tonight will save lives.

Jiang also took a parting swipe at Republicans by dismissing one unnamed lawmaker’s concern the order was “unconstitutional and nothing short of tyranny.”

This disturbing turn to violent rhetoric against the unvaccinated was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Fisher Investments on ABC, Cadillac on CBS, and Ford Motor Company on NBC. Their contact information is linked so you can tell them about the biased news they fund.

The relevant portions of the transcripts are below, click "expand" to read:

ABC’s World News Tonight
September 9, 2021
6:38:26 p.m. Eastern

DAVID MUIR: And as we said off the top tonight, the President warned we are in a “tough stretch.” He railed against what he called “pandemic politics,” the fights against masks and vaccinations.

One more question on this tonight, Rachel Scott live at the White House. And Rachel, the President taking aim at local officials that he said are actively working to undermine the fight against COVID by opposing masks and vaccination mandates. He said, "I'll get them out of the way."

The President clearly frustrated with politics, the fights, the images like the ones we saw just today out of Tennessee, that young man trying to make the case. The president saying this is getting in the way of halting this virus.

RACHEL SCOTT: Yes, David. Clear frustration from the President tonight. But the White House is convinced that mandating vaccines for 100 million Americans, giving them that time off to get those shots, will make a difference.

The administration, though, already receiving push-back to this. Just moments ago, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem tweeted this message to the President, "See in you court."

The bottom line here is that hospitalizations are rising; the administration knew that they had to take aggressive action to counter this. And the President believes the steps he announced tonight will save lives. David.

MUIR: Rachel Scott at the White House tonight. Thank you, Rachel.

CBS Evening News
September 9, 2021
6:31:59 p.m. Eastern

NORAH O’DONNELL: Good evening and thank you for joining us. President Biden is taking off the gloves to get more Americans to roll up their sleeves. He's issuing an aggressive executive order mandating COVID vaccines for millions of federal employees and contractors. And President Biden is calling on the Labor Department to compel large and mid-size private companies to get their workers vaccinated or face fines. Altogether, his new plan covers two-thirds of America's workers.

He took special aim at the nearly 80 million eligible Americans who have refused shots saying, quote, “your refusal is costing all of us,” as hospitals fill up with unvaccinated COVID patients.

Now, as we come on the air the pandemic is causing more havoc for the economy. Microsoft has indefinitely pushed back its return to the workplace for more than 100,000 employees. And several U.S. Airlines say bookings plunged with would-be travelers now staying home.

There’s a lot to get to, tonight. CBS's Weijia Jiang is going to lead us off from the White House. Good evening, Weijia.

WEIJIA JIANG: Good evening to you Norah. Not only did President Biden call out the vaccine holdouts tonight, he has a clear message to the roughly 100 million Americans who will be impacted by the new requirements: get vaccinated or pay the consequences.

(…)

6:35:01 p.m. Eastern

JIANG: President Biden also called out southern state Republican governors for standing in the way of progress.

(…)

NBC Nightly News
September 9, 2021
6:31:47 p.m. Eastern

LESTER HOLT: Good evening, everyone. Clearly frustrated by the pace of COVID-19 vaccinations in this country, President Biden tonight is trading out the velvet glove for a hammer, unveiling a broad and largely new COVID strategy heavily grounded in vaccine mandates, meant to compel millions of American workers to be vaccinated. The proposed rules targeting both large businesses and federal employees.

Tonight just over 53 percent of Americans are fully vaccinated. The President's plan affecting everything from COVID testing and booster shots to flying and new steps to better protect children from the virus, promising to confront leaders he says are undermining those efforts. In an address late today, the President saying we are in a tough stretch.

(…)