On Wednesday, Quinnipiac put out a brand new survey that revealed that President Biden had grown even more unpopular as issues that used to hold him up crumbled beneath his feet. But instead of telling their viewers of Biden’s unpopularity, as they would with former President Trump, the broadcast networks’ largely ignored them. Two of the networks dropped their coverage Thursday evening after mentioning it in passing that morning.
Neither of ABC’s flagship newscasts, Good Morning America and World News Tonight, have shared the new polling data with their viewers. And between CBS Mornings and CBS Evening News, only Thursday’s edition of Mornings gave it any airtime, clocking in at 10 seconds. There was a similar disparity on NBC where the Today show gave it 13 seconds while NBC Nightly News ignored it.
Instead of reporting on Biden’s floundering poll numbers, World News Tonight spent part of both their Wednesday and Thursday evening coverage on the weather. And as for the Thursday evening broadcasts from CBS and NBC, they each celebrated a Texas judge baring the state’s new pro-life law from being applied (ABC did this too). They also worried about it getting appealed to a conservative judge.
In contrast, Fox News Channel’s Special Report was all over the numbers both days and even showed how Biden was seemingly going to cost Democrats critical elections.
“Back here in the states President Biden’s sinking popularity numbers are proving to be a problem for other Democrats. That could be a factor in the tight governor's race across the river in Virginia,” announced fill-in anchor Mike Emanuel on Wednesday.
This was followed up by White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich noting that not only was Biden’s approval now at just 38 percent, but “on coronavirus, the economy, foreign policy, immigration, and his role as commander-in-chief negative scores in the double digits.”
She also had a soundbite of Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe (D) warning his staff Biden was an albatross around their necks. “The President is unpopular today, unfortunately here in Virginia. So, we have got to plow through,” he said.
And during Thursday’s broadcast, anchor Bret Baier kicked off the newscast with Humpty Dumpty’s terrible fall in the polls. “According to the polls, giving him his lowest approval rating of his almost nine months in office,” he said. “While Democrats in recent polls have given the President a lot of slack, independents have shifted dramatically to disapproving of the job he’s doing.”
After quipping about Biden visiting a Chicago suburb to push for unpopular vaccine mandates, White House correspondent Peter Doocy reiterated that “the President's poll numbers have turned upside down on two issues once considered by Biden world to be winners: COVID, where he’s now got a 48 percent approval rating and the economy, where he’s got a 39 percent approval rating, according to Quinnipiac.”
There was also no mention of the RealClear Politics polling average showing Biden’s approval at 44.3 percent to a disapproval at 48.9 percent.
The networks’ silence on the President Biden’s bad polling Thursday evening was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Consumer Cellular on ABC, Downy on CBS, and Liberty Mutual 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:
Fox News Channel’s Special Report
October 6, 2021
6:40:45 p.m. EasternMIKE EMANUEL: Back here in the states President Biden’s sinking popularity numbers are proving to be a problem for other Democrats. That could be a factor in the tight governor's race across the river in Virginia. Here’s White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich.
[Cuts to video]
JACQUI HEINRICH: President Biden's agenda is still stalled. Meantime, his approval rating is deep underwater. Today, his lowest job performance score yet, 38 percent approving, 53 percent disapproving in a Quinnipiac poll. On coronavirus, the economy, foreign policy, immigration, and his role as commander-in-chief negative scores in the double digits.
Among Independence, a 60 percent disapproval overall. A stark measure of how incumbents in the swing states could fair in the midterms. One Democrat seeking office right now indicated on a campaign zoom the President is more of a liability than an asset.
TERRY MCAULIFFE (D-VA, gubernatorial candidate): The President is unpopular today, unfortunately here in Virginia. So, we have got to plow through.
HEINRICH: Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe’s campaign told Fox: “Terry's point was clearly that Democrats can't take anything for granted and must turn out this year.”
(…)
Fox News Channel’s Special Report
October 7, 2021
6:00:26 p.m. EasternBRET BAIER: Breaking tonight, President Biden's legislative agenda hangs in the balance on Capitol Hill even as a debt ceiling deal to punt a potential showdown until December seems imminent, new polling tonight indicates all Americans of all different stripes are losing faith in the President.
According to the polls, giving him his lowest approval rating of his almost nine months in office. While Democrats in recent polls have given the President a lot of slack, independents have shifted dramatically to disapproving of the job he’s doing.
One of the areas of disappointment is his handling of the coronavirus pandemic but he’s most under water in the latest polls on the issue of border security and immigration.
The President was in suburban Chicago a short time ago, advocating for vaccine mandates by businesses. White House correspondent Peter Doocy starts us off live on the north lawn. Good evening, Peter.
PETER DOOCY: Good evening, Bret. The President's progressive plans remain stalled in Congress, so he’s trying to use the power of his office to do something he can on his own that he thinks will reverse that sliding popularity and that is create new vaccine requirements.
(…)
6:01:59 p.m. Eastern
DOOCY: This day trip comes as the President's poll numbers have turned upside down on two issues once considered by Biden world to be winners: COVID, where he’s now got a 48 percent approval rating and the economy, where he’s got a 39 percent approval rating, according to Quinnipiac.
(…)
