While CBS News was busy clutching their pearls into diamonds over Republican opposition to President Biden’s lies about them in his divisive State of the Union address Tuesday night, ABC News analysts admitted that his comments about Republicans wanting to abolish Social Security were “over the top.” But they were fine with it because “he did it with a smile.”
Chief anchor David Muir clutched his pearls over how Republicans dared to push back on the President’s lies. “Their behavior was on full display tonight,” he chided. “You heard Marjorie Taylor Greene yell ‘liar’ when it came to Medicare and Social Security, but then -- this was an interesting scene we watched unfold.”
“And that display, you saw Marjorie Taylor Greene at times, and it wasn't just her, it was a large group of Republicans acting, heckling the president of the United States during his State of the Union. Not what [Speaker Kevin] McCarthy wanted to see,” chief Washington correspondent Jon Karl gawked.
Addressing Biden’s comments which drew the furious rebuttal, Karl admitted Biden was lying to the American people but said it was okay because he was “jovial” in doing it:
And from Biden himself, we've seen a hard-edged Biden at times talking about MAGA Republicans and dangerous extremists, that language was gone from this speech. He did poke the Republicans, he made some, you know, some, I mean, stuff he said about Social Security was over the top. There's nobody seriously talking about sunsetting Social Security in the Republican Party, but he did it with a smile. It was a jovial Joe Biden.
“And he provoked that behavior from the Republicans, clearly making Kevin McCarthy uncomfortable,” Karl boasted.
Ignoring how Democrats routinely used former President Trump’s State of the Union addresses to protest, heckle, make statements, and tear up his speech, Karl suggested only Republicans acted that way at such events:
But I got to say, David, the shouting and the "liar" and the pointing, it just tells you how far we come. You remember in 2009, when Joe Wilson, a congressman from South Carolina, stood up at a joint session, Barack Obama speech and said, "You're a liar," and he got censured, there was a widespread outcry. And here, how many members of Congress doing much more than that?
“It was a startling moment back then … And you have to be concerned it's considered the norm now,” Muir fretted.
ABC’s dismissive attitude toward Biden’s lies about Republicans was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from GSK and Fresh Pet. Their contact information is linked.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
ABC State of the Union
February 7, 2023
10:28:46 p.m. Eastern(…)
DAVID MUIR: And you heard Rachel Scott talk about that moment on the floor. It was one of many. Speaker McCarthy tested, if you will, about how well he could sort of keep a fractured Republican Party in the House, you know, sort of -- their behavior was on full display tonight. And we saw some uncomfortable moments when it came to fentanyl, a couple of other moments, as well, you heard Marjorie Taylor Greene yell "liar" when it came to Medicare and Social Security, but then -- this was an interesting scene we watched unfold.
JON KARL: You know, fascinating, because McCarthy earlier today publicly told his members, we have a code of ethics in the House, we have a way to behave, made it clear, respect for the president. He didn't want to see that display. And that display, you saw Marjorie Taylor Greene at times, and it wasn't just her, it was a large group of Republicans acting, heckling the president of the United States during his State of the Union. Not what McCarthy wanted to see.
And from Biden himself, we've seen a hard-edged Biden at times talking about MAGA Republicans and dangerous extremists, that language was gone from this speech. He did poke the Republicans, he made some, you know, some, I mean, stuff he said about Social Security was over the top. There's nobody seriously talking about sunsetting Social Security in the Republican Party, but he did it with a smile. It was a jovial Joe Biden. And he provoked that behavior from the Republicans, clearly making Kevin McCarthy uncomfortable.
(…)
10:41:26 p.m. Eastern
KARL: But I got to say, David, the shouting and the "liar" and the pointing, it just tells you how far we come. You remember in 2009, when Joe Wilson, a congressman from South Carolina, stood up at a joint session, Barack Obama speech and said, "You're a liar," and he got censured, there was a widespread outcry. And here, how many members of Congress doing much more than that.
MUIR: It was a startling moment back then. And you’d have to –
KARL: And it was a single person saying one line.
MUIR: And you have to be concerned it's considered the norm now.
(…)
