The networks on Thursday erupted as Donald Trump called Hillary Clinton a “bigot.” But these journalists didn’t appear outraged as the Democrat called out the businessman’s “hate.” On CBS This Morning, Norah O’Donnell trumpeted, “Donald Trump is taking name calling new a new level. He called Hillary Clinton a bigot last night in Jackson, Mississippi.”
Reporter Major Garrett announced, “The biggest headline came when Trump kicked up his hostility to Hillary Clinton more than a notch or two.” He then included a clip of Clinton assailing, “Donald Trump has shown us who he is and we ought to believe him. He is taking a hate movement mainstream. He has brought it into his campaign.”
Over on NBC’s Today, co-host Savannah Guthrie warned of “fighting words.” She added, “Donald Trump goes after Hillary Clinton, questioning her true intentions when it comes to minority voters.”
When it came to Clinton’s words, correspondent Andrea Mitchell simply explained, “The Democratic nominee shifting her focus today back to Trump, planning to accuse him of letting right-wing conspiracy theorists take over his campaign.” She noted that Clinton will say “Trump's Republican Party is still too extreme for you.”
On ABC’s Good Morning America, George Stephanopoulos blasted, “Back here at home, the race for the White House hotter than ever with Donald Trump sharpening his attacks on Hillary Clinton.” The former donor to the Clinton Foundation described Clinton as simply “firing back.” Jon Karl parroted:
JON KARL: As for Hillary Clinton, she says she plans to launch a major counterattack. At a speech today, her campaign says she'll declare Trump out of the mainstream, linked to a so-called alt-right political philosophy that embraces “extremism,” and “divided dystopian view of America.”
A smug Matt Dowd lectured Trump on the “bigot” remark, sneering, “When you say something outrageous, maybe you get a time-out for a while to figure out what to do in the course of this."
Back on CBS This Morning, the co-hosts talked to new Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway. A network graphic sided with Clinton: “An Agenda of Hate: Conway on Clinton's Charge Trump Peddles Prejudice.” Co-host O’Donnell touted the Democrat’s attacks:
O'DONNELL: You just heard Nancy outline what Hillary Clinton is going to do in this speech today, tying Donald to the alt-right movement. She is going to say Trump is taking a hate movement mainstream." How will you respond?
Conway hit back at the media: “People get away calling him everything in the book and objective journalists, they will laugh at that. They will put it on their Twitter feeds."
A partial transcript of the first CBS segment is below:
CBS TM
8/25/16
7:08NORAH O’DONNELL: Donald Trump is taking name calling new a new level. He called Hillary Clinton a bigot last night in Jackson, Mississippi. He accused the Democratic Party of using minority communities to pick up votes. Trump was backed up by Nigel Farage. He’s the British immigration critic who helped lead the so-called Brexit campaign in the UK. Major Garrett is here with a look at Trump’s new attack. Major?
MAJOR GARRETT: Mississippi, where we were delighted to be last night, is conservative, rural and to put it mildly, skeptical of globalization. Much like the parts of Great Britain that voted to leave the European Union. Well, Donald Trump brought the leader of that anti-establishment, anti-immigration campaign to call for an American version of Brexit. But by far, the biggest headline came when Trump kicked up his hostility to Hillary Clinton more than a notch or two.
DONALD TRUMP: Hillary Clinton is a bigot who sees people of color only as votes.
GARRETT: In front of a largely white audience in a state where he is heavily favored, Donald Trump continued his push for minority support.
TRUMP: It’s time to give the Democrats some competition for African American votes and for Hispanic votes.
GARRETT: Hillary Clinton was quick to respond, dismissing Donald Trump’s latest insult.
CLINTON: Donald Trump has shown us who he is and we ought to believe him. He is taking a hate movement mainstream. He has brought it into his campaign.
