CBS This Morning journalists on Tuesday devoted two segments to hammering Donald Trump on Hurricane Harvey, wondering if the storm will derail his fall plans on taxes, building a wall and for any thoughts he had on ending the DACA "dreamer" program. Additionally, the hosts again hit the President for visiting Texas too soon.
Guest co-host Margaret Brennan politicized the hurricane and suggested it might destroy Trump’s agenda: “Do you think because of this long laundry list, this in some ways ties the hands of the President in the next few days? I mean, he was supposed to be rolling out tax reform. There was also this expectation he was going to unveil his policy on how to deal with dreamers, those people who came here as children illegally.”
Washington Post journalist Ed O’Keefe replied, dismissing the ability to get both taxes and disaster relief done: “Tax reform, look, they have been talking about it for years. They still don't have a plan. What's a few more weeks of them planning to do something later in the fall or next year?”
O’Keefe offered a warning to Trump and the Republicans that the country won’t “tolerate” any talk of a government shutdown:
I think what will be most interesting, Margaret, is whether he continues to insist on money for the border wall that he wants and whether that still threatens a potential shutdown at the end of September. I don't know that Americans will be tolerable, tolerate that, frankly, if so much of Texas, Louisiana and other areas of the country need this relief from Harvey.
Isn’t it a coincidence that what’s best for the country always ends up being the opposite of conservative policy agenda?
In a follow-up segment, the CBS crew interviewed socialist Senator Bernie Sanders. The journalists continued the hypocritical 180 they have done on Republican presidents and visiting disaster relief areas. For George W. Bush, they complained the President took too long. With Trump, he is going too quickly.
Co-host Gayle King whined to Sanders: “President Trump is heading there today. Is that a good idea?” Guest co-host Maurice DuBois parroted, “Is it too soon for a presidential visit?” On Monday, King pressed Texas Governor Greg Abbott: “Right now, he is scheduled to come tomorrow. Is that the best time for him to come?”
Journalists really are the opposition party.
[The bias on CBS This Morning was sponsored by Oral-B, Audi and Fancy Feast.]
A partial transcript of the first segment is below:
CBS This Morning
8/29/17
8:08GAYLE KING: Both Republican senators voted no when it came time for a relief bill for Superstorm Sandy. How do you think this will play out this time? I've heard Ted Cruz say, “Listen, this is not the time for political sniping.”
ED O’KEEFE: Right. And it wasn't back then either but he certainly did. And, look, already a lot of lawmakers from the northeast who suffered after Superstorm Sandy and had to wait more than 60 days for Congress to pony up the money has said, look, “We acknowledge and are aware of the hypocrisy that potentially may play out here in the coming weeks from a lot of Republicans, especially from the south, who voted against our aid package and now we’re going to need it. We're not going to hold that against them. We are going to support it.” But they're certainly going to get called out for it.
MAURICE DUBOIS: And the last time, Ed, sorry, they also insisted on cuts to offset the funding for Sandy. Are they going to do that this time as well?
O’KEEFE: Well, the irony with that, Maurice, is there isn't much more that the federal government could cut at this point. A lot of agencies, including some that are going to have roles to play in the coming weeks here, are down to their bare bones. So it may now be a situation where fiscal conservatives, the ones that usually raise these concerns, are just gong to have to hold their nose and vote for this and let the government slip into a little more debt.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Ed, do you think because of this long laundry list this in some ways ties the hands of the President in the next few days? I mean, he was supposed to be rolling out tax reform. There was also this expectation he was going to unveil his policy on how to deal with dreamers, those people who came here as children illegally —
O’KEEFE: Yeah.
BRENNAN: — and what their status is now.
O’KEEFE: I think a lot of this has to get pushed back by sheer reality that they are going to need the days. They are going to need the time to focus on this massive emergency relief bill. Tax reform, look, they have been talking about it for years, they still don't have a plan. What's a few more weeks of them planning to do something later in the fall or next year? I think what will be most interesting, Margaret, is whether he continues to insist on money for the border wall that he wants and whether that still threatens a potential shutdown at the end of September. I don't know that Americans will be tolerable, tolerate that, frankly, if so much of Texas, Louisiana and other areas of the country need this relief from Harvey.
