CBS This Morning hosts jumped on the Democratic effort to blame this weekend’s horrific mass slaughters on Donald Trump. Network journalists on Monday uncritically parroted talking points from the 2020 contenders on how the President should is responsible. CBS’s Chip Reid hyped, “Sunday, several Democratic presidential candidates said the President should be held accountable.”
He then played a clip of Beto O’Rourke attacking, “The President not only tolerates but invites the kind of racism and hate that not only offends us, but changes who we are as a country.” Before playing another clip, Reid summarized Democrat Julian Castro, saying, “Candidate Julian Castro says Trump has given license for white supremacy to fester.”
The CBS graphic echoed, “Hatred and Violence. Dem Candidates Say Pres. Trump Should Be Held Accountable.”
During the show’s opening morning montage of clips, an unidentified reporter proclaimed, “Many of the 2020 presidential candidates say the President's words are to blame for the mass shootings.”
The only sort of push-back came when Reid said this of the Texas shooter: “In the anti-immigrant manifesto the suspect allegedly uploaded before the shooting, he said that his views on immigration pre-date the President.”
Reid made no mention of the Ohio shooter’s alleged support for socialism, gun control and Elizabeth Warren.
Later in the show, CBS brought on John Miller of the NYPD to mention "right-wing" extremism:
GUEST CO-HOST DANA JACOBSON: Sorry to interrupt, but with all these factors that are out there, for the FBI to investigate that, when you talk of domestic terrorism or international terrorism, is it different or do you have the same tools and resources?
JOHN MILLER (NYPD deputy commissioner of Intelligence): Well, what we're seeing is a cross-over, a growing crossover, between mental health themes, political themes and terrorist themes, both right wing and other extremism.
A transcript of the Chip Reid segment is below:
CBS This Morning
8/5/19
VOICE: Many of the 2020 presidential candidates say the President's words are to blame for the mass shootings.
SENATOR CORY BOOKER: He's responsible because he's stoking fears and hatred.
…
7:17:21 to 7:19:52 AM ET
CBS GRAPHIC: “Hate Has No Place.” POTUS Condemns Shootings, But Doesn’t Call for Gun Control.”
JERICKA DUNCAN: President Trump is expected to address the shootings a statement this morning. As he left New Jersey yesterday to head back to Washington, Mr. Trump extended his condolences and thanked law enforcement. Chip Reid is at the White House. Chip, what more did the President say about what he's doing about these mass shootings?
CHIP REID: Well, in his statement, yesterday, he gave no specifics. And a senior White House official told us he had no idea If the President was going to offer new policies. But in a just tweet minutes ago, the President said, “Republicans and Democrats must come together and get strong background checks, perhaps marrying this legislation with desperately needed immigration reform. We must have something good, if not great, come out of these two tragic events.”
DONALD TRUMP: Hate has no place in our country.
REID: President Trump condemned this weekend’s shooting, but stopped short of calling for increased gun control.
TRUMP: Perhaps more has to be done, but this is also a mental illness problem.
CBS GRAPHIC: Hatred and Violence. Dem Candidates Say Pres. Trump Should Be Held Accountable.
REID: In the anti-immigrant manifesto the suspect allegedly uploaded before the shooting, he said that his views on immigration pre-date the President. Sunday, several Democratic presidential candidates said the President should be held accountable.
BETO O’ROURKE: The President not only tolerates but invites the kind of racism and hate that not only offends us, but changes who we are as a country.
REID: Candidate Julian Castro says Trump has given license for white supremacy to fester.
JULIAN CASTRO: As our national leader, you have a role to play in either fanning the flames of division or trying to bring Americans of different backgrounds together.
REID: The President has long made controversial comments about immigrants.
TRUMP: They're bringing crime, they're rapists.
REID: And as at a rally, someone from the audience suggested shooting them at the border.
TRUMP: But how do you stop these people at the border? You can’t.
MAN IN CROWD: Shoot them!
TRUMP: That’s only in the panhandle you can get away with that stuff.
REID: When asked Sunday about that incident, the White House said, “This is a time for unity. Perhaps the critics could take time out of their attacks on this president to join us in that effort.” Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney attributed these latest shootings to, quote, “sick individuals.”
MICK MULVANEY (Acting White House Chief of Staff): People are going to hear what they want to hear. My guess is this guy is in that parking lot in El Paso, Texas in that Walmart doing this even if Hillary Clinton is president.
REID: In his tweet this morning, the President also said, “We cannot let those killed in El Paso Texas and Dayton, Ohio die in vain. Dana?”
7:43 AM ET
DANA JACOBSON: Sorry to interrupt, but with all these factors that are out there, for the FBI to investigate that, when you talk of domestic terrorism or international terrorism, is it different or do you have the same tools and resources?
JOHN MILLER (NYPD deputy commissioner of Intelligence) Well, what we're seeing is a cross-over, a growing crossover, between mental health themes, political themes and terrorist themes, both right wing and other extremism.
