Conservatives and Republicans say this a lot, but can you imagine if the situation was reversed? Five Democrats who abandoned their state to try and stop Texas from passing a voting rights bill have now tested positive for Covid. The story, from Saturday to Monday, has amounted to a scant 35 seconds on the ABC morning and evening newscasts, 20 seconds for NBC and a meager 12 seconds on CBS.
The reporting all had a no-big-deal tone. On Monday, as the total of Covid-plus Texas Democrats rose from three to five, only NBC’s Today bothered to mention it.
Reporter Gabe Gutierrez breezily explained, “Over the weekend, five Texas Democrats who traveled to D.C. to stall their state's controversial voting rights legislation, tested positive for Covid, even though they had all been vaccinated.”
On Sunday’s Good Morning America, Trevor Ault mirrored that with eight seconds: “In Texas three lawmakers who recently traveled to the nation's capitol have now tested positive for the virus despite being fully vaccinated.”
Linsey Davis on Sunday’s World News Tonight didn’t offer much concern at speculation that Vice President Kamala Harris might have been exposed.
News on Vice President Kamala Harris. The White House saying today that the 56-year-old went to Walter Reed Army Medical Center for what is described as a routine doctor's appointment. The visit coming days after she met with Texas Democratic lawmakers, three of whom tested positive for the virus. The Vice President’s office earlier saying that Harris not at risk of exposure.
On Sunday night, the CBS Weekend News DIDN’T cover the super spreader Democrats. Instead, they touted the Texas voting rights legislation separately with NO mention of the Covid spike amongst the Democrats. Reporter Rodney Hawkins highlighted a liberal lawyer: “Attorney Abdul Dosumu hopes the voting restrictions sweeping the nation will not roll back the hands of time.”
Here’s the pathetic coverage for Saturday when the story first broke. It's mostly one sentence per show:
World News Tonight
ZOHREEN SHAW: Today, Texas House Democrats saying three fully vaccinated members now testing positive. None of them reporting symptoms.
(....)
Nightly News
KATHY PARK: Today three Texas Democrats who walked out of the state's special session on voting bills tested positive for Covid after fleeing to D.C. They were fully vaccinated.
(....)
CBS Weekend News
CHRISTINI RUFFINI: CBS News has learned that three of those Texas Democrats who fled their state in order to stop that controversial legislation from getting passed and came here to D.C., have tested positive for Covid. Their caucus said they were all vaccinated before they traveled.
Exit question: Can you imagine the coverage if it were Texas Republicans leaving their state to defend conservative legislation?
Transcripts are below. Click “expand” to read more.
Today
07/19/2021GABE GUTIERREZ: Over the weekend, five Texas Democrats who traveled to D.C. to stall their state's controversial voting rights legislation, tested positive for Covid, even though they had all been vaccinated.
(....)
World News Tonight
07/18/2021LINSEY DAVIS: News on Vice President Kamala Harris, the white house saying today that the 56-year-old went to Walter Reed Army Medical Center for what is described as a routine doctor's appointment. The visit coming days after she met with Texas Democratic lawmakers, three of whom tested positive for the virus. The Vice President’s office earlier saying that Harris not at risk of exposure.
(....)Good Morning America
07/18/2021TREVOR AULT: In Texas three lawmakers who recently traveled to the nation's capitol have now tested positive for the virus despite being fully vaccinated.
(....)
World News Tonight
07/17/2021ZOHREEN SHAW: Today, Texas House Democrats saying three fully vaccinated members now testing positive. None of them reporting symptoms.
(....)
Nightly News
07/17/2021KATHY PARK: Today three Texas Democrats who walked out of the state's special session on voting bills tested positive for Covid after fleeing to D.C. They were fully vaccinated.
(....)
CBS Weekend News
07/17/2021CHRISTINI RUFFINI: And the tonight CBS news has learned that three of those Texas Democrats who fled their state in order to stop that controversial legislation from getting passed, have tested positive for Covid. Their caucus said they were all vaccinated before they traveled.
