Kamala Harris has gaffed again and the three networks are doing their best to hide the latest cringeworthy moment, this one on an international stage. While appearing at a press conference with Poland’s president, the Vice President on Thursday broke into a bizarre laughing fit, drawing widespread mockery and outrage.
Yet, while the three evening newscasts on Thursday and the morning shows on Friday mentioned her trip, they all ignored the very weird and uncomfortable moment.
While standing next to Andrzej Duda, a reporter asked, “Is the U.S. willing to make a specific allocation for Ukrainian refugees?” After the question, Harris replied, “okay” and “A friend in need is a friend indeed.” She then started laughing.
Former spokesperson to Ukrainian President Zelenskyy Luliia Mendel responded on Twitter:
She quickly deleted the tweet.
ABC, CBS and NBC all censored this latest gaffe. So what Harris coverage did they have instead? Friday’s Today mentioned the Vice President for 4 seconds during the two hour program. Here was reporter Kelly Cobiella: “Vice President Kamala Harris met with Ukrainian teens at the border Thursday.”
Good Morning America managed five seconds. George Stephanopoulos quickly noted, “And this morning, Vice President Harris is meeting with American troops stationed in Poland to reaffirm the U.S.’s support for NATO allies in the region.”
CBS Mornings had nothing on Friday. On Thursday’s Nightly News, the NBC program simply pretended the gaffe didn’t happen:
KRISTEN WELKER: In Poland, Vice President Kamala Harris supported calls for a war crimes investigation. Peter Alexander has more.
PETER ALEXANDER: Tonight from Vice President Kamala Harris on the ground in Poland, concern and condemnation, denouncing the strike on a Ukrainian maternity hospital.
VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: We have been witnessing for weeks and certainly just in the last 24 hours atrocities of unimaginable proportion.
The CBS Evening News allowed 32 seconds on the visit. ABC’s World News Tonight provided 1 minute and 29 seconds about the “diplomatic mission to Poland.” Anchor David Muir cheered, “The Vice President offering very tough words on Putin's actions so far in Ukraine, the human toll.”
The 3rd Hour of Today on Friday featured Kelly Cobiella gushing about how “comforting” Harris has been and how her words in Poland are so “appreciated.” No mention of laughing at the U.S. taking in refugees. That might come across to viewers as less-than comforting.
The networks have a history of covering for the VP’s blunders. In January, MRC Director of Media Analysis Geoffrey Dickens detailed the eight-least covered Harris gaffes.
The effort to cover for Harris was sponsored by Swiffer on CBS, by Ensure on ABC And by General Mills on NBC. Click on the links to let them know what you think.
Partial transcripts are below. Click “expand” to read more.
Today
3/11/2022
8:04
KELLY COBIELLA: Vice President Kamala Harris met with Ukrainian teens at the border Thursday. The Senate approving a spending bill overnight that includes 1.4 billion to support refugees.
Good Morning America
3/11/2022
7:31GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: The latest from Ukraine. Hundreds of thousands of civilians are trapped in the city of Mariupol this mornings Russia escalates its attacks. U.S. officials say they've seen indications Russia may use false claims that the United States and Ukraine using chemical weapons as a pretext to use them in an attack. And this morning, Vice President Harris is meeting with American troops stationed in Poland to reaffirm the U.S.’s support for NATO allies in the region.
...
NBC Nightly News
3/10/2022
7:08KRISTEN WELKER: In Poland, Vice President Kamala Harris supported calls for a war crimes investigation. Peter Alexander has more.
PETER ALEXANDER: Tonight from Vice President Kamala Harris on the ground in Poland, concern and condemnation, denouncing the strike on a Ukrainian maternity hospital.
VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: We have been witnessing for weeks and certainly just in the last 24 hours atrocities of unimaginable proportion.
World News Tonight
3/10/2022
6:34 PM ET19 seconds
DAVID MUIR: And tonight, Vice President Kamala Harris on a diplomatic mission to Poland. News on those Soviet-era fighter jets. The Vice President was pressed on that offer to deliver those jets to a U.S. Air base and the Vice President on Putin’s actions in Ukraine so far as some leaders in the U.S. already label them war crimes.
6:44
MUIR: This evening, Vice President Kamala Harris and that diplomatic mission to Poland. The Vice President offering very tough words on Putin's actions so far in Ukraine, the human toll. As some leaders in the west now label what Putin has done as war crimes. So, let's bring in our senior White House correspondent Mary Bruce tonight. And Mary, vice president Harris in Poland, accusing the Russian government of committing atrocities was the word that she used, in Ukraine.
MARY BRUCE: David,, the vice president is now embracing calls for an international investigation into Putin's possible war crimes. Kamala Harris today saying, “We are witnessing atrocities of unimaginable proportions,” including the targeting of that maternity and children's hospital. Pregnant women injured, being carried out on stretchers. Harris calling this violence unprovoked and unjustified. Attacks on civilians like this constitute war crimes. But when pressed today, the white house notes there's an ongoing formal legal process that has to take place before anything can be officially labeled a war crime. And David, while this would lay the groundwork for accountability, offer some sliver of hope for future justice, even if Vladimir Putin is labeled a war criminal, it is unlikely he would ever face trial. David?
