Suggesting that the state you want to lead really sucks is an odd campaign strategy. But that’s the latest statement from liberal Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams. Yet you wouldn’t know it if you watched ABC. Good Morning America on Tuesday hid the campaign gaffe. In fact, ABC hasn't covered it at all. CBS Mornings and NBC’s Today, however covered the perplexing comments from the weekend.
On NBC’s Today, Blayne Alexander explained, “On the Democratic side, nominee Stacey Abrams drawing Republican criticism over the weekend for these remarks.” Here’s Abrams:
I am tired of hearing about being the best state in the country to do business when we are the worst state in the country to live. When you're 48 for mental health, when you’re number one for maternal mortality, when you have an incarceration rate that’s on the rise and wages that are on decline.
Abrams added, “You're not the number one place to live! “ On CBS Mornings, reporter Ed O’Keefe highlighted a Republican challenger “turning his focus to the unopposed Democratic candidate for governor, Stacey Abrams, and these comments she made last weekend.” He then played the same clip.
By contrast, ABC hasn’t featured the comments from Saturday. This is despite GMA mentioning her three times on Tuesday. ABC reporter Steve Osunsami said of the Republican primary: “The winner will face Democrat Stacey Abrams in November.”
Later in the show, co-host George Stephanopoulos blandly repeated, “In Georgia, the governor's race is a test of former President Trump's influence in the Republican Party. The winner is going to face Stacey Abrams in November.”
Back in December of 2021, the hosts at GMA touted Abrams’s children’s book and hailed the Democrat as a “major voting rights advocate.” In February of 2022, ABC ignored her maskless hypocrisy, speaking to third graders who were forced to wear a mask. In 2019, Abrams appeared on ABC and the network indulged her election conspiracy theories as the failed gubernatorial candidate claimed “we won” in 2018. (She did not.)
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Transcripts are below. Click “expand” to read more.
CBS Mornings
5/24/2022
ED O’KEEFE: Perdue is turning his focus to the unopposed Democratic candidate for governor, Stacey Abrams and these comments she made last weekend.
STACEY ABRAMS: I am tired of hearing about being the best state in the country to do business when we are the worst state in the country to live. When you're 48 for mental health, when you’re number one for maternal mortality, then you're not the number one place to live!
Today
5/24/2022
BLAYNE ALEXANDER: In midterms across the country former president trump has not shied away from using his influence in the political ring setting up a major test of his power as king maker. The results are a mixed bag. On the Democratic side, Georgia a recent poll shows Perdue trailing by more than 30 points. On the Democratic side, nominee Stacey Abrams drawing Republican criticism over the weekend for these remarks.
STACEY ABRAMS: I am tired of hearing about being the best state in the country to do business when we are the worst state in the country to live. When you're 48 for mental health, when you’re number one for maternal mortality, when you have an incarceration rate that’s on the rise and wages that are on decline.
Good Morning America
5/24/2022
7:04
STEVE OSUNSAMI: The election here is being seen as a test of just how important a voice Donald Trump still has in the Republican Party.
DONALD TRUMP: Brian Kemp is a turncoat. He’s a coward.
OSUNSAMI: The former president has endorsed and campaigned for former senator David Perdue calling Kemp a sellout for refusing to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia where Joe Biden won.
TRUMP: We have to win. We want to win and we have a governor that's done the worst job of any governor in probably decades on election integrity.
OSUNSAMI: The winner will face Democrat Stacey Abrams in November.
7:31
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: The high-staking primary in five states. In Georgia, the governor's race is a test of former President Trump's influence in the Republican party. The winner is going to face Stacey Abrams in November.
8:04
OSUNSAMI: The former president has endorsed and campaigned for former senator David Perdue calling Kemp a sellout for refusing to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia where Joe Biden won.
TRUMP: We have to win. We want to win and we have a governor that's done the worst job of any governor in probably decades on election integrity.
OSUNSAMI: The winner will face Democrat Stacey Abrams in November.
