In the latest example of double standards, NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt used his one-on-one interview on Monday with Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio to boast of the “broad criticism of that Saturday debate performance” and calls that he’s “MarcoRobot” despite expressing concern to Hillary Clinton on January 29 about any critiques leveled her way.
Leading into the Rubio interview, Holt told viewers that the Florida senator has been “brushing off broad criticism of that Saturday debate performance when he was called out for repeating the same talking point about President Obama four times in the span of a few minutes.”
Holt started off by asking Rubio if he could explain “what's it like to have a big fat target on your back” and if he does or does not “feel that way.” Following Rubio’s response that it’s merely “part of the process,” Holt fired back in a voice-over: “Could Marco Rubio's debate moment change all that? For the past two days, it's been hard to miss.”
When Rubio stood by his remarks about President Obama that he repeated four times in the debate, Holt lectured him about playing into the hands of his opponents: “But in repeating it over and over again, it played to this notion that your critics have, some of your opponents, that you are a bit contrived, that you're rehearsed, that you're not genuine.”
Rubio schooled Holt by deeming his argument “silly” and highlighted the fact that “the media is always looking for something new and interesting to cover” (i.e. Donald Trump) but for those that actually matter, “the Republican voters agree with what I'm saying.”
Back on January 29, Holt worried to Hillary Clinton that she “get[s] your feelings hurt sometimes” whenever she’s described as “dishonest” and that he personally “winced” when that happens.
Contrasted with that walk-in-the-park interview for Clinton, Holt had no such reservations about what Rubio’s opponents have said about him:
HOLT: So, to be called “MarcoRobot,” to see a headline that said you choked. That doesn't bother you?
RUBIO: That's just part of the process.
HOLT: Was it your finest performance?
RUBIO: I — we did excellent. Let me tell you, on our website we raised more money in the first hour that have debate than all the other debates.
Holt eventually ended by inquiring about his expectations for New Hampshire but in the penultimate question, the NBC Nightly News anchor presented Rubio with the argument of Republican Governors Chris Christie and John Kasich plus former Governor Jeb Bush have been putting forth about why Rubio’s not a viable candidate:
HOLT: The governors who are your opponents talk about the experience of actually being in charge of something as opposed to, you know, being on the legislative side as a senator. What do you respond? What's your response?
RUBIO: That they have zero experience on foreign policy. None. Jeb Bush has no foreign policy experience.
HOLT: How deep is your foreign policy experience?
RUBIO: More than any of them. I’m a member of the intelligence committee for five years and going through some of the most sensitive information this government has. I have more foreign policy and national security experience than everybody else on that debate stage the other night combined.
In comparing the Clinton and Rubio interviews (plus one Holt conducted with President Obama on November 2, 2015), it’s difficult for observers to hold firm to the prognostication that Holt would emerge as more even-keeled interview of elected officials than disgraced former anchor-turned MSNBC personality Brian Williams was.
The transcript of the interview from February 8's NBC Nightly News can be found below.
NBC Nightly News
February 8, 2016
7:06 p.m. Eastern[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE CAPTION: One-on-One]
LESTER HOLT: Let's go back to Marco Rubio. He's brushing off broad criticism of that Saturday debate performance when he was called out for repeating the same talking point about President Obama four times in the span of a few minutes. I joined him on the trail here in New Hampshire this morning where he acknowledges relative success in Iowa has opened him up for attack here. [TO RUBIO] So, what's it like to have a big fat target on your back? Don't you feel that way?
REPUBLICAN SENATOR MARCO RUBIO (Fl.): It's part of the process. When you have a target it means you're doing something well. [TO VOTERS] Hi, how are you.
HOLT: Could Marco Rubio's debate moment change all that? For the past two days, it's been hard to miss. [TO RUBIO] Senator, we're sitting in a diner, and on TV right now they are talking about you.
RUBIO: I noticed that. [on Saturday’s ABC News Republican Presidential Debate] Let's dispel once and for all with this fiction that Barack Obama doesn't know what he's doing. [SCREEN WIPE] Let's dispel with the fiction that Barack Obama doesn't know what he's doing.
HOLT: You repeated the same thing four times.
RUBIO: I'll say it again. Barack Obama is trying to change America and he's doing damage to this country with those changes. I'll say it again. None of the things that has happened are accidents. ObamaCare was not an accident. Dodd/Frank is not an accident.
HOLT: But in repeating it over and over again, it played to this notion that your critics have, some of your opponents, that you are a bit contrived, that you're rehearsed, that you're not genuine.
RUBIO: That's silly, and people understand when they are running for office are going to say whatever they need to say, especially, look, Chris Christie has a very liberal record, right? He supported gun control. He supported Planned Parenthood and wrote them a personal check. He endorsed Sonia Sotomayor. So, if you're a candidate you don't want to talk about that. You want to figure out something else so that's what they will do and the media is always looking for something new and interesting to cover, but for voters, the Republican voters agree with what I'm saying.
HOLT: So, to be called “MarcoRobot,” to see a headline that said you choked. That doesn't bother you?
RUBIO: That's just part of the process.
HOLT: Was it your finest performance?
RUBIO: I — we did excellent. Let me tell you, on our website we raised more money in the first hour that have debate than all the other debates.
HOLT: The governors who are your opponents talk about the experience of actually being in charge of something as opposed to, you know, being on the legislative side as a senator. What do you respond? What's your response?
RUBIO: That they have zero experience on foreign policy. None. Jeb Bush has no foreign policy experience.
HOLT: How deep is your foreign policy experience?
RUBIO: More than any of them. I’m a member of the intelligence committee for five years and going through some of the most sensitive information this government has. I have more foreign policy and national security experience than everybody else on that debate stage the other night combined.
HOLT: Your third place showing in Iowa, strong third place, has put a lot of expectations on you in terms of going forward here. What does that mean in terms of what happens in New Hampshire? What is your bar?
RUBIO: Well, every state is different. You have Donald Trump that's consistently been in first place now since June or July. He's the clear front-runner. We're going to do well here. We have a good team here. When it's all said and done and the delegates are counted up we'll have more than half of them and we'll be the nominee. Of that, I remain 100 percent convinced.
HOLT: A conversation with Marco Rubio over a cup of coffee this morning.
