All three network morning shows on Friday reveled in John Boehner’s vicious attack on Ted Cruz, hyping the former House Speaker labeling the Texas senator “Lucifer in the flesh.” The NBC, CBS, and ABC broadcasts portrayed the comment as another “challenge” that “really hurts” Cruz’s campaign.
On NBC’s Today, correspondent Peter Alexander happily punned his way through a report: “For Ted Cruz, counting on a comeback, the devil’s in the details, with former Speaker of the House John Boehner at a private event giving Cruz hell.” A soundbite followed of Boehner ranting: “Lucifer in the flesh! I have never worked with a more miserable son of a b***h in my life. Over my dead body would he be president.”
After noting Cruz’s response to Boehner, Alexander touted how the upcoming Indiana primary was “do or die” for the Senator and declared: “Trump's team is feeling very much alive, collecting new congressional endorsements and reading Cruz his last rights.” A clip followed of Trump campaign aide Paul Manafort sneering: “Last Tuesday was the nail in the coffin. Indiana is when he realizes he’s inside it.”
Following Alexander’s report, co-host Savannah Guthrie wondered: “So it’s no secret that there's not a lot of love lost between John Boehner and Ted Cruz, but in a certain way, do you think this helps Ted Cruz? I mean, he makes this argument that it's the establishment that doesn't like him?” Todd dismissed the notion:
Yeah, this could have helped Ted Cruz six months ago. This could have helped Ted Cruz if there was no such thing as Donald Trump. This really hurts Ted Cruz now. It's emblematic of why the Stop Trump movement couldn't get people to rally around Ted Cruz....And what you hear John Boehner say is essentially what you hear behind the scenes here in Washington with a lot of Republicans. As much as they fear Trump, they think the alternative in Cruz is worse. This is why Cruz is stuck where he's at right now.
Fellow co-host Matt Lauer followed up: “So what you're saying, Chuck, is the prospects for a Republican – a united Republican Party in this general election season are extremely dim?” Todd predicted doom for the GOP: “It's very dim. If the choices are Trump and Cruz, it's not going to be a party that's going to be able to unite with itself...”
On CBS This Morning, co-host Gayle King proclaimed: “More leading Republican are getting used to the idea of Donald Trump as their nominee. And one big GOP name is bashing Trump's number-one opponent.” In the segment that followed, correspondent Chip Reid explained: “John Boehner retired from Congress last year, but he waded back into politics with a withering critique of Ted Cruz. And Boehner added his name to the list of establishment Republicans who are slowly accepting the fact that Donald Trump just might be their nominee.”
Reid enthused: “Trump pounced on his opponent after former House Speaker John Boehner compared him to the devil during an event at Stanford University.” He noted that “Cruz tried to spin the comments as a badge of honor,” but the headline on-screen announced: “Standing With Trump; Billionaire Gains GOP Support as Cruz Struggles.”
In a news brief at the top of the 8 a.m. ET hour, co-host Norah O’Donnell reiterated: “Former House Speaker John Boehner plans to vote for Trump. He also says Ted Cruz is the devil. It's one more sign the Republican establishment is accepting the likely nominee.”
On ABC’s Good Morning America, correspondent Cecilia Vega gloated that Cruz was “in delegate desperation mode in dire need of an upset to stay in the race” and stated: “But this morning, the fight on the GOP side hotter than ever. Former House Speaker John Boehner heard in this recording telling Stanford University students what he really thinks of Cruz.”
After Vega’s report, co-host George Stephanopoulos observed: “Meantime, you had Speaker Boehner, former Speaker Boehner out there in California with those tough words for Ted Cruz and sort of indicative of the kind of challenges Cruz has faced in this campaign.” Correspondent Jon Karl agreed: “Absolutely and now you're seeing establishment Republicans starting to get used to the idea of Donald Trump as the nominee. Two reasons for that. One, he is winning, the other reason they really don't like Ted Cruz.”
Here is a full transcript of Chuck Todd’s analysis on the April 29 Today:
7:05 AM ET
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: Let's bring in Chuck Todd, NBC's political director and moderator of Meet the Press. Chuck, good morning.
CHUCK TODD: Good morning.
GUTHRIE: So it’s no secret that there's not a lot of love lost between John Boehner and Ted Cruz, but in a certain way, do you think this helps Ted Cruz? I mean, he makes this argument that it's the establishment that doesn't like him?
TODD: Yeah, this could have helped Ted Cruz six months ago. This could have helped Ted Cruz if there was no such thing as Donald Trump. This really hurts Ted Cruz now. It's emblematic of why the Stop Trump movement couldn't get people to rally around Ted Cruz. You know, there a hundred percent, nearly a hundred percent conviction among Republicans that Donald Trump would not be a good Republican nominee. But there is not consensus that somehow Ted Cruz would be a better alternative. And what you hear John Boehner say is essentially what you hear behind the scenes here in Washington with a lot of Republicans. As much as they fear Trump, they think the alternative in Cruz is worse. This is why Cruz is stuck where he's at right now.
LAUER: So what you're saying, Chuck, is the prospects for a Republican – a united Republican Party in this general election season are extremely dim?
TODD: It's very dim. If the choices are Trump and Cruz, it's not going to be a party that's going to be able to unite with itself and that's why when Paul Ryan took himself out – and I'm convinced now, the Stop Trump movement totally lost all of it's steam when Paul Ryan said, “There is no way. Don't expect me to be your savior at the convention. Don't expect me to be somehow encouraging people to put me on the ballot.” And I think that, that's what we're staring at here and that's what the Republican Party is staring at.
One more point, Matt, John Boehner’s not Speaker of the House because of Ted Cruz. Don't forget that. And John Boehner certainly hasn't forgotten that.
GUTHRIE: Yeah, that’s a huge part of it. Well, let's talk about Indiana because it's supposed to be the Alamo for the Stop Trump movement. Does it still hold that potential?
TODD: It really doesn't because at this point Trump can lose Indiana and still get to the magic number. It's a little harder, but the good news for Trump, if he wins Indiana, wins it by a point, I think what does Ted Cruz do from here? Where does he go from here? What’s his rationale after this? Cruz has put it all on the line. He’s thrown it all out there, right? Use every metaphor you want, thrown all his chips on the table. Trying this running-mate gambit. Tried the alliance with Kasich. If none of this works, where does he go?
GUTHRIE: Alright, Chuck Todd, thank you so much. Reminder, be sure to watch Meet the Press this Sunday. The guest is Senator Ted Cruz.
LAUER: That’s convenient, there you go.
