President Barack Obama was in Orlando, Florida Thursday to pay his respects to victims of Sunday’s terrorist attack and push for more gun control in the process. And the liberal news networks were happy to aide with his agenda on their evening news programs. “It has become a familiar ritual of a current national tragedy,” lamented NBC’s Lester Holt starting off Nightly News, “The president of the United States traveling to embrace survivors and grieving family members after an act of mass violence.”
““Grief beyond description”-- those were the words of President Obama late today after meeting with families of the fallen from the Orlando nightclub massacre,” stated CBS’s Scott Pelley to begin Evening News. Pelley echoed Obama asking, “Why does this keep happening?”
The CBS host went so far as to declare that Obama is America’s pastor saying, “We were reminded today of how many times in recent years a president has been called on to play the role of America's pastor. To lead the nation in prayer for victims of a deadly attack.”
The Spanish-language network, Univision also did their part. “With this one [visit], which makes already 15 times that President Obama has to make this type of visit,” stated anchor Ilia Calderon.
Telemundo brought on Mario Garcia Tellez, the partner of a victim still in critical condition, to help make the push:
My question is how many more deaths it will take for a decision to be made to prevent these kinds of weapons in particular, a device that is capable, up to my understanding, of releasing a volley of 700 bullets in one minute?
[ABC’s World News Tonight was not included in this piece, because their coverage was interrupted by local severe weather reporting]
Partial transcripts below:
NBC
Nightly News
June 16, 2016
7:01:23 PM EasternLESTER HOLT: Good evening. It has become a familiar ritual of a current national tragedy. The president of the United States traveling to embrace survivors and grieving family members after an act of mass violence. President Obama and Vice President Biden placed bouquets of Flowers at a makeshift memorial in Orlando today, after privately consoling those most deeply impacted by Sunday's nightclub terror attack. This as we learned of the messages the killer sent during the deadly siege including some to his wife. From Orlando here's NBC’s Miguel Almaguer with late details.
[Cuts to video]
MIGUEL ALMAGUER: They brought 49 roses. One for each of the victims. President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden meeting with survivors and families who lost loved ones. Seeing the heartbreak here first hand.
BARACK OBAMA: Today once again as has been true too many times before, I held and hugged grieving family members and parents. And they asked why does this keep happening?
ALMAGUER: The president's private meetings including first responders who risked their own lives to save others.
...
CBS
Evening News
June 16, 2016
6:31:08 PM EasternSCOTT PELLEY: “Grief beyond description”-- those were the words of President Obama late today after meeting with families of the fallen from the Orlando nightclub massacre. Mr. Obama and Vice President Biden laid 49 white roses, one for each of the dead, at a memorial. The president said the grieving asked him, "Why does this keep happening?"
[Clip of speech]
BARACK OBAMA: And they pleaded that we do more to stop the carnage. They don't care about the politics. Neither do I. Neither does Joe. And neither should any parent out here who's thinking about their kids being not in the wrong place but in place where's kids are supposed to be.
PELLEY: The 49, ages 18 to 50, were killed Sunday morning in the massacre at Pulse, a gay nightclub. Of the more than 50 others who are wounded, 28 are still in the hospital. Tonight, six of them are in critical condition.
...
CBS
Evening News
June 16, 2016
6:58:00 PM EasternSCOTT PELLEY: We were reminded today of how many times in recent years a president has been called on to play the role of America's pastor. To lead the nation in prayer for victims of a deadly attack. Bill Clinton after Oklahoma City. George W. Bush after September 11 and the massacre at Virginia tech. But President Obama has done it most of all, 14 times, including Fort Hood, Texas. Newtown, Connecticut. Charleston, South Carolina. And now, Orlando, Florida, where 49 died.
In his prayer today, Mr. Obama asked God to comfort the families, heal the wounded, bring solace to those whose hearts have been broken, and give us resolve to do what's necessary to reduce hatred in the world.
...
UNIVISION
NOTICIERO UNIVISION
6/16/16
6:31:10 PM EasternILIA CALDERON, ANCHOR, UNIVISION: Good afternoon, hello from Orlando, we continue here our special broadcast, our special coverage, of Noticiero Univision. In this city, so touched by tragic events in the last few days, today President Barack Obama was here, he was in Orlando, he visited the city to try and bring a little comfort to the families. With this one [visit], which makes already 15 times that President Obama has to make this type of visit and at the same time, and take advantage of this to talk about the tragedy, but to make the tragedy visible from the side of the victims. Lourdes del Rio tells us about President Obama’s visit.
...
TELEMUNDO
NOTICIERO TELEMUNDO
6/16/16
6:31:12 PM - 6:34:28 PM EST | 3 MIN 17 SEC…
ROGELIO MORA-TAGLE, CORRESPONDENT, TELEMUNDO: “I told them that our hearts are broken too,” later said the President, who pointed that by these repeated attacks executed by just one man, will have to conclude in measures so that these lone wolves don’t find weapons like the one that Omar Mateen found.
MARIO GARCIA TELLEZ, PARTNER OF SURVIVOR: My question is how many more deaths it will take for a decision to be made to prevent these kinds of weapons in particular, a device that is capable, up to my understanding, of releasing a volley of 700 bullets in one minute?
ROGELIO MORA-TAGLE, CORRESPONDENT, TELEMUNDO: Mario’s partner, Juan Juse Cufiño, is hospitalized, stable but in critical condition after being hit by four bullets. Despite Obama’s visit being brief, for this mother it had a very special meaning.
…
