ABC and CBS broke into their Saturday morning programming for special reports on Donald Trump’s official unveiling of Indiana Republican Governor Mike Pence as his running mate and in the moments afterward, ABC couldn’t help but fawn over the Democratic reaction to the ticket as Clinton “surrogates are now on fire” with liberal Senator Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) going “on a Twitter tirade.”
Once Republican campaign correspondent Tom Llamas concluded his analysis of the event, chief anchor and Clinton Foundation donor George Stephanopoulos tossed to Clinton campaign correspondent Cecilia Vega by touting the Clintons for “wasting no time in trying to define this ticket” and particularly Pence as “the most extreme choice in a generation.”
Vega then quickly promoted Clinton and her allies going to work against him:
That’s right, George, and not just the campaign. Her surrogates are now on fire on attack. Elizabeth Warren, a potential Hillary Clinton VP pick of her own, went on a Twitter tirade just now calling the Trump-Pence ticket "two small, insecure, weak men." Look, this rapid response was fast. The Clinton campaign put out a video this morning bashing Pence for his stand on immigration, on abortion, on gay rights.
She elaborated that the media and voters “can expect the campaign to hit hard on those very issues over the next four months” with their plan largely known for days whereas Clinton’s VP search has been largely conducted in secrecy (besides meetings with a slew of possible picks at her Washington home on Friday).
CBS quickly offered a recap with Face the Nation host John Dickerson and comments by Trump campaign correspondent Major Garrett, but nothing on the Democratic response that ABC was infatuated with.
It should be noted that the reason there was not a network special report from NBC News because the peacock network was airing live third round coverage of The Open golf tournament from Scotland.
The relevant portion of the transcript from the ABC News Special Report on July 16 can be found below.
ABC News Special Report
July 16, 2016
11:58 a.m. EasternGEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Let's go to Cecilia Vega now, all in New York who, of course, covers the Clinton campaign for us as well. The Clinton team wasting no time in trying to define this ticket, Cecilia. They say that Mike Pence is, quote, “the most extreme choice in a generation.”
CECILIA VEGA: “In a generation.” That’s right, George, and not just the campaign. Her surrogates are now on fire on attack. Elizabeth Warren, a potential Hillary Clinton VP pick of her own, went on a Twitter tirade just now calling the Trump-Pence ticket "two small, insecure, weak men." Look, this rapid response was fast. The Clinton campaign put out a video this morning bashing Pence for his stand on immigration, on abortion, on gay rights. Sources are telling me that we can expect the campaign to hit hard on those very issues over the next four months over the course of this campaign particularly because this was no surprise. The Trump selection process was such a public one. The Clinton campaign was armed and ready to go. We also know now, George, is that Hillary Clinton, of course, is knee deep in her VP selection process. She had some high-profile meetings yesterday at her home in Washington D.C. where she hosted Senator Elizabeth Warren. She hosted HUD Secretary Julian Castro. George, we’re told from the campaign — or well from people familiar with the selection process that a decision could be made as soon as next week. Of course, that would come before the Democrats take to Philadelphia for their convention.
STEPHANOPOULOS: You would expect that. Okay Cecilia, thanks very much.
