The panel featured during ABC’s This Week’s “Powerhouse Roundtable!” seemed have been picking up some radio interference Sunday, because they kept insisting they were hearing sexist “code” coming from Donald Trump. “The emphasis on unhinged and she doesn’t look presidential is totally code for “we shouldn’t elect a woman,”” spat commentator Cokie Roberts, “That is exactly what that is.” Sexist dog whistles have become a common complaint of hers for the Trump campaign.
Roberts complaints of sexism were also directed at Trump’s many supporters as well. When discussing a new ABC poll that that showed Trump down eight percentage points to Hillary, and had Trump leading with white males, Roberts couldn’t hold back her disdain for them. “The numbers in the poll that really struck me, other than the fact that white men have a lot of answering to do, is that— “cares about people like you,” that is a key question.”
And it wasn’t just Roberts who was hearing the faint sounds of sexism emanating from Trump in Morse Code, journalist Roland Martin was hearing it as well. Martin pointed to Trump’s recently unveiled team of economic advisers as his evidence:
ROLAND MARTIN: When you talk about the care for everyday people. What does he do this week? He appoints a team of economic advisers. All men.
MARTHA RADDATZ: All Men. All men.
COKIE ROBERTS: All white men.
MARTIN: All hedge fund guys. Tell me how that's going to work?
The panel also demonstrated a huge double standard between their coverage of Trump and Clinton when it comes to pooh-poohing their attacks. “He questions her mental fitness. Nobody in America questions her mental fitness,” exclaimed CNBC contributor Sara Fagen. “But they question his,” Martin responded gleefully. So, it’s not right for Trump to question her “mental fitness,” but when Clinton fear monger’s by warning that Trump can’t be trusted with the nuclear codes she’s doing the exact same thing.
It seems to have become common for ABC to link Trump to sexism. On Thursday evening during World News Tonight reporter Cecilia Vega did a segment where she said Trump blames the victim in sexual harassment cases.
Partial transcript below:
ABC
This Week
August 7, 2016
9:43:30 AM EasternCOKIE ROBERTS: The numbers in the poll that really struck me, other than the fact that white men have a lot of answering to do, is that— “cares about people like you,” that is a key question. Hillary Clinton was up 20 points on that. And that is often the question that tells you whether somebody is going to get elected.
…
ROLAND MARTIN: This is a guy who wants to be whiner in chief. He complains about everything. The issue is this: Can he deal with issues? Remember what Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said, he doubt know a lot about the issues out there. He what, at some point he has to focus on. You can wing this thing. You can sort of talk in broad terms. But at some point, you have to get down to the nitty-gritty.
When you talk about the care for everyday people. What does he do this week? He appoints a team of economic advisers. All men.
MARTHA RADDATZ: All Men. All men.
ROBERTS: All white men.
MARTIN: All hedge fund guys. Tell me how that's going to work?
…
SARA FAGEN: She is such a week candidate. You saw it again just yesterday where she was stumbling over her answers on how she handled her E-Mail controversy.
<<< Please consider helping NewsBusters financially with your tax-deductible contribution today >>>
RADDATZ: And what about his tweeting about how she short-circuited, brainwashing?
FAGEN: Short-circuiting—
ROBERTS: Unhinged.
FAGEN: Unhinged saying that she— he questions her mental fitness. Nobody in America questions her mental fitness. They think she’s liberal—
[Crosstalk]
MARTIN: But they question his!
RADDATZ: They question her honesty.
FAGEN: They question her honesty, that’s right.
ROBERTS: But. But. But, the emphasis on unhinged and she doesn’t look presidential is totally code for we shouldn’t elect a woman. That is exactly what that is.
FAGEN: I don’t know if I agree entirely with that.
