President Trump scored a big victory on Monday as the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the administration to enforce the third iteration of the travel ban until they could hear the case sometime in early 2018. The ban singled out counties with highly questionable or completely absent vetting processes for those looking to travel abroad. But the development was omitted from the first CBS Evening News broadcast with Jeff Glor as the new full-time anchor.
While CBS was the only network in the big three to skip the Trump victory, both ABC and NBC gave it minimal time.
On ABC’s World News Tonight, Anchor David Muir dedicated a mere news brief lasting 23 seconds. And he used most of the time huffing about it. “Next, to the Supreme Court tonight clearing the way President Trump's travel ban, even as it is being challenged in federal courts,” he said. “The ruling allows the administration to fully enforce the ban on travel to the United States by residents of six mostly Muslim countries.”
Muir capped off the brief by touting how the travel ban was still in relative legal limbo: “This week, the Ninth Circuit and the Fourth Circuit will hear arguments challenging the ban's legality. After they decide, the case will return to the Supreme Court for a final decision.” And as he delivered the news brief images of protested at airports shown on the screen.
NBC Nightly News didn’t do much better with a 52-seconds long mention of their own. Reporting from outside the Supreme Court, Justice Correspondent Pete Williams noted:
Lester, this means that overseas family members of people in the U.S. who were exempt from the travel ban are now subject to it. This latest version announced in September applies mainly to travelers from Chad, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen. In response to challenges, lower courts said it could not be applied against people who have family members here, but tonight the court has lifted that exemption.
While Muir tried to make it seem as though the travel ban had a rocky future, Williams explained that the justice opinion breakdown showed it could possibly pass legal muster. “Only two justices, Ginsburg and Sotomayor dissented, so this could be a sign that the latest version of the travel ban will survive a Supreme Court challenge when it gets here early next year, Lester,” he said.
The national evening newscasts of both of the country's leading Spanish-language television networks covered the story, with Telemundo dedicating 32 seconds to the topic, while Univision covered it with a 25-second brief.
Transcript below:
ABC
World News Tonight
December 4, 2017
6:42:11 PM EasternDAVID MUIR: Next, to the Supreme Court tonight clearing the way President Trump's travel ban, even as it is being challenged in federal courts. The ruling allows the administration to fully enforce the ban on travel to the United States by residents of six mostly Muslim countries. This week, the Ninth Circuit and the Fourth Circuit will hear arguments challenging the ban's legality. After they decide, the case will return to the Supreme Court for a final decision.
...
NBC Nightly News
December 4, 2017
7:06:25 PM EasternLESTER HOLT: There's late word of a victory at the Supreme Court for the Trump White House. The court allowing the administration to enforce the latest version of its travel ban while challenges to it move forward. NBC News Justice Correspondent Pete Williams is outside the supreme court and has details. Pete, good evening.
PETE WILLIAMS: Lester, this means that overseas family members of people in the U.S. who were exempt from the travel ban are now subject to it. This latest version announced in September applies mainly to travelers from Chad, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen. In response to challenges, lower courts said it could not be applied against people who have family members here, but tonight the court has lifted that exemption. Only two justices, Ginsburg and Sotomayor dissented, so this could be a sign that the latest version of the travel ban will survive a Supreme Court challenge when it gets here early next year, Lester.
HOLT: Pete Williams at the supreme court, thank you.
