CBS This Morning co-host (and Democratic donor) Gayle King on Thursday angrily reacted to Donald Trump's mocking of potential 2020 opponent Joe Biden. Yet, the very same King in 2012 did not object to Biden smearing Republicans as wanting to put black voters “back in chains.” In fact, she attempted to fix the then-Vice President’s gaffe.
After playing a clip of colleague Jeff Glor interviewing the President, King slammed Trump for his “nasty,” “condescending,” and “hurtful” remarks. In the interview, Trump derided Biden as a poor presidential candidate, adding: “President Obama took him out of the garbage heap and everyone was shocked that he did.”
King berated Trump for such language, complaining: “It’s just so personal and nasty. Do you have to use words like ‘took him out of the trash heap?’ That’s the thing that is so condescending and so hurtful and so painful for people to hear. It’s just very undignified language it seems to me.”
When co-host John Dickerson attempted to explain that politicians often attack members of the opposite party to rally the base, King appeared annoyed at her colleague: “Isn't there a proper way to fight? Isn't there a proper way to fight, John?”
Dickerson retorted: “I'm just explaining what he's up to.”
On August 14, 2012, Biden told a largely black audience: “[Republicans are] going to put y'all back in chains.” At the time, King was not disgusted by this language. Instead, she inserted words into Biden’s statement to make it sound better.
She antiseptically described Biden’s remarks as claiming the GOP would “put middle class Americans back in chains.” King then gave the insults some deeper meaning: “Isn't the metaphor of unshackling...something that Republicans have used?”
None of this Democratic cheerleading should be surprising. Earlier in 2018, the CBS co-host admitted that she'd been encouraging liberal pal Oprah Winfrey to run in 2020. But how will her friend Joe Biden feel about that?
A transcript is below. Click “expand” to read more.
CBS This Morning
7/19/18
8:03JEFF GLOR: Let me ask you about 2020.
DONALD TRUMP: Okay.
GLOR: Who to you think your democratic opponent will be? Joe Biden says he'd make a decision by January. Tough opponent?
TRUMP: I dream about Biden. That’s a dream. Look, Joe Biden ran three times. He never got more than one percent. And President Obama took him out of the garbage heap and everyone was shocked that he did. I would love it to be Biden. I think I'd like to have any one of those people that we're talking about. You know, there's probably the group of seven or eight right now. I'd really like to — I'd like to run against any one of them.
But Biden never by himself could ever do anything. President Obama took him, made him vice president and he was fine. You go back and look at how he succeeded when he ran two or three times. I don't think he ever broke one. He was at the one or less level. One percent or less level.
BIANNA GOLODRYGA: You know, It's interesting. Biden is not one to hold back his thoughts, especially about the President. So, it will be interesting to see his response when he hears this.
GAYLE KING: But it’s just so personal and nasty. Do you have to use words like “took ‘em out of the trash heap?” That’s the thing that is so condescending and so hurtful and so painful for people to hear. It’s just very undignified language it seems to me.
JOHN DICKERSON: Often when you’re in a case when you’re having some issues at a White House, you get into a fight with someone from the other party, rallies your base.
KING: It’s okay. Get into a fight. That’s all right.
DICKERSON: And it gets covered rather then the thing at the center of the conversation. So, he’s employing an old —
KING: Isn’t there a proper way to fight? Isn’t there a proper way to fight, John?
DICKERSON: I'm just explaining what he's up to.
GOLODRYGA: The president's interpreter, John Dickerson.
