At a Wednesday press conference in the White House Rose Garden, President Trump and E.U. Chief Executive Jean-Claude Juncker announced that the two trade partners were moving forward on a plan to end their trade war. Juncker’s presence at the White House illustrated that it was the E.U. that caved under pressure, but the liberal broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC) were having none of it and refused to give Trump the win.
During World News Tonight, ABC was so against declaring Trump the victor that they insisted he was the one that failed under pressure.
“To the President tonight, under pressure after his own tariffs igniting a trade war,” sensationalist anchor David Muir began the segment. “Well tonight, the President with a new promise. Reaching out to the European Union, he called them a foe just a week ago, but late today, calling a press conference outside the White House to say they will now work together.”
After the report was handed off, chief foreign correspondent Terry Moran suggested Trump was “reeling under increasing pressure from American farmers, Congressional Republicans, and nervous Wall Street investors”. And declared “President Trump suddenly shed his trade warrior persona today and declared a truce with the European Union.”
Trump’s supposed capitulation to Europe was the sole theme of Moran’s report. He set up the scene from the very beginning as he touched on the farmers affected by retaliatory tariffs and Republicans outraged by Tuesday’s announcement of a $12 billion bailout for farmers. “All that led to today's declaration. Tariffs remain in place for now, but the U.S. and E.U. will work together to open markets completely,” Moran opined.
Meanwhile, on NBC Nightly News, the network barely touched on the E.U. trade agreement. Out of a nearly two-minute-long report on the state of the U.S.’s trade wars, only 11 seconds of it were spent on Wednesday’s development. The rest was spent on stoking fears of the trade war with China.
“Now to the late development that could mean the U.S. and its European allies are stepping back from the brink of a trade war,” anchor Lester Holt announced. “Yet, the nation's automakers and some suppliers say they’re already feeling the pain from the trade war on another front with China.” Ironically, he flubbed during his introduction and said Trump “denounced” a trade compromise instead of announced it.
NBC correspondent Tom Costello was the reporter covering the trade wars and he didn’t give one word to Europe’s surrender. He was too busy focusing on China:
They make door hinges for the Jeep Wrangler on this Michigan assembly line, a small company with nearly 50 employees that gets parts from China. But President Trump's tariffs on Chinese imports have Lucerne International considering layoffs.
While the CBS Evening News didn’t say Wednesday’s announcement was a victory for Trump, they portrayed it in a more positive light. “It appears quite a bit has changed in just a little over a week between President Trump and the European Union,” quipped anchor Jeff Glor. “Foes were friendlier today as the President and E.U. Chief Executive Jean-Claude Juncker announced progress.”
CBS White House correspondent Weijia Jiang touted the President, saying it was a new phase in a “close friendship.” “Europe has agreed to buy more products from the U.S., including soybeans and liquefied natural gas. Both sides have agreed to lower industrial tariffs and resolve the steel and aluminum ones already in place,” she added, which was the most serious coverage of the agreement from any network.
The transcripts are below, click "expand" to read:
ABC's World News Tonight
July 25, 2018
6:36:06 PM EasternDAVID MUIR: To the President tonight, under pressure after his own tariffs igniting a trade war. Other countries retaliating. It has many American farmers paying the price. You heard from many of them last night right here. Well tonight, the President with a new promise. Reaching out to the European Union, he called them a foe just a week ago, but late today, calling a press conference outside the White House to say they will now work together. ABC's Terry Moran at the White House tonight.
[Cuts to video]
TERRY MORAN: Reeling under increasing pressure from American farmers, Congressional Republicans, and nervous Wall Street investors, President Trump suddenly shed his trade warrior persona today and declared a truce with the European Union.
DONALD TRUMP: So, we had a big day. Very big. We met right here at the white house to launch a new phase in the relationship between the United States and the European Union.
MORAN: Yes, that European Union. This is how the President described it just ten days ago.
TRUMP: I think the European Union is a foe. What they do to us on trade.
MORAN: Trump has imposed massive tariffs on steel and aluminum on the E.U., Mexico, Canada, and China. And those countries swiftly retaliated by slapping sweeping penalties on an array of American products. Hardest hit? Farmers, a crucial segment of the president's political base.
(…)
MORAN: So yesterday, a bailout. President Trump promising farmers a whopping $12 billion in emergency payments right before the midterm elections. Congressional Republicans, who ran on free trade and budget discipline, hated it.
(…)
MORAN: All that led to today's declaration. Tariffs remain in place for now, but the U.S. and E.U. will work together to open markets completely.
(…)
NBC Nightly News
July 25, 2018
7:07:53 PM EasternLESTER HOLT: Now to the late development that could mean the U.S. and its European allies are stepping back from the brink of a trade war. The President denouncing [sic] a compromise today with the E.U. but offering few details. Yet, the nation's automakers and some suppliers say they’re already feeling the pain from the trade war on another front with China. NBC's Tom Costello with more now on how it could all impact the price you pay.
[Cuts to video]
TOM COSTELLO: They make door hinges for the Jeep Wrangler on this Michigan assembly line, a small company with nearly 50 employees that gets parts from China. But President Trump's tariffs on Chinese imports have Lucerne International considering layoffs.
(…)
CBS Evening News
July 25, 2018
6:38:30 PM EasternJEFF GLOR: It appears quite a bit has changed in just a little over a week between President Trump and the European Union. This was our interview with the president in Scotland.
(…)
GLOR: Foes were friendlier today as the President and E.U. Chief Executive Jean-Claude Juncker announced progress.
(…)
WEIJIA JIANG: Well Jeff, President Trump and the President of the European Commission both said their negotiation went very well after months of escalating tensions that led to tariffs on a total of about $10 billion worth of goods. And the two leaders said they have agreed to further talks on a new trade deal to lower existing barriers.
Now, they did not provide many specifics, but they said Europe has agreed to buy more products from the U.S., including soybeans and liquefied natural gas. Both sides have agreed to lower industrial tariffs and resolve the steel and aluminum ones already in place. They also agreed to hold off on proposed tariffs on cars. Now, President Trump made it a point to say that today marks the new phase of a, quote, "close friendship" after we just heard in that interview with you, Jeff, that he called the E.U. a foe.
(…)
