Appearing on Friday’s CBS This Morning to analyze President Trump’s July 4th address, Face the Nation moderator Margaret Brennan thought it was “unusual” that the event was actually “unifying.” She also complained that Trump “overemphasized America’s military might” throughout the speech.
“And, Margaret, the Fourth of July speech that President Trump gave at that rally, is it more like a Trump rally?,” asked puzzled fill-in co-host Jericka Duncan. She noted: “I mean, he had a lot of ties in there with unity, equality, special tributes obviously to the military.” Brennan agreed that it was “kind of unusual” to hear Trump say things like, “America is one people chasing one dream. We’re all made by the same almighty god,” and use other “unifying phrases.”
She concluded: “It sounded very, very different from the typical Trump rallies that are often broadcast on cable news.”
Brennan then fretted that Trump’s speech “overemphasized America’s military might and it underplayed the American values that have been used to justify the use of force...” She confidently predicted “that is something that the President will be criticized on.”
Co–host Tony Dokoupil wrapped up the segment by declaring: “Yeah, Margaret, they say the speech didn’t have politics in it, but when you have the president speaking on the Fourth of July, it is inherently political.”
It doesn’t matter how non-controversial Trump’s speech was, the media have decided that it was offensive to their liberal sensibilities.
Here is a transcript of the July 5 exchange:
8:08 AM ET
(...)
JERICKA DUNCAN: And, Margaret, the Fourth of July speech that President Trump gave at that rally, is it more like a Trump rally? I mean, he had a lot of ties in there with unity, equality, special tributes obviously to the military. And could this also have been a recruiting tool when you think of the military and the fact that the numbers are down when it comes to recruiting people for the Army.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, for all branches, you’re right, recruitment is down. In terms of national service, many people would like to see more joining the ranks to serve, so if it ends up being that, perhaps it’s a positive. What we heard from the language, though, it was – as you say, it was kind of unusual. He used phrases like, “America is one people chasing one dream. We’re all made by the same almighty god.” These were unifying phrases. There was no reference to political party. It sounded very, very different from the typical Trump rallies that are often broadcast on cable news.
But that showcase of the military hardware that we’re showing pictures of here, some would say it overemphasized America’s military might and it underplayed the American values that have been used to justify the use of force, and so that is something that the President will be criticized on.
TONY DOKOUPIL: Yeah, Margaret, they say the speech didn’t have politics in it, but when you have the president speaking on the Fourth of July, it is inherently political.
(...)
