With House impeachment investigators questioning U.S. diplomat to Ukraine Bill Taylor behind closed doors on Tuesday, it meant the liberal media were more than happy to get all their reporting material via selective leaks from the Democratic side.
During their evening newscasts, ABC, CBS, and NBC blasted viewers with the Democratic narrative that the testimony was “the most damaging testimony to date,” that President Trump’s defenses “crumbled,” with “audible gasps and sighs” echoing.
The networks weren’t even trying to hide where they were getting their narrative from and were more than willing to boast that they were parroting Democrats. “Today, Democrats called it ‘the most damaging testimony to date’ against the President of the United States,” proclaimed failing CBS Evening News anchor Norah O’Donnell.
“Norah, if it this were a trial you would call Ambassador Taylor the star witness,” added CBS chief congressional correspondent Nancy Cordes. “Behind closed doors, ambassador Bill Taylor described a secret campaign to pressure Ukraine using U.S. aid as bait.” She even played a clip of Michigan Democrat Andy Levin telling reporters: “This is my most disturbing day in congress so far. Very troubling.”
Sensationalist ABC anchor David Muir began World News Tonight in almost the exact same way as O’Donnell: “And we begin with what the Democrats tonight are calling ‘the most damaging testimony’ yet in the impeachment inquiry. Some Republicans concerned tonight, too.” ABC never mentioned who those Republicans allegedly were.
They too flaunted their use of Democratic talking points in the report by congressional correspondent Mary Bruce:
REP. ANDY LEVIN (D-MI): In my ten short months in Congress, it's not even noon, right, and this is the -- my most disturbing day in Congress so far.
BRUCE: Democrats in the room say there were audible gasps and sighs as Taylor, a career diplomat, detailed the White House's pressure campaign.
NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt had a different take as he began the program: “President Trump's oft-repeated impeachment defense that there was no quid pro quo may have crumbled today under the weight of explosive testimony from the administration's top envoy to Ukraine.”
White House correspondent Peter Alexander made it clear he was spreading the message the Democratic Party wanted to come from the hearing. “Explosive and disturbing, that's how House Democrats tonight are describing the closed-door testimony of Bill Taylor, the top U.S. diplomat in Ukraine, detailing the events surrounding that July phone call between President Trump and Ukraine's leader,” he reported.
They all seized on a “published” copy of Taylor’s opening statement. Here’s what Cordes reported (click “expand”):
By mid-July, Taylor said, "It was becoming clear to me that the meeting Ukrainian President Zelensky wanted with President Trump was conditioned on the investigations of Burisma," the energy company that employed the son of presidential candidate Joe Biden.
President Trump, he says, tightened the screws by suddenly withholding hundreds of millions in aid. Quote, "President Trump was adamant that President Zelensky go to a microphone and say that he is opening investigations of Biden and 2016 election interference." Zelensky was even told to tell Mr. Trump specifically, quote, "I will leave no stone unturned."
But they failed to mention the fact that Zelensky never made such a public declaration (if he did, they would be showing video of it), Ukraine wasn’t investigating, and the aid still made its way to Ukraine.
The hearing was behind-closed-doors, but the networks made it obvious they were taking their marching orders from the party in control.
The transcripts are below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s World News Tonight
October 22, 2019
6:31:50 p.m. EasternDAVID MUIR: And we begin with what the Democrats tonight are calling “the most damaging testimony” yet in the impeachment inquiry. Some Republicans concerned tonight, too. What the top U.S. diplomat to Ukraine said today about President Trump and about that money withheld from Ukraine.
That diplomat, Bill Taylor, testifying under subpoena, that the order to withhold U.S. military aid came directly from the President and that giving Ukraine that money meant the Ukrainian president would have to say publicly he was investigating the Bidens, the company Joe Biden's son worked for, and the Democrats in the 2016 election. ABC's Mary Bruce leads us off from the hill tonight.
(…)
6:32:47 p.m. Eastern
REP. ANDY LEVIN (D-MI): In my ten short months in Congress, it's not even noon, right, and this is the -- my most disturbing day in Congress so far.
MARY BRUCE: Democrats in the room say there were audible gasps and sighs as Taylor, a career diplomat, detailed the white house's pressure campaign.
(…)
CBS Evening News
October 22, 2019
6:31:49 p.m. EasternNORAH O’DONNELL: Today, Democrats called it “the most damaging testimony to date” against the President of the United States. A West Point graduate with 50 years of service to the country testified that the President held up security aid to Ukraine in exchange for dirt on Vice President Biden and his family. And behind me on Capitol Hill, that diplomat, Ambassador Bill Taylor, is still testifying, testimony that drew gasps inside the room because of his specificity and allegations.
His opening statement has been published, and I can tell you, it is worth reading. Weijia Jiang is at the White House tonight where they're calling this all a smear campaign. But let's begin with congressional correspondent Nancy Cordes on Capitol Hill. Nancy.
NANCY CORDES: Norah, if it this were a trial you would call Ambassador Taylor the star witness. What he's been describing in great detail all day is exactly the quid pro quo that the President had been denying.
[Cuts to video]
What led you to be concerned about a quid pro quo?
Behind closed doors, ambassador Bill Taylor described a secret campaign to pressure Ukraine using U.S. aid as bait.
REP. ANDY LEVIN (D-MI): This is my most disturbing day in congress so far. Very troubling.
(…)
CORDES: By mid-July, Taylor said, "It was becoming clear to me that the meeting Ukrainian President Zelensky wanted with President Trump was conditioned on the investigations of Burisma," the energy company that employed the son of presidential candidate Joe Biden.
President Trump, he says, tightened the screws by suddenly withholding hundreds of millions in aid. Quote, "President Trump was adamant that President Zelensky go to a microphone and say that he is opening investigations of Biden and 2016 election interference." Zelensky was even told to tell Mr. Trump specifically, quote, "I will leave no stone unturned."
(…)
NBC Nightly News
October 22, 2019
7:01:41 p.m. EasternLESTER HOLT: President Trump's oft-repeated impeachment defense that there was no quid pro quo may have crumbled today under the weight of explosive testimony from the administration's top envoy to Ukraine. William Taylor reportedly describing to House investigators what he says the administration dangled in order to nudge Ukraine into announcing politically charged investigations.
And then there was that other big impeachment headline, the President comparing the process to a lynching, a word with profound racial meaning and history. Peter Alexander is covering it all for us.
[Cuts to video]
PETER ALEXANDER: Explosive and disturbing, that's how House Democrats tonight are describing the closed-door testimony of Bill Taylor, the top U.S. diplomat in Ukraine, detailing the events surrounding that July phone call between President Trump and Ukraine's leader.
(…)
