In back-to-back days (Monday and Tuesday), the Supreme Court handed President Trump victories when it came to protecting his coveted tax returns. But apparently, good news for Trump meant no news at all because the broadcast networks largely ignored the victories during their flagship morning and evening newscasts. Only the Tuesday edition of ABC’s Good Morning America noted the President’s win from the day before.
On GMA, chief anchor and Clinton lackey George Stephanopoulos mentioned that there was a “big decision yesterday from the Supreme Court on President Trump's taxes. They've stayed the subpoena from the House, who wants President Trump’s taxes.”
ABC’s chief White House correspondent and White House Correspondents Association president, Jon Karl was quick to declare it a “temporary victory” as he explained what happened:
JON KARL: Yeah, now, this is a temporary victory for the administration because they were ordered to turn over those taxes now, but it is a temporary one. The Supreme Court has made it clear if they take up this case and the other related case, they would hear it quickly. But quickly by the Supreme Court's standing is not quick compared to Congress. The results of this would not likely -- you'd, of course, have a case argued next year, not ruled on until June but that's right in the middle of the presidential campaign.
Their conversation on the topic lasted 43 seconds.
Neither ABC nor their competitors (CBS and NBC), covered Trump’s Supreme Court win the Monday evening after it happened. They were too busy celebrating a Supreme Court “win for Democrats” against the President. None of them cared to report on Trump’s Tuesday win either. ABC didn’t even note that Trump conducted the traditional turkey pardon for Thanksgiving earlier that day.
Their silence meant it was left up to Fox News Channel anchors Bret Baier and Shannon Bream to report on the Supreme Court’s official order during Special Report that evening.
“Today, the court announced the case out of New York -- this the one that involves a grand jury subpoena-- will officially go to the justices for a vote on whether or not the Supreme Court will actually take up and hear the case on December 13,” Bream reported. “So, the justices will vote privately December 13 about whether or not to take up this case.”
Adding, “For now, it means that both sides of this debate are officially one step closer to getting a formal answer.”
As Fox News Channel’s chief legal correspondent, Bream also shared the arguments both sides made to the Supreme Court (click “expand”):
So, the President's legal team has argued that no sitting president can be subjective to state criminal investigations writing this, quote, "Politically motivated subpoenas like this one are a perfect illustration of why a sitting president should be categorically immune from state criminal process."
But the Manhattan district attorney, Cyrus Vance, he’s the one trying to get the President's tax documents. He argues this, quote, “Requiring production of documents relating entirely to the President's activities has a private citizen and having no relationship to his official duties poses no risk of tempering his official communications, nor does it threaten to render him unduly cautious in discharging his official duties.”
Speaking of not wanting to report on positive news coming from the President, none of the networks told their viewers that he donated his quarterly salary ($100,000) to fight the opioid epidemic. Special Report reported on that too.
The transcripts are below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s Good Morning America
November 26, 2019
7:13:10 a.m. EasternGEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Meantime, big decision yesterday from the Supreme Court on President Trump's taxes. They've stayed the subpoena from the House, who wants President Trump’s taxes. Two big cases on President Trump’s tax returns to be decided or at least considered by the court in the next week or so.
JON KARL: Yeah, now, this is a temporary victory for the administration because they were ordered to turn over those taxes now, but it is a temporary one. The Supreme Court has made it clear if they take up this case and the other related case, they would hear it quickly. But quickly by the Supreme Court's standing is not quick compared to Congress. The results of this would not likely -- you'd, of course, have a case argued next year, not ruled on until June but that's right in the middle of the presidential campaign.
Fox News Channel’s Special Report
November 26, 2019
6:04:25 p.m. EasternBRET BAIER: The U.S. Supreme Court has blocked a lower court ruling requiring the President's accounting firm to hand over his financial records to a Democrat-led House of Representatives committee.
The unsigned order will remain in effect until after the Supreme Court decides whether to hear the President's appeal of that lower court ruling that directed the firm to comply with the subpoena for the records. The President has until December 5th to file his appeal.
Let's get some analysis now from Fox News' chief legal correspondent and anchor a Fox News @ Night, Shannon Bream. Good evening, Shannon. What is this latest back-and-forth on this announcement from the Supreme Court really mean for the efforts to get access to the President's tax records for the House?
SHANNON BREAM: Well, Bret. For now, it means that both sides of this debate are officially one step closer to getting a formal answer. Today, the court announced the case out of New York -- this the one that involves a grand jury subpoena-- will officially go to the justices for a vote on whether or not the Supreme Court will actually take up and hear the case on December 13. That vote is private, it’s done behind closed doors. We rarely get any indication of who voted how.
So, the President's legal team has argued that no sitting president can be subjective to state criminal investigations writing this, quote, "Politically motivated subpoenas like this one are a perfect illustration of why a sitting president should be categorically immune from state criminal process."
But the Manhattan district attorney, Cyrus Vance, he’s the one trying to get the President's tax documents. He argues this, quote, “Requiring production of documents relating entirely to the President's activities has a private citizen and having no relationship to his official duties poses no risk of tempering his official communications, nor does it threaten to render him unduly cautious in discharging his official duties.”
So, the justices will vote privately December 13 about whether or not to take up this case. We can actually get the announcement as that day Bret. We'll be standing by.
BAIER: So, is there—There’s another case, though, at the Supreme Court involving the President’s tax information.
BREAM: Yeah, and you touched on this. They acted on this yesterday it involved several House committees. They’re also trying to get to the same presidential tax records from the President’s accounting firm, Mazars.
So, on Monday, the Supreme Court stayed a lower court decision ordering the documents be turned over. They say that the House – the committees for now, they're not going to get those documents, but this is temporary. The court has directed the President to file a formal request to the Supreme Court about actually taking up this case on the merits. He’s got to do that by noon on December 5.
If the court does not vote to take up the case involving the House committees, the stay is lifted, the records have to be turned over to those House committees. If the court votes to add the case to the calendar, actually hear it, that stay will be effective until the case is decided. And Bret, you know, that means likely you’ll get a decision at the end of the term and that is June of 2020. Bret.
BAIER: June of 2020. Shannon, as always, thank you.
