On the eve of the Senate impeachment trial of President Trump, on Monday, NBC’s Today show co-host Craig Melvin lobbed several softballs on the topic to 2020 Democratic candidate Michael Bloomberg. The anchor especially wanted to know: “What makes Donald Trump so dangerous?”
“As you know, we are just a few hours away from the start of the President’s impeachment trial. How would you advise senators who are going to decide the President’s fate?,” Melvin gently wondered. Bloomberg predictably declared that if he were a member of the Senate, he would vote to remove Trump from office.
Melvin followed up:
You’ve said the President is dangerous to our democracy. You are prepared to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to defeat him. How much of this is personal for you?...What makes Donald Trump so dangerous, in your mind?
Bloomberg proclaimed: “I think it is that he is so impetuous and erratic.”
Only at the end of the taped segment did Melvin mention that “Bloomberg also said on impeachment he was not certain this was something that was going to help Democrats politically. In fact, he thinks it will probably ultimately help the President’s base.”
So why was that part of the discussion edited out of the report? Why not show Bloomberg making that observation himself?
Beyond easy questions about impeachment, Melvin did ask some challenging questions. He pressed Bloomberg from the left on stop-and-frisk:
Just weeks before announcing his presidential run, Bloomberg apologized for so-called stop-and-frisk policing used while he was mayor. That led to the disproportionate questioning and searches of blacks and Latinos. To those who say though that the timing of this change of heart, and the speech today, that the timing is – it’s convenient because now you’re running for president?
Melvin also grilled the former New York City mayor about sexual harassment lawsuits against his media company:
But as Bloomberg sets his sights on the White House, his company and it’s past settlements with former employees have made recent headlines. Your company had to settle, as I understand it, you company had to settle a number of....Sexual harassment claims?
Bloomberg bristled: “So few. I think we take it seriously. We investigate every credible claim immediately, we cut right away to the chase and do what has to be done.”
Melvin didn’t ask about Bloomberg News announcing that it would not aggressively cover their boss, or any Democratic presidential candidate, but would still investigate Trump.
Every Democrat, especially any 2020 contenders, should be asked by reporters about the political vulnerability for their party on impeachment. Instead, Melvin treated that important question as an afterthought.
Here is a transcript of Melvin’s January 20 questions to Bloomberg:
7:06 AM ET
(...)
CRAIG MELVIN: This morning, Michael Bloomberg hoping to win over black voters.
MIKE BLOOMBERG: My story would have turned out very differently if I had been black.
MELVIN: Speaking out against racial inequality on Sunday, the Democratic candidate announcing a major new proposal that includes a $70 billion investment in the nation’s most disadvantaged communities. This seemed to be a fairly consequential speech on race.
BLOOMBERG: I hope so, that was what it was meant to be.
MELVIN: Why give it now?
(...)
MELVIN: Just weeks before announcing his presidential run, Bloomberg apologized for so-called stop-and-frisk policing used while he was mayor. That led to the disproportionate questioning and searches of blacks and Latinos. To those who say though that the timing of this change of heart, and the speech today, that the timing is – it’s convenient because now you’re running for president?
(...)
MELVIN: As you know, we are just a few hours away from the start of the President’s impeachment trial. How would you advise senators who are going to decide the President’s fate?
(...)
MELVIN: You’ve said the President is dangerous to our democracy.
BLOOMBERG: Recently I said that.
MELVIN: You are prepared to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to defeat him. How much of this is personal for you?
(...)
MELVIN: What makes Donald Trump so dangerous, in your mind?
BLOOMBERG: I think it is that he is so impetuous and erratic.
MELVIN: Let’s talk about your campaign strategy for a moment, because a lot of folks find it surprising. You’re going to skip the first four states.
(...)
MELVIN: You didn’t think Joe Biden could beat Donald Trump?
BLOOMBERG: I’m not going to mention any names.
MELVIN: Well, you said you didn’t think any of them could beat Donald Trump.
BLOOMBERG: Well, any of them, I guess, includes everybody. That’s probably good English, you’re right.
MELVIN: What makes you think you can?
(...)
MELVIN: But as Bloomberg sets his sights on the White House, his company and it’s past settlements with former employees have made recent headlines. Your company had to settle, as I understand it, you company had to settle a number of –
BLOOMBERG: Very – I think it’s fair to say almost no company –
MELVIN: You don’t know what I’m going to ask.
BLOOMBERG: Yes, I do know exactly what you’re going to ask. And almost no company has the record that we have.
MELVIN: Sexual harassment claims?
BLOOMBERG: So few. I think we take it seriously. We investigate every credible claim immediately, we cut right away to the chase and do what has to be done.
MELVIN: Senator Warren, as you know, has said that –
BLOOMBERG: She’s got nothing else to talk about, come on.
MELVIN: She has said that you should allow these women to speak out.
BLOOMBERG: It’s not up to me.
(...)
MELVIN: Mayor Bloomberg also said on impeachment he was not certain this was something that was going to help Democrats politically. In fact, he thinks it will probably ultimately help the President’s base. He also denied this report from a few days ago that said he was open to spending up to a billion dollars of his own money. But when I asked him about spending an estimated $200 million on ads alone, stood by it. And said that to get your message out, you need repetition.
(...)
