While neither of them has given airtime to covering the woman accusing him of sexual assault, ABC News and NBC News spent portions of their Sunday morning programs boosting former Vice President Joe Biden’s conspiratorial claim that President Trump was looking to call off the 2020 presidential election, or push it back.
“He said in an interview something a couple days ago, quote, ‘I think’ -- talking about President Trump – ‘He is going to try to kick back the election somehow, come up with a rationale why it can't be held.’ Joe Biden suggesting there may not be an election in November,” announced NBC’s Willie Geist to political director and Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd on Sunday Today.
With no condescending tone nor angry dismissal as the media has done with claims of election fraud from the President, Geist simply asked Todd: “Is that a widely viewed worry among Democrats?”
Todd explained the view wasn’t widely held and instead of condemning the dangerous conspiracy, he wrote it off as an homage to the sinister rhetorical tactics of President Johnson.
“I'd say it's more of a, ‘he wouldn't do that, would he’ type of question you get from some on the left. I think this is one of those you know, this used to be attributed to LBJ, Willie, sometimes you say things and you're like I don't know if it's true or not, make your opponent deny it,” Todd suggested.
Todd eventually commended Biden, asking: “what's the downside of the Vice President saying it?” The spin he put on the Biden’s unfounded conspiracy was immense. “It fires up the Democratic base. Reminds them to show up and vote, and then it sort of forces your opponent to say, ‘Oh no, I'm not going to delay the election.’ Which, of course, they'd like to get him on the record saying just that.”
What’s the downside? It’s a dangerous lie.
Biden’s twisted suggestion crept up on ABC during an interview between Clinton lackey George Stephanopoulos and Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN). “You mentioned Vice President Biden. He suggested this week that President Trump might try to someway hold back the election, delay the election. I know he's concerned about that. Do you know why he's concerned?”
“Well, I think he's concerned because of what's been going on in some of the states and how the President pushes some of these governors. And he's concerned because of what just happened in Wisconsin,” Klobuchar declared. She then went on about a bizarre image she had of Trump wearing slippers while voting.
She concluded her answer with a push for a national mail-in ballot initiative. Trump has accurately noted that such initiatives have been used for ballot fraud in the past. And these outlets have decried that fact as a lie, even though both have reported on the case of such fraud in North Carolina’s Ninth District. Of course, that case involved a Republican campaign. A double standard on whose elections warnings they listen too.
The transcripts are below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s This Week
April 26, 2020
9:31:20 a.m. Eastern(…)
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: You mentioned Vice President Biden. He suggested this week that President Trump might try to someway hold back the election, delay the election. I know he's concerned about that. Do you know why he's concerned? Election Day is set by Congress, not the president.
SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-MS): Well, I think he's concerned because of what's been going on in some of the states and how the President pushes some of these governors. And he's concerned because of what just happened in Wisconsin.
So let's look at it. While President Trump was in the White House ordering a mail-in ballot to vote at home in the luxury of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in his slippers -- I don't know if he had on slippers but that's my image -- people in Wisconsin are standing in garbage bags with masks on their face getting off of work at hospitals, standing in line having to choose between their health and their right to vote.
And now nearly 20 of them are sick including a poll worker of the coronavirus. We can't let that happen in November.
You heard Republican Governor Larry Hogan of Maryland just say he wants to go to vote by mail. So do a number of Republicans across the country. That's why Ron Wyden and I are pushing for our bill with the support of Michelle Obama, the civil rights groups, to keep pushing to make sure that we have both vote by mail and early voting, as well as voting that day so we have a whole new generation of poll workers. It's actually a really exciting thing to work on, George. It's about our very Democracy. People can't lose their right to vote.
(…)
NBC’s Sunday Today
April 26, 2020
8:11: 45 a.m. Eastern(…)
WILLIE GEIST: Meanwhile, Chuck, there is a presidential campaign going on right now. Believe it or not. Joe Biden is conducting his campaign from his home in Delaware. He said in an interview something a couple days ago, quote, “I think” talking about President Trump, “He is going to try to kick back the election somehow, come up with a rationale why it can't be held.” Joe Biden suggesting there may not be an election in November. Is that a widely viewed worry among Democrats?
CHUCK TODD: No. I wouldn't say I've heard that widely viewed. I'd say it's more of a, “he wouldn't do that, would he” type of question you get from some on the left. I think this is one of those you know, this used to be attributed to LBJ, Willie, sometimes you say things and you're like I don't know if it's true or not, make your opponent deny it.
This has the whiff of, what's the downside of the Vice President saying it? It fires up the Democratic base. Reminds them to show up and vote, and then it sort of forces your opponent to say, “Oh no, I'm not going to delay the election.” Which, of course, they'd like to get him on the record saying just that. Willie.
GEIST: Strange presidential campaign indeed.
