On Sunday and Monday, all three broadcast networks cheered former President Obama’s decision to use a virtual commencement address as an opportunity to launch a nasty partisan attack against President Trump. Instead of criticizing such unseemly political rhetoric being used during a speech to students across the country in the midst of the coronavirus crisis, network anchors and reporters touted the move as the kickoff to the 2020 general election campaign.
“On Saturday, during an address to graduating students, former President Obama pushed back. In a virtual commencement ceremony, the 44th president saying, ‘This pandemic finally has pulled back the curtain on the idea that people in charge know what they’re doing,’” NBC’s Sunday Today host Willie Geist proclaimed at the top of the program.
In the report that followed, correspondent Hans Nichols teed up a clip of the political broadside: “Obama is breaking his public silence of the Trump administration’s handling of coronavirus.... In a virtual commencement ceremony, former President Barack Obama delivering a real-world criticism of the Trump administration’s response to coronavirus.” Obama was shown ranting: “This pandemic has fully finally torn back the curtain on the idea that so many of the folks in charge know what they’re doing.”
On ABC’s Good Morning America on Sunday, correspondent Rachel Scott announced:
This is a rare public rebuke from former President Barack Obama criticizing the coronavirus response, and it comes just one week after he slammed the Trump administration’s handling of the pandemic on a private call with his former staffers. Calling it, quote, “an absolute chaotic disaster.” This time, in an online commencement address for graduating seniors at historically black colleges and universities, Obama said the U.S. is lacking leadership.
Last week, NBC, ABC, and CBS all similarly seized on that phone call of Obama trashing Trump.
Following the report from Scott Sunday morning, co-host Dan Harris turned to This Week host George Stephanopoulos and wondered: “Are we more likely to see more of him as we head into November, now?” Stephanopoulos eagerly predicted: “I think it’s only just begun....And what you’re now seeing is, President Obama begin his effort, I think, to become Joe Biden’s chief surrogate in this campaign for president....I think you’re going to see more of that in the future.”
Repeating her report on the topic for World News Tonight that evening, Scott hailed: “Former President Barack Obama off the sidelines, taking on the Trump administration....Obama largely silent for President Trump’s first three years in office, delivered a pointed critique in two commencement addresses this weekend.”
ABC’s fawning coverage of Obama’s attack continued on Monday’s GMA, as Stephanopoulos touted that “we’re seeing some hints here of how big a role Obama will play in the Biden campaign.” Correspondent Cecilia Vega agreed: “Yeah, exactly, George....now that he’s formally endorsed Joe Biden, we can expect to hear a lot more from him.” She later wrapped up the segment by adding: “Now, sources tell ABC that former President Obama plans to weigh in more than he has been in the past and we’re told he will not be pulling any punches...”
On Monday’s Today show, NBC White House correspondent Kristen Welker observed: “Former President Obama’s criticism does come of course after he formally endorsed Joe Biden, a sign of things to come as the presidential race starts to ramp up against the backdrop of all of this.”
CBS This Morning also joined in promoting Obama’s partisan rhetoric, as co-host Gayle King declared: “Former President Barack Obama is criticizing the response to the coronavirus, stepping further into this 2020 campaign. In a pair of virtual graduation speeches over the weekend, the former President urged this year’s graduates to do better.”
Correspondent Ed O’Keefe framed it all in terms of campaign strategy: “Mr. Obama is expected to actively campaign for Biden through November and is using his large social media presence to their advantage, especially with fund-raising....One spokesman over the weekend told me the former president is a, quote, ‘force,’ and will be an enormous asset for candidates across the country through election day.”
Despite all the hype for Obama’s blatant attempt to exploit the coronavirus to help the Biden campaign, on Sunday Today, Geist and Meet the Press host Chuck Todd tried to pretend that Trump was the one wading into “dangerous” territory by responding to his disgruntled predecessor. Geist arguing: “Of course, President Trump spent the week going after the Obama administration. President Obama responding in his own way during that address yesterday...”
Todd worried:
This is not an accident that he is trying to soften up Obama, trying to make him polarizing, trying to sort of reignite some sort of partisan and polarizing view of Barack Obama as if he’s still in office....his sort of obsession with Obama at times has been a distraction, and I think some of the biggest unforced errors he’s made politically is when he goes down these rabbit holes all involving Barack Obama, go all the way back to 2011 with birtherism. So this is a dangerous moment for the President politically, because if he looks like he’s so obsessed with Obama and he’s not focused on the recovery.
That sentiment was echoed on Meet the Press later that morning, when Todd and his panel of guests claimed Trump was “nervous” about “the might of the Obama name.”
The only people who seem to still be “obsessed” with Obama are his biggest fans in the liberal media.
Here is a transcript of the Obama coverage on the May 17 Sunday Today:
8:00 AM ET TEASE
WILLIE GEIST: President Trump spent a great deal of his time and attention this week on the administration of predecessor, President Obama. On Saturday, during an address to graduating students, former President Obama pushed back. In a virtual commencement ceremony, the 44th president saying, “This pandemic finally has pulled back the curtain on the idea that people in charge know what they’re doing.”
(...)
8:02 AM ET SEGMENT
WILLIE GEIST: Let’s begin with the unusual public criticism from former President Barack Obama of his successor's handling of the coronavirus pandemic. NBC’s Han Nichols is at the White House for us. Hans, good morning.
HANS NICHOLS: Good morning, Willie. Former President Barack Obama is breaking his public silence of the Trump administration’s handling of coronavirus. Now, the former president didn’t mention the current President by name, but his criticism and the implication was clear.
[Cuts to video]
In a virtual commencement ceremony, former President Barack Obama delivering a real-world criticism of the Trump administration’s response to coronavirus.
FMR. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: This pandemic has fully finally torn back the curtain on the idea that so many of the folks in charge know what they’re doing.
NICHOLS: Obama’s comments mark his first public rebuke of President Donald Trump’s handling of the pandemic.
OBAMA: A lot of them aren’t even pretending to be in charge.
NICHOLS: The White House dismissing the criticism saying in a statement, “President Trump’s unprecedented coronavirus response has saved lives.”
President Trump, who has repeatedly blamed President Obama for his pandemic preparation...
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: The cupboard was bare.
NICHOLS: ...honed in on another target Saturday, the World Health Organization, which he threatened to defund last month.
TRUMP: The WHO failed in this basic duty, and must be held accountable.
NICHOLS: Suggesting that the U.S. would “pay 10 percent of what we have been paying over many years, matching much lower China payments.”
As states continue to gradually reopen with Governor Andrew Cuomo announcing all New York State beaches will be open for Memorial Day, President Trump retweeting a video showing protesters spewing hate at a reporter covering a rally saying they’re, quote, “great people.”
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: You stopped airing the Trump briefings and you keep airing Cuomo briefings. Go home.
(…)
8:04 AM ET
WILLIE GEIST: Chuck Todd is NBC’s political director and moderator of Meet the Press. Chuck, good morning, good to see you as always. A lot going on here between President Obama and President Trump. Of course, President Trump spent the week going after the Obama administration. President Obama responding in his own way during that address yesterday, but obviously all of this is tied into the election, as Joe Biden would like to tie himself to President Obama, it looks like so too would President Trump.
CHUCK TODD: He would, and I think, you know, this is where I think sometimes the shiny medal object that we’re following here, there’s a method to the President’s madness on this one. He’s trying to make Joe Biden’s most effective weapon, which is Barack Obama, a little less effective, right? This is not an accident that he is trying to soften up Obama, trying to make him polarizing, trying to sort of reignite some sort of partisan and polarizing view of Barack Obama as if he’s still in office.
And again, as a political tactic, you get it, right? The best case Joe Biden can make is, “Hey, we’ve done this before. The Obama/Biden folks came in at the start of a recession. Did it once, did it again.” So I see the long-term political sort of strategy here by the President, but I think this risks – his sort of obsession with Obama at times has been a distraction, and I think some of the biggest unforced errors he’s made politically is when he goes down these rabbit holes all involving Barack Obama, go all the way back to 2011 with birtherism. So this is a dangerous moment for the President politically, because if he looks like he’s so obsessed with Obama and he’s not focused on the recovery.
GEIST: Yeah, it’ll be interesting to see how much President Obama continues to participate in this back and forth during the campaign.
(...)
Here is a transcript of the coverage on Sunday’s GMA:
8:06 AM ET
EVA PILGRIM: To U.S. politics now and former President Obama criticizing the Trump administration's handling of the coronavirus crisis. ABC’s Rachel Scott joins us from Washington with more. Good morning to you, Rachel.
RACHEL SCOTT: Eva, good morning. This is a rare public rebuke from former President Barack Obama criticizing the coronavirus response, and it comes just one week after he slammed the Trump administration's handling of the pandemic on a private call with his former staffers. Calling it an, quote, “an absolutely chaotic disaster.”
This time in an online commencement address, for graduating seniors at historically black colleges and universities, Obama said the U.S. is lacking leadership.
[Cuts to video]
FMR. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: More than anything, this pandemic has fully finally torn back the curtain on the idea that so many of the folks in charge know what they’re doing. A lot of them aren’t even pretending to be in charge. If the world's going to get better, it’s going to be up to you.
[Cuts back]
SCOTT: And those comments come as the Trump administration blames their predecessors for depleted stockpiles three years into the President's term. Claiming they left it empty. Eva.
(…)
8:09 AM ET
DAN HARRIS: Let’s talk about someone else who’s raising questions about the President, former President Barack Obama. Are we more likely to see more of him as we head into November, now?
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: I think it’s only just begun. And it’s been a pretty extraordinary week when you look at the actions of President Trump and President Obama.
I think the President – President Trump has had something like over 150 tweets over the last week that take on President Obama. He’s trying to raise questions again about the Russia investigation. Which he calls Obamagate, something that he has no charges to back up – a crime he charges but doesn’t have any evidence to back – back it up.
And what you’re now seeing is, President Obama begin his effort, I think, to become Joe Biden’s chief surrogate in this campaign for president. Stepping out first with these not so veiled comments about the President’s COVID response. I think you’re going to see more of that in the future. And maybe it’s most telling – what’s most telling is the President Obama’s one-word tweet on Thursday in response to President Trump. The word was “vote.”
(...)
Here is a transcript of the May 18 coverage on CBS This Morning:
7:10 AM ET
GAYLE KING: Former President Barack Obama is criticizing the response to the coronavirus, stepping further into this 2020 campaign. In a pair of virtual graduation speeches over the weekend, the former President urged this year’s graduates to do better.
BARACK OBAMA: This pandemic has fully finally torn back the curtain on the idea that so many of the folks in charge know what they're doing. A lot of them aren’t even pretending to be in charge. Doing what feels good, what’s convenient, what’s easy, that's how little kids think. Unfortunately, a lot of so-called grown-ups, including some with fancy titles and important jobs, still think that way, which is why things are so screwed up.
KING: President Trump, who’s criticized Mr. Obama repeatedly in recent days, had this response yesterday:
DONALD TRUMP: Look, he was an incompetent president, that’s all I can say. Grossly incompetent. Thank you.
KING: Ed O’Keefe is covering campaign 2020. Ed, why do you think the former President is saying this at this particular time?
ED O’KEEFE: Well, good morning, Gayle. Good to see you. The former President, who’s largely stayed silent over the past three years, never mentioned the current president by name, but his criticism was evident. Members of the current administration also weighing in. White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said Sunday that Mr. Obama is serving as, quote, “Joe Biden’s press secretary.” Mr. Obama is expected to actively campaign for Biden through November and is using his large social media presence to their advantage, especially with fund-raising.
Biden himself continues to campaign from his Delaware home and is planning later this week to hold a virtual rally with voters in Wisconsin. His team is hiring up to 600 field staffers and about a dozen battleground states. They’ll be in place by June, they’ll be doing the traditional get-out-the-vote work that’s been done in previous campaigns but mostly from a distance or at least virtually at the start. One spokesman over the weekend told me the former president is a, quote, “force,” and will be an enormous asset for candidates across the country through election day. Anthony?
ANTHONY MASON: All right, Ed. Thank you.
