From the same interview where he asked CBS's Errol Barnett (a black journalist moderating an NABJ/NAHJ event) “are you a junkie” earlier this week, a new video circulated Thursday that exposed just what Joe Biden and Democratic Party think of black community: they’re a monolithic voting block that thinks exactly alike. And after the video went viral, NewsBusters wondered if the liberal media would cover Biden’s racism.
Well, the results are in and ABC’s World News Tonight and NBC Nightly News were more outraged at President Trump for “seizing” on Biden’s comments and using them against their candidate with the latter seemingly making Biden’s case on the black community. And 24-hours prior to these reports, both networks covered up Biden’s “are you a junkie” shot at a black journalist.
NBC White House correspondent Kristen Welker began her report by complaining about Trump “intensifying his attacks against Joe Biden. Again trying to paint him as a radical.” Of course, the liberal media were still lying about Biden being a moderate despite the fact he’s called himself the most progressive candidate in history.
“But Biden was also on defense today after he raised eyebrows during a video conference with black and Hispanic journalists,” Welker admitted, downplaying the backlash, before playing this soundbite of Biden’s racist comment:
The answer is yes. Yes. Yes. And by the way, what you all know but most people don't know, unlike the African-American community with notable exceptions, the Latino community is an incredibly diverse community with incredibly different attitudes about different things.
“President Trump pouncing,” she decried, “tweeting, ‘wow, Joe Biden just lost the entire African-American community. What a dumb thing to say.’ And lashing out before departing Washington.”
Of course, Welker omitted Biden’s latest comments from Thursday where he doubled down on his claim that the black community was not diverse. But she did seem to argue that Biden was correct in his assessment, noting: “And the July NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll shows Biden with 80 percent support among black voters and President Trump with six percent.”
And Welker concluded by touting how Biden was considering an African-American female to be his running mate.
For ABC’s part, fill-in anchor Tom Llamas noted Biden was “facing backlash for appearing to suggest most African-Americans are uniform in their views,” but lamented how “President Trump [was] seizing on that comment, turning it into a new attack.”
After playing Biden’s original comment, ABC chief congressional correspondent Mary Bruce whined that “the President pounced.” She added: “Biden's campaign insists he was not suggesting the black community is a monolith, but rather was ‘Referring to diversity of attitudes among Latinos’ when it comes to immigration.” And she then boosted Biden’s attempt to “clarify” his comments (as Bruce put it). But he only doubled down:
We can build a new administration that reflects the full diversity of our nation. The full diversity of Latino communities. And when I mean full diversity, unlike the African-American community and many other communities, you're from everywhere. From Europe, from the tip of South America, all the way to our border and Mexico, and in the Caribbean.
And just as the networks did with Biden’s infamous “you ain’t black” decree against blacks who even had thoughts about voting for Trump, Bruce ignored them and argued that Trump was worse. Her conclusion also featured the false claim that Biden was a “devout Catholic,” her counter to Trump’s other Thursday slams.
This latest example of the broadcast networks giving Biden’s racist comments a pass was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Aleve on ABC, Liberty Mutual on CBS, and Pfizer on NBC. Their contact information is linked if you want to tell them about what they’re funding. CBS Evening News has also asked that people text anchor Norah O’Donnell at this number: (202) 217-1107.
The transcripts are below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s World News Tonight
August 6, 2020
6:38:30 p.m. EasternTOM LLAMAS: Now, to the race for 2020. Joe Biden facing backlash for appearing to suggest most African-Americans are uniform in their views. President Trump seizing on that comment, turning it into a new attack. The Biden campaign responding late today. Here's ABC's Mary Bruce.
[Cuts to video]
MARY BRUCE: It was a chance for Joe Biden to further his ties with the black and Hispanic communities. But in a discussion over immigration, the former Vice President seemed to suggest the black community lacks diversity of thought.
JOE BIDEN: What you all know but most people don't know, unlike the African-American community with notable exceptions, the Latino community is incredibly diverse community, with incredibly different attitudes about different things.
BRUCE: The President pounced.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Joe Biden this morning totally disparaged and insulted the black community. What he said is incredible and I don't know what's going on with him.
BRUCE: Biden's campaign insists he was not suggesting the black community is a monolith, but rather was "Referring to diversity of attitudes among Latinos" when it comes to immigration. Late today, Biden tried to clarify.
BIDEN: We can build a new administration that reflects the full diversity of our nation. The full diversity of Latino communities. And when I mean full diversity, unlike the African-American community and many other communities, you're from everywhere. From Europe, from the tip of South America, all the way to our border and Mexico, and in the Caribbean.
BRUCE: The President has a long history of racially charged and divisive remarks. Trump recently tweeting a video of a man shouting the racist phrase white power and calling Black Lives Matter a, quote, “symbol of hate.”
[Cuts back to live]
LLAMAS: Okay, the President today also unleashing a new line of attack, Mary, on Joe Biden, going after his religion?
BRUCE: Tom, the President said that Biden, a devout catholic, is, quote, “against God.” Biden's team was quick to slam that as hypocritical, saying, quote, “Biden's faith is at the core of who he is, he's lived it with dignity his entire life.” Tom?
LLAMAS: Mary Bruce with the back and forth tonight from the campaign trial, tonight. Mary, thank you.
NBC Nightly News
August 6, 2020
7:06:46 p.m. EasternLESTER HOLT: President Trump launched a powerful new offensive against Joe Biden today invoking guns and God as he campaigned in the crucial state of Ohio. Kristen Welker now with late details from the White House.
[Cuts to video]
KRISTEN WELKER: In battleground Ohio, President Trump intensifying his attacks against Joe Biden. Again trying to paint him as a radical, describing him this way.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: No religion, no anything. Hurt the bible, hurt God. He's against God. He's against guns. He's against energy.
WELKER: The Biden campaign wasted no time firing back, saying, “Joe Biden's faith is at the core of who he is. It's been a source of strength and comfort in times of extreme hardship.” But Biden was also on defense today after he raised eyebrows during a video conference with black and Hispanic journalists.
JOE BIDEN: The answer is yes. Yes. Yes. And by the way, what you all know but most people don't know, unlike the African-American community with notable exceptions, the Latino community is an incredibly diverse community with incredibly different attitudes about different things.
WELKER: President Trump pouncing, tweeting, “wow, Joe Biden just lost the entire African-American community. What a dumb thing to say.” And lashing out before departing Washington.
TRUMP: I just watched the clip, and Joe Biden this morning totally disparaged and insulted the black community. What he said is incredible. And I don't know what's going on with him.
WELKER: The Biden campaign saying, “it's clear that Vice President Biden was referring to diversity of attitudes among Latinos from different Latin American countries.” An adviser adding, “of course Biden knows the black community is not a monolith.”
African-Americans are a critical constituency. President Trump only got single-digit support among the group in 2016. And the July NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll shows Biden with 80 percent support among black voters and President Trump with six percent.
[Cuts back to live]
HOLT: And Kristin joins us now. Kristen, how close is Joe Biden to picking and announcing a running mate?
WELKER: Well Lester, Biden said today he will announce his pick very shortly. He promised to pick a woman, but will she be African-American? We know Senator Kamala Harris and former Obama National Security Adviser Susan Rice are key contenders, but we're told not to count out others like Karen Bass or even Michigan's governor, Gretchen Whitmer. Lester?
HOLT: Kristin, thank you.
