On Tuesday, all three network morning shows served as propaganda megaphones for the Democratic Party by seizing on Joe Biden’s fearmongering declaration that “more people may die” if President Trump delays the transition of administrations. Avoiding any independent thought, hosts and correspondents all recited the same dire talking points provided to them by the President-Elect.
“Dire consequences....President-Elect Biden sounds the alarm over the Trump administration’s refusal to aid his transition and the impact it could have as the nation battles the pandemic,” co-host Hoda Kotb touted at the top of NBC’s Today show. A soundbite was featured of Biden telling reporters during a Monday press conference: “More people may die if we don’t coordinate.”
Minutes later, correspondent Sam Brock melodramatically proclaimed: “Mayors and governors right now dropping the hammer on restrictions that they hope will save lives. This as the President-Elect is urging a smooth transition to prevent more fatalities.”
Introducing another report on the transition, Kotb repeated: “Earlier we heard President-Elect Biden warning about his ability to manage the pandemic given the Trump administration’s refusal to help the transition of power. So how is he handling those roadblocks?” White House correspondent Kristen Welker then displayed what kind of stenographer she would be to a Biden administration:
...the Trump administration, as you say, still refuses to acknowledge Biden as President-Elect, depriving him of critical briefings, so his moves today really aimed at turning up the pressure on President Trump to concede the election and move on....President-Elect Joe Biden is venting his frustration with President Trump’s refusal to concede the election, depriving him of critical resources and briefings, including on COVID-19.
Early in the 8:00 a.m. ET hour, fellow White House correspondent Hallie Jackson provided a third segment pushing fear: “And experts say there’s no topic that makes the need for a speedier transition more clear and more urgent than the pandemic....say the CDC is the branch most affected by the delayed transition, and as a vaccine is eventually distributed, would have a direct line of contact with state and local public health departments nationwide.”
Only at the very end of her report was any push-back provided to Biden’s assertions: “As for that warning from the President-Elect that more people may die if there’s not better coordination during this transition, a White House spokesperson calls those remarks irresponsible, pointing to what they say is coordination between the federal government and state and local officials on that.”
That was the closest NBC ever got to a fact check.
ABC’s Good Morning America didn’t even bother trying, as co-host George Stephanopoulos opened the broadcast with this hysteria: “Transition turmoil. President-Elect Joe Biden says President Trump’s refusal to allow the transition to begin could cost lives.” Talking to anti-Trump “whistleblower” Dr. Rick Bright – who unsurprisingly has joined Biden’s team of COVID advisers – Stephanopoulos teed up more partisan attacks: “President-Elect Biden said yesterday that people may die if there’s not more coordination between the Trump administration and the Biden transition task force. What isn’t getting done now that needs to get done?”
In another segment that followed, correspondent Mary Bruce acted as a Biden spokesperson: “Well, in his most blunt assessment yet, Joe Biden is really upping the pressure on President Trump to coordinate and get this transition going, warning that there will be dire consequences if he doesn’t....Biden this morning says the President’s refusal to concede and allow the transition to begin is a matter of life and death.”
Again, no attempt was made to assess the credulity of any of the Democrat’s hyperbolic statements.
“President-Elect Biden issues a blunt warning on the transition. He says the Trump administration’s delay could cost American lives,” co-host Anthony Mason exclaimed on CBS This Morning, not shy about following the narrative of the day. Introducing the later segment, Democratic donor Gayle King fretted: “Mr. Biden warns the administration’s lack of cooperation could hurt the entire nation.” Correspondent Nikole Killion promoted: “President-Elect Joe Biden predicted grave consequences if the Trump administration keeps stonewalling his team on the coronavirus pandemic.”
Whenever a Democrat wildy claims that people are going to die because of a Republican, all media notions of “facts first” immediately go out the window.
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Here is a transcript of the November 17 coverage on NBC’s Today show:
7:00 AM ET
HODA KOTB: Dire consequences.
JOE BIDEN: More people may die if we don’t coordinate.
KOTB: President-Elect Biden sounds the alarm over the Trump administration’s refusal to aid his transition and the impact it could have as the nation battles the pandemic.
(...)
7:03 AM ET
SAM BROCK: Mayors and governors right now dropping the hammer on restrictions that they hope will save lives. This as the President-Elect is urging a smooth transition to prevent more fatalities. The testing center you see behind me is going to be opening in a little while. We’ll see long lines here and all over the U.S. as infection rates right now are rising, in some places dramatically.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Coronavirus Clamp Down; Biden Warns “More People Will Die If We Don’t Coordinate”]
Communities across the country besieged by COVID this morning are moving backwards. More than a dozen states watching deaths from the virus climb 75% in two weeks. This as the President-Elect warns conditions will only get worse without a peaceful transfer.
JOE BIDEN: More people may die if we don’t coordinate. If we have to wait until January 20th to start that planning, it puts us behind, over a month, month and a half.
BROCK: On the state level, leaders trying to pick up the slack.
GOV. GRETCHEN WHITMER [D-MI]: It actually took my breath away. We are in the midst of the worst weeks of this pandemic.
BROCK: Michigan’s governor clamping down on bars, restaurants, and everyday life, as California moves almost every county into its highest risk tier.
GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM [D-CA]: This is simply the fastest increase California has seen.
BROCK: New Mexico and Oregon have launched multi-week shutdowns or freezes, which some have openly defied.
(...)
7:12 AM ET
KOTB: Earlier we heard President-Elect Biden warning about his ability to manage the pandemic given the Trump administration’s refusal to help the transition of power. So how is he handling those roadblocks? NBC White House correspondent Kristen Welker has the latest. Kristen, good morning.
KRISTEN WELKER: Hi, Hoda, good morning to you. President-Elect Joe Biden will put the focus on national security today. He’s going to meet with diplomatic and defense experts. It comes as the Trump administration, as you say, still refuses to acknowledge Biden as President-Elect, depriving him of critical briefings, so his moves today really aimed at turning up the pressure on President Trump to concede the election and move on.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Biden Pushes Ahead Amid Transition Turmoil; President-Elect Moves Forward, Comes as Cracks Form in Trump Support]
President-Elect Joe Biden is venting his frustration with President Trump’s refusal to concede the election, depriving him of critical resources and briefings, including on COVID-19.
BIDEN: I find this more embarrassing for the country than debilitating for my ability to get started.
(...)
8:04 AM ET
HALLIE JACKSON: And experts say there’s no topic that makes the need for a speedier transition more clear and more urgent than the pandemic.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Inside 2020's Turbulent Transition; How Trump Administration’s Decisions Are Impacting Agencies]
A closer look this morning at a turbulent transition and how the slow transfer of power is affecting key departments, starting with Health and Human Services, tapped to help manage the COVID crisis as the pandemic gets worse.
GOV. LARRY HOGAN [R-MD]: We can’t wait until the end of January. I mean, you know, 200,000 people are going to die between now and the inauguration.
JACKSON: Multiple experts say the CDC is the branch most affected by the delayed transition, and as a vaccine is eventually distributed, would have a direct line of contact with state and local public health departments nationwide. Former HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.
KATHLEEN SEBELIUS: The lack of communication will mean that they’re really operating in the dark, and that’s very dangerous.
(...)
8:07 AM
JACKSON: As for that warning from the President-Elect that more people may die if there’s not better coordination during this transition, a White House spokesperson calls those remarks irresponsible, pointing to what they say is coordination between the federal government and state and local officials on that.
(...)
Here is a transcript of the coverage on ABC’s GMA:
7:01 AM ET
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Transition turmoil. President-Elect Joe Biden says President Trump’s refusal to allow the transition to begin could cost lives.
JOE BIDEN: More people may die if we don’t coordinate.
(...)
7:06 AM ET
STEPHANOPOULOS: Let’s bring in Dr. Rick bright, he was the government’s top expert on vaccines, resigned in protest after accusing the Trump administration of playing politics with science. He’s now a member of Joe Biden’s coronavirus task force. Dr. Bright, thanks for joining us this morning. President-Elect Biden said yesterday that people may die if there’s not more coordination between the Trump administration and the Biden transition task force. What isn’t getting done now that needs to get done?
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Trump “Whistleblower” Joins Biden Team; Biden Adviser on Danger Ahead & Vaccines on the Way]
DR. RICK BRIGHT: George, thanks for having me this morning. It’s very important that in light of the good news we’re hearing about the information coming from these new vaccines and the promising efficacy and safety data that we’re hearing about, it’s really important to understand that there’s a lot of work still in front of us to make sure that these vaccines are available for all Americans. There’s a lot of coordination that goes into putting those vaccines into a vial and making those vials – shipping those vials out across the country, getting those in the hands of doctors and nurses so they can administer those vaccines. And tracking them to make sure the person that got the first dose of one vaccine gets the second dose of the same vaccine at the right time schedule. There’s a lot of activity that must happen and we need to coordinate that. You know that after January 20th a new administration will come in and a new team will take over that responsibility. So it’s important that that new team has all of the information that the current team has so there’s a smooth transition. Lives are at stake here. If we miss this opportunity to coordinate now, we could experience hiccups or delays that really we don’t need to see. Americans deserve a smooth transition so we can make sure to save their lives from this pandemic.
STEPHANOPOULOS: These clinical trials are good news. You had some tough criticism for the Trump administration. Should Operation Warp Speed get any credit for the fact we’re on the verge of vaccine approval?
BRIGHT: You know, there’s a lot of things that have happened with the vaccines over the last several years. I’m really excited to see the progress from messenger MRNA vaccines. It is an investment we made in the Obama administration, starting back in 2013 with DARPA, and BARTA in 2016 for Zika, and the NIH through the years. It was a new technology that we have invested in and built the foundation so when we needed them now for this crisis they were ready to run. So I’m really encouraged that the Obama investment in these new technologies is paying out now so we can have them ready faster than we’ve ever seen.
(...)
7:12 AM ET
STEPHANOPOULOS: Let’s get the latest now on the presidential transition. President-Elect Biden struck his gravest tone yet, as we said, warning more may die if President Trump continues to block his administration from coordinating with Biden’s team on vaccine distribution, other COVID control measures. Mary Bruce is covering it all from Washington. Good morning, Mary.
MARY BRUCE: Good morning, George. Well, in his most blunt assessment yet, Joe Biden is really upping the pressure on President Trump to coordinate and get this transition going, warning that there will be dire consequences if he doesn’t.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Transition Turmoil; Biden: “More People May Die” if Trump Refuses to Coordinate]
Joe Biden this morning says the President’s refusal to concede and allow the transition to begin is a matter of life and death.
JOE BIDEN: More people may die if we don’t coordinate.
BRUCE: Biden warning the distributing of a COVID-19 vaccine could be more difficult.
BIDEN: If we have to wait until January 20th to start that planning, it puts us behind over a month, month and a half. And so it’s important that it be done, that there be coordination now.
BRUCE: With Trump refusing to admit defeat, Biden’s team is being blocked from receiving sensitive information and coordinating with agencies.
(...)
Here is a transcript of the coverage on CBS This Morning:
7:00 AM ET
ANTHONY MASON: President-Elect Biden issues a blunt warning on the transition. He says the Trump administration’s delay could cost American lives.
(...)
7:10 AM ET
GAYLE KING: As Nicole Killion reports, Mr. Biden warns the administration’s lack of cooperation could hurt the entire nation.
JOE BIDEN: More people may die if we don’t coordinate.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: President-Elect Biden’s Warning; Says “More People May Die” in Pandemic if Transition Delay Continues]
NIKOLE KILLION: President-Elect Joe Biden predicted grave consequences if the Trump administration keeps stonewalling his team on the coronavirus pandemic.
BIDEN: If we have to wait until January 20th to start that planning, it puts us behind, over a month, month and a half.
KILLION: The President-Elect and Vice President-Elect laid out their plans to boost the U.S. economy, but said controlling the virus is the first step to recovery.
BIDEN: Once we shut down the virus and deliver economic relief to workers and businesses, then we can start to build back better than before.
(...)
