Perhaps desperate for the kind of electoral bump that an assassination attempt on a sitting president would bring, ABC’s Good Morning America seemingly tried to hype up a collision involving the presidential motorcade as a serious attempt on his life. And despite the fact authorities charged the driver involved with driving under the influence, and that the incident happened down the street from the President, the network still referred to it as a “threat” against President Biden.
“That was a scary moment but President Biden is safe after that car crashed into part of the President’s motorcade,” senior White House correspondent Selina Wang reported in a serious and sober tone. “Overnight, a security scare for President Biden, a car slamming into an SUV that was part of the President’s motorcade, just as Biden was leaving his campaign headquarters in raining Wilmington, Delaware.”
Wang gave a play-by-play breakdown of the video of Biden’s reaction to the crash as if she was breaking down the Zapruder film:
You can see in the video the President just finished answering a question from a reporter, then a loud crash. Biden stopping in his tracks, clearly startled as the sedan crashes into the vehicle protecting the rest of the motorcade. Secret Service agents rushing the President to his SUV where the First Lady was already waiting. Neither were injured.
Officers surround the sedan that rammed into the motorcade, the driver putting his hands up.
It was only afterward that she noted: “Police say investigators are working to determine if driver impairment was a factor. Sources say it appears there was no ideological motivation behind the crash.” And despite Wang seemingly trying to keep the nonexistence of an ulterior motive secret, it was reported hours before GMA went to air that it was a strongly suspected case of drunk driving.
Showing that ABC wanted the incident to be something more than it was, Wang added that “there is no further threat related to that crash.” Their report totaled one minute and 32 seconds.
The other broadcast networks didn’t put nearly the same amount of weight on the story that ABC did. CBS Mornings only dedicated 33 seconds to the crash in the form of a news brief. And while NBC’s Today did give the story a combined one minute and 18 seconds, it was broken up among their larger segment about recent happenings with presidential candidates (which totaled two minutes and 46 seconds).
It’s also worth noting that while Wang noted that the crash occurred after Biden “just finished answering a question from a reporter,” she never disclosed what that question was. The exchange was shared in NBC’s report:
REPORTER: Mr. President, why are you losing to Trump in the polls?
BIDEN: They’re the wrong polls.
Ironically, it’s possibly also the same reason ABC wanted to hype up the crash.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s Good Morning America
December 18, 2023
8:04:34 a.m. EasternLINSEY DAVIS: Now to that collision involving President Biden's motorcade. A car crashing into a parked SUV that was part of the President's motorcade near his campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware. Our senior White House correspondent, Selina Wang, has the latest on that. Good morning, Selina.
SELINA WANG: Hey Linsey, good morning. That was a scary moment but President Biden is safe after that car crashed into part of the President’s motorcade.
[Cuts to video]
Overnight, a security scare for President Biden, a car slamming into an SUV that was part of the President’s motorcade, just as Biden was leaving his campaign headquarters in raining Wilmington, Delaware.
You can see in the video the President just finished answering a question from a reporter, then a loud crash. Biden stopping in his tracks, clearly startled as the sedan crashes into the vehicle protecting the rest of the motorcade. Secret Service agents rushing the President to his SUV where the First Lady was already waiting. Neither were injured.
Officers surround the sedan that rammed into the motorcade, the driver putting his hands up. Police say investigators are working to determine if driver impairment was a factor. Sources say it appears there was no ideological motivation behind the crash.
[Cuts back to live]
And Secret Service says that the President’s motorcade left without any problems and that there is no further threat related to that crash. The White House says both the President and First Lady are fine. Robin.
ROBIN ROBERTS: Good to know that, Selina. Thank you.
