ABC's World News Tonight continues to distinguish itself as the main purveyor of Biden talking points among the national network evening newscasts. Tonight’s embarrassment of a report on Ukraine, the border, and reaction to former President Donald Trump’s remarks regarding NATO might as well have been read to us from behind the lectern in the Brady Room.
Watch as the report closes with anchor David Muir and Senior White House Correspondent Mary Brown echoing virtually every Democrat talking point on the failed border deal and the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas:
DAVID MUIR: All right, so let's get right to Mary Bruce. Mary, on that last point we heard right there from the Speaker of the House, House Republicans have long said that there would be no Ukraine funding without border security. He said that right there again, but House Republicans last week turned down that bipartisan border deal by Republicans and Democrats in the Senate to beef up security, and as you reported here, was the kind of bipartisan deal we haven't seen in years in this country.
MARY BRUCE: It- David, look, Republicans got what they had been demanding for months, a bipartisan border deal, and then rejected it. Donald Trump derailing the whole thing, eager to deny President Biden a win on immigration. And now, the Republican House Speaker is back making those same demands. And now, instead of funding Ukraine or negotiating with Democrats, tonight, House Republicans are focused on impeaching the Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. They tried and failed last week. Tonight, they’re giving it another go.
The report began with Mary Bruce teeing up Biden quotes in response to Trump on NATO, and generally pushing for the Ukraine package that has just passed the Senate. From there, Bruce laments that Republicans got everything they asked for in the dead border deal, and yet Speaker Mike Johnson won’t give the Senate bill the time of day.
But the truth is that not many Republicans wanted what was in the Senate bill to begin with, hence it is the dead Senate bill. The report closes out with the clip you saw above. Muir and Bruce taking shots at the House Republicans for not passing the Senate bill.
This is dishonestly framed as a rejection of bipartisanship, as opposed to rejection of a deeply flawed immigration bill that would’ve permanently codified the ongoing crisis along our southern border. We never hear “bipartisanship” alluded to in that way when the media talk about Democrats.
Par for the course.
Click “expand” to view the full transcript of the aforementioned report as aired on ABC World News Tonight on Tuesday, February 13th, 2024:
Tonight, President Biden calling Donald Trump un-American after Trump said he would actually encourage Russia to attack one of our NATO allies if they didn't up their defense spending. President Biden also furious tonight, the Republican-led House is set to block desperately-needed aid for Ukraine. They say it's because of the border, and yet, they turned down that bipartisan border deal last week. Here's Mary Bruce.
MARY BRUCE: Tonight, President Biden imploring House Republicans to pass additional funding for the war in Ukraine, saying the U.S. has to send Russia, and the world, a strong message.
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: Supporting this bill is standing up to Putin. Opposing it is playing into Putin's hands.
BRUCE: He says the stakes got even higher when Donald Trump said he would actually encourage Russia to attack our NATO allies that fail to meet defense spending targets. Just the suggestion that Trump would support Russia attacking one of our allies infuriating Biden.
FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want.
BRUCE: Biden today firing back.
BIDEN: No other president in our history has ever bowed down to a Russian dictator. Well, let me say this as clearly as I can. I never will. For God's sake, it's dumb, it's shameful, it's dangerous. It's un-American.
BRUCE: The president saying House Republicans now face a stark choice --
BIDEN: House Republicans, you got to decide, are you going to stand up for freedom, or are going to side with terror and tyranny? Are you going to stand with Ukraine or are you going to stand with Putin? Will you stand with America or with Trump?
BRUCE: The $95 billion spending package, which also includes funding for Israel, has already passed the Senate with significant Republican support, but House Speaker Mike Johnson refuses to even bring it up for a vote. He says no more foreign aid without tougher border security measures. This though just last week, under pressure from Trump, Republicans rejected a bipartisan compromise including the toughest border measures in decades.
REPORTER: Speaker Johnson, do you want to fund Ukraine?
SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON: National security begins with border security. We've said that all along.
MUIR: All right, so let's get right to Mary Bruce. Mary, on that last point we heard right there from the Speaker of the House, House Republicans have long said that there would be no Ukraine funding without border security. He said that right there again, but House Republicans last week turned down that bipartisan border deal by Republicans and Democrats in the Senate to beef up security, and as you reported here, was the kind of bipartisan deal we haven't seen in years in this country.
BRUCE: It- David, look, Republicans got what they had been demanding for months, a bipartisan border deal, and then rejected it. Donald Trump derailing the whole thing, eager to deny President Biden a win on immigration. And now, the Republican House Speaker is back making those same demands. And now, instead of funding Ukraine or negotiating with Democrats, tonight, House Republicans are focused on impeaching the Department of Homeland Security secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. They tried and failed last week. Tonight, they’re giving it another go. David.
MUIR: Mary Bruce at the White House. Thanks, Mary.
