On Thursday, CBS This Morning acted as an unofficial spokesperson for First Lady Michelle Obama as they eagerly promoted a video of her working out at the gym. For their part, ABC’s Good Morning America and NBC’s Today did not cheerlead Mrs. Obama during their broadcasts.
Co-host Gayle King beamed at how “[t]he Chicago Sun-Times shows First Lady Michelle Obama getting hardcore at the gym. It’s part of her “Gimme Five” campaign which encourages people to be healthy. She tweeted this clip in response to the president's “gimme five” video which shows him doing less intense activities like walking.”
After playing a clip of the First Lady jumping rope, Norah O’Donnell beamed that she “watched that video–and I started jump roping. What she did, that's really impressive. Look at her feet. That's really hart to jump rope like that. She’s in great shape.”
King chimed in and proclaimed “I just looked at it and said “Go First Lady Michelle Obama!” You picked up a jump rope.” The three CBS hosts then spent the remainder of the segment discussing their own workout routines which included O’Donnell lamenting that unlike Michelle Obama “I have been jump roping as part of my workout so I know how hard it is. I can't do” what she did.
Unsurprisingly, this was not the first time CBS This Morning provided free publicity to Mrs Obama. On January 14, 2014 the morning show hyped her latest “fashion milestone” when her second inaugural address appeared at the Smithsonian. On February 18 of this year, CBS praised Obama’s latest healthy eating video and Charlie Rose declared “I love her” and her video was “just great.”
On May 11, CBS This Morning, along with ABC and NBC hailed Mrs. Obama’s “deeply personal” graduation speech at Tuskegee University. Co-host Gayle declared “First Lady Michelle Obama’s receiving praise this morning for a commencement address at Tuskegee University. Her speech on Saturday offered some of her most candid remarks on how she’s grown into her historic role.”
See relevant transcript below.
CBS This Morning
May 21, 2015
GAYLE KING: The Chicago Sun-Times shows First Lady Michelle Obama getting hardcore at the gym. It’s part of her “Gimme Five” campaign which encourages people to be healthy. She tweeted this clip in response to the president's “gimme five” video which shows him doing less intense activities like walking.
NORAH O’DONNELL: Let me tell you. I watched that video—
KING: I did too Norah.
O’DONNELL: And I started jump roping. What she did, that's really impressive. Look at her feet. That's really hart to jump rope like that. She’s in great shape.
KING: I just looked at it and said “Go First Lady Michelle Obama!” You picked up a jump rope.
O’DONNELL No, no I have been jump roping as part of my workout so I know how hard it is. I can't do that.
KING: Charlie, Norah today came down in the studio with high heels and weights. This is how she came walking in the door. This girl is no joke in terms of keeping in shape. That’s all I’m saying.
ROSE: I jump rope though. I actually love jumping rope--
O’DONNELL: It’s hard.
ROSE: In two or three minutes you can exhaust yourself quickly.
O’DONNELL: It's hard.
KING: I used to like double Dutch. But, okay.
O’DONNELL: We can do that.
KING: Okay.
