In a story for Tuesday’s NBC Today devoid of any Hillary Clinton critics, correspondent Andrea Mitchell highlighted “one Democratic ally,” Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro, “considered a potential running mate by some should Clinton win the nomination,” dismissing the e-mail scandal still swirling around the former Secretary of State as a “side show.”
A soundbite ran of Castro proclaiming: “What you have here with these e-mails is basically a witch hunt.”
Mitchell also touted Clinton’s lack of opponents for the Democratic nomination:
Despite Clinton’s e-mail controversy, so far only one other Democrat is ready to take her on. Tonight, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders will announce he is running in the Democratic contest....And in Baltimore next weekend, former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley is also expected to join the race. But so far Clinton is dominating the field. A far cry from the crowded field of Republicans competing to be their standard bearer.
At the top of the report, Mitchell promoted Clinton’s “support” for a release of State Department e-mails: “The State Department is under a court order to produce a timetable later today for releasing more of the 55,000 pages of e-mails the former Secretary handed over last December from her private server. A federal judge ordered the e-mails released on a rolling basis every 60 days – something Clinton told me she supports.”
Here is a full transcript of the May 26 segment:
7:10 AM ET
WILLIE GEIST: We're going to learn more today about the plan to make public tens of thousands of e-mails from Hillary Clinton's time as secretary of state. NBC’s Andrea Mitchell has more on that and Clinton’s first official challenger in the Democratic presidential race. Andrea, good morning.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: When Will Emails Be Released?; Announcement Comes as Clinton Challenger Steps Up]
ANDREA MITCHELL: Good morning, Willie. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders is joining the Democratic race tonight, but Hillary Clinton could be paying more attention to what the State Department tells a federal judge today. The deadline for producing a timetable for the release of thousands more e-mails from her tenure as secretary of state.
On parade with her husband on Memorial Day in their adopted hometown of Chappaqua, New York, north of New York City. Posing for photos, ordering ice cream. But for Hillary Clinton, today the holiday is over. The State Department is under a court order to produce a timetable later today for releasing more of the 55,000 pages of e-mails the former Secretary handed over last December from her private server. A federal judge ordered the e-mails released on a rolling basis every 60 days – something Clinton told me she supports.
HILLARY CLINTON: I want people to be able to see all of them and it is the fact that we have released all of them that have any government relationship whatsoever.
MITCHELL: One Democratic ally, considered a potential running mate by some should Clinton win the nomination, called it a side show.
JULIAN CASTRO [SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT]: What you have here with these e-mails is basically a witch hunt.
MITCHELL: Despite Clinton’s e-mail controversy, so far only one other Democrat is ready to take her on. Tonight, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders will announce he is running in the Democratic contest, after serving almost a quarter century in the House and Senate as a socialist.
[To Bernie Sanders] Hillary Clinton says that she is the champion of everyday Americans. Why isn't she the best standard bearer for the party?
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS [I-VT]: We'll let the American people make that decision. I have been working for the last 25-30 years on behalf of working families.
MITCHELL: And in Baltimore next weekend, former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley is also expected to join the race. But so far Clinton is dominating the field. A far cry from the crowded field of Republicans competing to be their standard bearer. Savannah and Willie.
GEIST: It is a tale of two parties. Andrea Mitchell, thank you very much.
