On Thursday, both NBC’s Today and CBS This Morning saw Donald Trump’s presidential bid spelling disaster for the Republican Party in 2016. On Today, correspondent Peter Alexander touted how the “controversy” surrounding Trump’s anti-illegal immigration comments had “proven to be some pretty good politics among some Republicans,” with Trump having “jumped to second place among Republicans in a recent national poll.”
A soundbite followed of The Washington Post’s Robert Costa proclaiming: “This makes the Republican establishment squirm. In phone calls this week they have been commenting on Trump's controversies and wondering, ‘Is this going to be the story for the Republican race?’”
On Wednesday, a front-page story in the Post declared: “As Donald Trump surges in polls, Democrats cheer.” Reporter Philip Rucker giddily observed: “For Democrats, Donald Trump amounts to a kind of divine intervention....His outlandish rhetoric and skill at occupying the national spotlight are also proving to be dangerously toxic for the GOP brand...”
Thursday’s CBS This Morning mirrored Today’s Trump coverage, with correspondent Nancy Cordes announcing: “But somebody's buying what he's selling. Recent polls show he's rocketed to the top of the GOP pack....Republican leaders worry that those numbers will just embolden him and further alienate the critical Hispanic vote...”
Here is an excerpt of the July 2 report on Today:
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7:35 AM ET
PETER ALEXANDER: While the controversy may be hurting Trump's bottom line, it could be fueling his political rise. The billionaire has jumped to second place among Republicans in a recent national poll, also placing second in the first two critical battlegrounds of Iowa and New Hampshire. Some voters say they're impressed by what they've heard.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: He's not afraid to say what he thinks.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: He's not worried about being politically correct and I think that's the change we need in this country.
ALEXANDER: Still, former New York Governor George Pataki is calling on his fellow 2016 Republican candidates to “denounce” Trump's remarks, calling his comments “unacceptable.”
ROBERT COSTA [THE WASHINGTON POST]: This makes the Republican establishment squirm. In phone calls this week they have been commenting on Trump's controversies and wondering, ‘Is this going to be the story for the Republican race?’
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Here is an excerpt of the July 2 coverage on This Morning:
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7:18 AM ET
NANCY CORDES: The nation’s only Latina governor, Republican Susana Martinez also denounced Trump saying “I think those are horrible things to say about anyone and any culture…that is uncalled for completely.” But somebody's buying what he's selling. Recent polls show he's rocketed to the top of the pack. A new Quinippiac poll has him second only to Scott Walker in Iowa. And in a new CNN poll he’s second nationally right behind Jeb Bush.
DONALD TRUMP: I don't understand how he's in first place but I’m certainly honored by the poll. And I’ve always said that if I announced and if people felt I was actually going to run, I would be at the top of the polls.
CORDES: Of course when there are 14 candidates it doesn’t take much to land in second place. Right now Trump’s only getting about 10 or 12 percent in these polls. But Republican leader worry that those numbers will just embolden him and further alienate the critical Hispanic vote, Gayle.
GAYLE KING: Okay Nancy, thank you.
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