On Friday’s NBC Today, co-host Savannah Guthrie proclaimed: “Hillary Clinton hitting back at another Republican candidate, Carly Fiorina. She went after Clinton several times during the debate.” In the report that followed, correspondent Andrea Mitchell noted how Fiorina “lit up the debate stage by partly targeting Hillary Clinton, the most famous woman in American politics.”
Mitchell touted Clinton “firing back at the Republicans for their debate” and declared: “It was Carly Fiorina who had the sharpest edge, challenging Clinton over the controversial videos released by an activist group, purporting to expose Planned Parenthood.”
A soundbite followed of Fiorina during Wednesday’s debate condemning the abortion provider and demanding Democrats watch the videos:
I dare Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama to watch these tapes. Watch a fully formed fetus on the table, its heart beating, its legs kicking, while someone says, “We have to keep it alive to harvest its brain.”
Mitchell then played a clip of Clinton praising the group: “I think we ought to be very clear that Planned Parenthood has served to provide health care, necessary health care, for millions of women.”
Trying to shut down Fiorina’s criticism, Mitchell turned to Planned Parenthood talking points: “And in a letter to Fiorina, the women's health group told her, ‘Your claims are completely false,’ claiming the videos were heavily edited and that they charge only to cover costs of providing fetal tissues to medical researchers. But Fiorina is standing by her comments.”
In what was billed as a “fact-check” on Thursday’s NBC Nightly News, Mitchell similarly proclaimed:
Today, the women’s health group said Fiorina was a liar, sending her a letter saying saying, “Your claims are completely false.” The group says the videos were heavily edited and that one fetus came from a Pennsylvania woman who miscarried and that they charge only to cover cost to provide fetal tissue to medical researchers.
At the end of Friday’s Today segment, Mitchell promoted liberal media “fact-checkers” lining up to reject Fiorina’s description of one of the videos released by the Center for Medical Progress (CMP):
And even though Fiorina is sticking by her story, The Washington Post and multiple fact-checkers, independent fact-checkers, say that there is no such video of a live fetus inside a Planned Parenthood facility. Still, conservative Republicans in Congress say that they are going to try to shut down the government by the end of this month over this issue.
In addition to a “live fetus” being called a “baby” by most people, Mitchell failed to explain that the seventh video released by CMP actually featured an eyewitness account from former StemExpress procurement technician Holly O’Donnell describing in detail how an intact aborted baby with a “beating heart” was dissected in front of her at a Planned Parenthood abortion clinic.
The broadcast networks never bothered to cover that video, hoping to move on from the scandal.
Here is a full transcript of Mitchell’s September 18 report:
7:09 AM ET
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: Meantime, let's talk about the Democrats. Hillary Clinton hitting back at another Republican candidate, Carly Fiorina. She went after Clinton several times during the debate. NBC's Andrea Mitchell has more on that. Andrea, good morning.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Clinton Hits Back at Fiorina; Defends Planned Parenthood Amid Rise in GOP Polls]
ANDREA MITCHELL: Good morning, Savannah. Carly Fiorina, the only woman in the Republican race, lit up the debate stage by partly targeting Hillary Clinton, the most famous woman in American politics.
HILLARY CLINTON: Oh, I'm just thrilled to be with you.
MITCHELL: Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire firing back at the Republicans for their debate.
CLINTON: Lots of bickering, lots of personal, you know, insults, attacks.
MITCHELL: It was Carly Fiorina who had the sharpest edge, challenging Clinton over the controversial videos released by an activist group, purporting to expose Planned Parenthood.
CARLY FIORINA: I dare Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama to watch these tapes. Watch a fully formed fetus on the table, its heart beating, its legs kicking, while someone says, “We have to keep it alive to harvest its brain.”
MITCHELL: Clinton responded on CNN.
CLINTON: I think we ought to be very clear that Planned Parenthood has served to provide health care, necessary health care, for millions of women.
MITCHELL: And in a letter to Fiorina, the women's health group told her, “Your claims are completely false,” claiming the videos were heavily edited and that they charge only to cover costs of providing fetal tissues to medical researchers. But Fiorina is standing by her comments.
FIORINA: She says all of us are equal in the eyes of God.
MITCHELL: Fiorina has cast herself as Clinton's chief Republican critic. On the debate stage, hammering Clinton's record as secretary of state.
FIORINA: Mrs. Clinton – if you wanted to stump a Democrat, ask them to name an accomplishment of Mrs. Clinton.
CLINTON: If anybody’s interested, you know, there's a long list about what I have done and I'm very proud of it.
MITCHELL: But with Clinton now trailing Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders in New Hampshire, she's spending three days trying to shore up her base, women voters across the state.
CLINTON: Oh, it's great to talk to you. Thank you all very much.
MITCHELL: And even though Fiorina is sticking by her story, The Washington Post and multiple fact-checkers, independent fact-checkers, say that there is no such video of a live fetus inside a Planned Parenthood facility. Still, conservative Republicans in Congress say that they are going to try to shut down the government by the end of this month over this issue. Matt and Savannah?
GUTHRIE: Alright, Andrea Mitchell, thank you very much.
