The “big three” of ABC, CBS, and NBC pulled out all the stops on Monday night to carry water for 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, proclaiming that she’s “on fire” with “new wind in her sails” as she “unveil[ed] a tough new stance on gun control” and came “out swinging today at the Benghazi Committee.”
The love fest was on full display on NBC Nightly News as anchor Lester Holt gushed prior to Clinton correspondent and MSNBC host Andrea Mitchell’s puff piece: “On the campaign trail today, Hillary Clinton appeared to have new wind in her sails given an opening after a political gaffe by a top Republican. The former secretary of state is unleashing a multi-pronged strategy to breathe new life into her campaign.”
Mitchell did little to hide her praise for Clinton as she stated that the embattled candidate “was on fire today, lashing out at the House Benghazi Committee during a Today show town hall with Savannah Guthrie.”
With clips of Clinton from the infomercial that was disguised as a town hall on NBC’s Today, Mitchell further touted Clinton as “[s]eizing on Republican Kevin McCarthy's damaging admission that the committee was politically motivated” and “[g]oing after Republicans for their response to Oregon.”
On gun control, Mitchell hyped that the former First Lady “didn't shy away from her emotional side, proposing new gun controls with a Sandy Hook mother, Nicole Hockley, whose six-year-old son was killed there.”
The portrayal of the Clinton campaign reboot was also given a positive spin on ABC’s World News Tonight with anchor David Muir still promoting her appearance on NBC’s Saturday Night Live:
And now to the race for 2016 and after that massacre, Hillary Clinton tonight unveiling a tough new stance on gun control. She also came out swinging today at the Benghazi committee after what was said about what that committee has accomplished. All part of a duel effort, also appearing on Saturday Night Live over the weekend.
Filing the story for ABC, Clinton campaign correspondent Cecilia Vega declared that Clinton spent part of her Monday “growing emotional talking about gun violence.” Summing up the campaign reset, Vega stated that she is “now on the offensive from going after the Republican led Benghazi Committee investigating her private email server...to turning up the charm offensive on SNL.”
Concerning her SNL cameo, Vega spun for Clinton that she was “hoping her funny side not only wins a few laughs...but also a few votes.”
Turning to the CBS Evening News, correspondent Julianna Goldman also made time to spotlight Clinton’s event on gun control: “Hillary Clinton choked up in New Hampshire today as she took the stage with a mother of a Sandy Hook victim.”
Also taking a few moments to report on the growing rumors of a 2016 bid by Vice President Joe Biden, Goldman turned to the camera at the conclusion of her story and offered this fawning description of Biden: “Biden has run for president twice before, but, Scott, he’s dreamed of being president for decades and simply put, it may not be easy to give up on that dream.”
