ABC, CBS, and NBC's Friday evening newscasts all spotlighted how "gun rights supporters, many of them openly armed" protested President Obama as he visited Roseburg, Oregon to comfort family members of the victims of the recent mass shooting there. CBS's John Blackstone played up how "the protesters gathered at the Roseburg airport carried both signs and guns – a potential nightmare for the Secret Service." NBC Nightly News featured footage of a Confederate flag flying from pickup truck of one of the protesters – something ABC and CBS didn't do. [video below]
Blackstone led his report on the President's visit with his "potential nightmare for the Secret Service" line, and noted how protester Alan Montgomery "made no attempt to hide his holsters." He asked Montgomery, "Is this part of your statement here – the fact that, as I see it, you've got a couple guns on you?" The gun rights supporter replied, "Well, it's not necessarily a statement more than it is just my right."
The correspondent later interviewed a second conservative demonstrator, who underlined that "our Second Amendment says no infringement. That means no infringement." Blackstone then asked, "So, anybody can have a gun – somebody with mental problems – they can have a gun?" The CBS segment included footage of protesters bearing American flags and the yellow Gadsden flag with its "Don't Tread On Me" slogan, but no Confederate flags.
On NBC Nightly News, anchor Lester Holt teased journalist Miguel Almaguer's report by touting "the gun showdown at the scene of a campus massacre...the President travels to Roseburg, Oregon – armed protesters in the streets; many say he's not welcome." Moments later, Holt claimed that "never have we seen such a mixed reception in a grief-stricken city as the one President Obama got today."
During his segment, Almaguer hinted at the supposed paranoia of the pro-gun protesters by reporting that "as the motorcade passed before them, some accused the President of pushing his own gun control agenda to expand background checks for gun buyers through executive order – going around Congress." This contrasted with Blackstone and ABC's David Muir, who pointed out on World News Tonight that "the President is exploring the use of executive authority to close gun loopholes."
The NBC correspondent also noted that "Roseburg has heard the argument before. In 1968, Robert F. Kennedy campaigned here – the senator heckled as he pushed for tougher gun laws." He then played a clip of the Democratic presidential candidate calling for more gun control. Almaguer added that "ten days later, Kennedy was killed by a deranged gunman."
During his lead-in to ABC correspondent Neal Karlinsky's report on World News Tonight, Muir mentioned a detail that CBS and NBC left out – that "the President [was] meeting with the families of dead and the wounded, but at least one family did not go to see him." Karlinsky highlighted that "the President found himself in hostile territory during a visit he said was all about consoling victims....Gun rights supporters, many of them openly armed, gathered by the hundreds, angry that Obama made a gun control plea to the nation just hours after nine were murdered here." The journalist also included a clip of shooting survivor Anastasia Boylan, who "told us from her wheelchair that if a student was armed, maybe some of them could have been saved....Her father went so far as to say he would refuse to meet with the President."
The full transcripts of the relevant reports from Blackstone, Almaguer, and Karlinsky on the Big Three evening newscasts on October 9, 2015:
10/09/2015
06:37 pm EDT
CBS Evening NewsSCOTT PELLEY: In that clip we just saw, Ben Carson was reacting to last week's mass shooting in Roseburg, Oregon. President Obama went there today. And here's John Blackstone.
JOHN BLACKSTONE (voice-over): The protesters gathered at the Roseburg airport carried both signs and guns – a potential nightmare for the Secret Service. Alan Montgomery made no attempt to hide his holsters.
BLACKSTONE (on-camera): Is this part of your statement here – the fact that, as I see it, you've got a couple guns on you?
ALAN MONTGOMERY: Well, it's not necessarily a statement more than it is just my right.
BLACKSTONE (voice-over): As the President's helicopter arrived, many showed their distaste for his call for more gun control.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE PROTESTER 1 (through bullhorn): Obama, go home!
BLACKSTONE: The White House has indicated the President is considering an executive order that would require more gun retailers to conduct background checks. In spite of the killings here, that remains an unpopular position in this part of Oregon.
Sally Telford is a gun owner.
SALLY TELFORD: Our Second Amendment says no infringement. That means no infringement.
BLACKSTONE (on-camera): So, anybody can have a gun-
TELFORD: Yes!
BLACKSTONE: Somebody with mental problems – they can have a gun?
TELFORD: Yes. Everybody can have a gun to defend themselves. So, you can't just make us get a background check because somebody might have a mental problem.
BLACKSTONE (voice-over): The President's motorcade avoided the largest group of demonstrators on his way to Roseburg High School, where he met privately with families of all the victims of last week's shooting.
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: We're going to have to come together as a country to see how we can prevent these issues from taking place. But today, it's about the families.
BLACKSTONE : Eric Dietz is the former husband of shooting victim Kim Dietz.
BLACKSTONE (on-camera): And he said to you?
ERIC DIETZ: He said that when it comes right down to it, there's a lot of different opinions in our country. But really, we're a lot more alike than we are different.
BLACKSTONE (live): The President's visit to Roseburg was largely confined to the safe, secure area in the local high school. And in spite of suggestions that demonstrators would try to block roads, Scott, his motorcade came and went without disruption.
PELLEY: John Blackstone for us in Roseburg – John, thank you.
10/09/2015
07:01 pm EDT
NBC Nightly NewsLESTER HOLT: It is never an easy role being comforter-in-chief, but never have we seen such a mixed reception in a grief-stricken city as the one President Obama got today, as he visited with families of victims of last week's community college massacre in Oregon. On the same day, there were two more shootings on college campuses in this country. Pro-gun advocates in Roseburg, Oregon – some with guns – came out to protest the President's visit, and to make it clear he was not welcome.
NBC News national correspondent Miguel Almaguer is there.
MIGUEL ALMAGUER (voice-over): Protesters lined the streets – some well armed in this open-carry state – the President here to meet privately with families of the victims. Nine were killed here by a gunman who opened fire inside a writing class at Umpqua Community College last week. The visit comes just hours after two people were shot and killed this morning on college campuses in Arizona and Texas.
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: We're going to have to come together as a country to see how we can prevent these issues from taking place. But today, it's about the families, their grief, and the love we feel for them.
ALMAGUER: The President came here to comfort, but the visit brought this timber town to the center of the national gun control debate.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE PROTESTER: He's here for a gun-grabbing agenda and – and, you know, our town is in mourning.
ALMAGUER: As the motorcade passed before them, some accused the President of pushing his own gun control agenda to expand background checks for gun buyers through executive order – going around Congress.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE PROTESTER: Presidents are supposed to protect liberty – uphold and defend the Constitution. It's clear that he doesn't respect that.
ALMAGUER: Roseburg has heard the argument before. In 1968, Robert F. Kennedy campaigned here – the senator heckled as he pushed for tougher gun laws.
ROBERT F. KENNEDY (from 1968 campaign event): Now, does that make any sense – that you should put rifles and guns in the hands of people who have long criminal records; of people who are insane; or people who are mentally incompetent; or people who are so young that they don't know how to handle rifles and guns.
ALMAGUER: Ten days later, Kennedy was killed by a deranged gunman.
Beyond the politics, this heartbroken town is mourning.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN 1: If anything could come out of this, it's everybody will feel a lot more close-knit. They're coming together to mourn and to heal.
ALMAGUER: In a country divided over guns, this community is united in remembering those who are gone.
ALMAGUER (on-camera): Today and this weekend, the memorial and funeral services will begin for some of the victims. Meantime, on Monday, the community college just behind me will resume classes for the first time since the shooting. Lester?
HOLT: All right. Miguel, thank you.
10/09/2015
06:33 pm EDT
ABC – World News TonightDAVID MUIR: And with the campus shootings, the backdrop of President Obama's visit to Oregon to console families of the victims after that terrible college shooting just last week. The President meeting with the families of dead and the wounded, but at least one family did not go to see him. In fact, hundreds protesting the President's stance on gun control. Just as we learn the President is exploring the use of executive authority to close gun loopholes.
ABC's Neal Karlinsky on the very divided reception in Oregon.
NEAL KARLINSKY (voice-over): In Oregon today, the President found himself in hostile territory during a visit he said was all about consoling victims.
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: I've got very strong feeling about this, because when you talk to these families, you're reminded that this could be happening to your child.
KARLINSKY: Gun rights supporters – many of them openly armed – gathered by the hundreds, angry that Obama made a gun control plea to the nation just hours after nine were murdered here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE PROTESTER: People are allowed to protect themselves and maybe there'd be less chaos.
KARLINSKY: One of the victims even told us from her wheelchair that if a student was armed, maybe some of them could have been saved.
ANASTASIA BOYLAN: If he had a gun, I feel like a lot of us would be here today.
KARLINSKY: Her father went so far as to say he would refuse to meet with the President.
STACY BOYLAN (from Fox News Channel's The Kelly File): I am – you know, in disagreement with his policies on gun control; and, therefore, we will not be attending his visit.
KARLINSKY: But the President did have supporters.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: I think that you should respect your President – regardless of whether you voted for him or not.
KARLINSKY: The President's visit here was private – no photo-ops with victims of the shooting. He says he was here to console, not politicize. David?
MUIR: Neal Karlinsky in Oregon for us. Neal, thank you.
