Showing they were so enthralled with President Biden’s address to a joint session of Congress before he even said a word, ABC and NBC had already started on Wednesday night gushing over his plans, bringing out movie trailer-like opens and boasting of his “hope for an America returning to normal” filled with an agenda that’s extremely “popular” with all Americans.
ABC opened with its trademark movie trailer and their announcer opening on a note of enthusiasm after a welcome from World News Tonight anchor David Muir to the “historic night”: “This is an ABC News special. The President and his hope of an America returning to normal.”
Following a clip of Biden saying Americans can remove their masks in only a select set of outdoor situations, the announcer returned to boast ahead of a series of Biden clips talking about the border, climate change, gun control, and racist police (with the text beaming on screen over various images to go with the issues) (click “expand”):
BIDEN: If you're fully vaccinated and you're outdoors and not in a big crowd, you no longer need to wear a mask.
ANNOUNCER: Thanking Americans for getting us here. And moments from now, President Joe Biden lays out his hopes for the future.
BIDEN: Restoring trust between law enforcement and the community they are sworn to serve and protect. Racism has long torn us apart. We have so many people dying every single day from gun violence in America. The vast majority of people crossing the border are being sent back. We desperately need a unified national response to the climate crisis. America is back. Diplomacy is back.
The female voice-over ended with one last smooch: “Tonight, how will his message play to a divided Congress? To a polarized America? Now reporting, David Muir.”
Over on NBC, Today co-host Savannah Guthrie had one of her own as she boasted of Biden’s “big plan from infrastructure to climate, to economic relief and the big price tag with it.”
“Can a President who promised bipartisanship find common ground with Republicans or will Democrats, with narrow control of Congress, go it alone? America will be watching tonight in this presidential address to Congress,” added Guthrie.
Doubling down on touting his off-the-record meeting with Biden, NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt boasted as if he were auditioning for Jen Psaki’s job that Biden “seemed very relaxed, very confident and it's clear he's picking things that are popular — big price tags, but popular.”
Just before Holt, Capitol Hill correspondent Kasie Hunt took note of the increased security measures at the Capitol since the January 6 insurrection, saying that they were done in part due to “concerns that members of Congress may carry something dangerous with them.”
Ah, yes. Gotta worry about that rogue member of Congress looking to disrupt the speech.
There were no ads prior to the speech. But to learn more about the MRC’s Conservatives Fight Back campaign, go here.
To see the relevant ABC and NBC transcripts from April 28, click “expand.”
ABC Presidential Speech
April 28, 2021
9:00 p.m. EasternDAVID MUIR: Good evening. President Biden set to address a joint session of Congress. An historic night. Our ABC News coverage begins now.
ANNOUNCER: This is an ABC News special. The President and his hope of an America returning to normal.
JOE BIDEN: If you're fully vaccinated and you're outdoors and not in a big crowd, you no longer need to wear a mask.
ANNOUNCER: Thanking Americans for getting us here. And moments from now, President Joe Biden lays out his hopes for the future.
BIDEN: Restoring trust between law enforcement and the community they are sworn to serve and protect. Racism has long torn us apart. We have so many people dying every single day from gun violence in America. The vast majority of people crossing the border are being sent back. We desperately need a unified national response to the climate crisis. America is back. Diplomacy is back.
ANNOUNCER: Tonight, how will his message play to a divided Congress? To a polarized America? Now reporting, David Muir.
—
NBC Presidential Speech
April 28, 2021
9:00 p.m. EasternSAVANNAH GUTHRIE: Tonight, President Joe Biden center stage. His first address to a joint session of Congress before a nation still deeply divided over the election, still reeling from the pandemic. Just ahead, the President's big plan from infrastructure to climate, to economic relief and the big price tag with it. Can a President who promised bipartisanship find common ground with Republicans or will Democrats, with narrow control of Congress, go it alone? America will be watching tonight in this presidential address to Congress.
(....)
9:05 p.m. Eastern
KASIE HUNT: Members of Congress even having to go through magnetometers like you might at TSA screening at the airport, something that’s incredibly unusual has never happened before. It’s in keeping with the new rules of House of Representatives in the wake of the January 6th insurrection that concerns that members of Congress may carry something dangerous with them.
LESTER HOLT: I attended a meeting with the President and some other TV journalists largely off the record today to talk about his — what he wants to unveil tonight and he seemed very relaxed, very confident and it's clear he's picking things that are popular —
GUTHRIE: No question.
HOLT: — big price tags, but popular.
