Following nauseatingly soft and sympathetic-seeking coverage on Monday morning and evening about the first Hunter Biden trial, Tuesday morning brought about even more of the same about the “emotional” First Son “getting support from the First Family” who’ve “rush[ed] to his defense”. The coverage disparity grew even more stark with a total of 23 minutes and 30 seconds through three news cycles vs. 49 minutes and 47 seconds at this point in the Trump trial.
ABC’s Good Morning America again led the way with senior national correspondent Terry Moran boasting “[p]rosecutors say this is a simple case and it’s moving quickly.”
Noting a fully jury had been seated and Hunter “fac[ing] three felony gun charges” due to conduct in 2018, Moran tried to paint a picture of a sympathetic jury and implied Delaware’s small size could play to their advantage (click “expand”):
MORAN: The jury that’s been seated for this case includes several people with family members who suffered from addiction or who own firearms, including a man whose father died by gun violence and his brother was sentenced to prison for drug crimes, and a woman whose sister was addicted to drugs and committed credit card fraud.
ABC NEWS CONTRIBUTOR/LEGAL ANALYST BRYAN BUCKMIRE: A person like that, especially a foreperson, can be very sympathetic to Hunter Biden’s cause.
MORAN: Later today, prosecutors are expected to call an FBI agent as their first witness who will present several of Hunter Biden’s text messages and excerpts from his memoir, part of the prosecution’s evidence that Biden knew he was an addict when he bought the gun, But Biden’s lawyers have argued that the form he had to fill out is confusing and so their client did not knowingly lie.In a state as small as Delaware, it wasn’t easy to find jurors who didn’t have a strong opinion of the president and his family. One perspective juror telling the judge, “you can’t swing a cat without hearing something” about the Biden’s.
Moran made sure to try to have viewers feel bad for Hunter: “Also in the courtroom, First Lady Jill Biden, Hunter’s sister Ashley, and his wife Alyssa. Hunter Biden at times growing emotional seeing his family at his side. He said in the past that they saved his life.”
Like the good party mouthpiece that he is, Moran concluded with a rehashing of President Biden’s Monday statement in support of Hunter.
Over on NBC’s Today, co-host Hoda Kotb’s lead in touted “First Lady Dr. Jill Biden making a surprise appearance in court on her birthday” with correspondent Ryan Nobles also playing up the loving family angle: “The President's son has pleaded not guilty and his famous family is now rushing to his defense.”
“The President's son, Hunter Biden, facing a criminal trial and the prospect of jail time, getting support from the First Family right from the start. First Lady Jill Biden in the courtroom for jury selection, sitting just a few feet behind her son and whispering in his ear throughout the marathon day. His father, the President, issuing a rare statement addressing the case,” Nobles added.
Only then did he move onto the jury selection proceedings and the fact this trial only came about when “a plea deal on separate tax charges fell apart, a process Republicans have attacked” and Democrats praising “the Bidens have respected the judicial process.”
It is expected that a series of Biden family members will be with Hunter in court as the trial plays out,” Nobles emphasized as part of his conclusion.
Tuesday’s CBS Mornings continued its straightforward reporting, although their segment dropped to a scant 83 seconds. Correspondent Scott MacFarlane kept it simple with what happened Monday at the trial, but made sure to puff up Jill’s appearance and the President’s Monday morning statement.
After citing Hunter’s former lover/late brother’s widow is slated to be a witness for the prosecution and Hunter obviously denying the charges, MacFarlane quickly concluded:
A deal to avert this trial collapsed at the last minute last year so they will proceed to opening statements this morning, Vlad, followed by the first witness. An FBI agent will testify about Hunter Biden’s text messages.
Thanks to NewsBusters interns Sarah Butler, Mary Clare Waldron, and Michael Wnek for their assistance on the transcripts. To see the relevant transcripts for June 4, click here (for ABC), here (for CBS), and here (for NBC).
