As they did last week along with the other networks, ABC led its Monday morning Good Morning America by hyping complaints from Democrats and liberals about the Trump Administration border policy. Correspondent Marcus Moore’s report even touted a celebrity’s curse-filled rant at the GOP without acknowledging the profanity.
GMA started off its obsessive negative coverage with a report by White House correspondent Cecilia Vega, noting disapproval from first ladies Bush and Trump. “This is a policy that’s just eating away in terms of controversy at this White House,” Vega hyped, before adding that both Melania Trump and former First Lady Laura Bush were “intervening” by speaking out on the policy, with Bush calling it “cruel and immoral.”
“David you know this, there is a growing course of opposition from Republicans to the president's own allies in the evangelical community too,” she added.
Immediately following Vega’s report, ABC went right into another similar report on the border, this time touting Democrats blasting Trump for separating illegal immigrant families.
“Tensions at the border reaching a boiling point as protesters and politicians demand change,” anchor Robin Roberts set the tone for correspondent Marcus Moore’s report.
“Outrage” is “growing” Moore huffed, as ABC played footage of New Jersey Democrats outside a detention center in their state protesting, and “hundreds” more protesting outside a facility in El Paso, Texas. Amidst video of protesters complaining, ABC played a clip of former Trump strategist Steve Bannon defending the policy.
“Yet, this morning the voices of dissent not wavering,” Moore gushed, reading a crude tweet from singer John Legend to Paul Ryan, yesterday: “On social media, singer John Legend responding to a Father’s Day tweet by House Speaker Paul Ryan, ‘Reunite the families at the border and we can talk about Father's Day.’” But Moore left out the beginning part of the singer’s tweet where he said “F**k you” to Ryan, even as the blurred out words appeared on screen.
Moore ended his reporting mourning the “innocent children” that were “caught in the middle of an adult fight.”
“[W]e've heard about all the different rules suchs the detainees cannot be held or touched. We’re talking about children, even if they're crying they can't be held or touched which is very hard for people to hear,” Roberts noted sympathetically, before acknowledging that the Trump Administration is adamantly denying responsibility for separating families at the border.
Read the full transcript below:
GMA
6/18/18
7:04:37-7:07:48AM
ROBIN ROBERTS: David, as you know the tension at the border reaching a boiling point as protesters and politicians demand change. Marcus Moore is there on the ground for us there in McAllen, Texas and has the latest good morning, Marcus.
MARCUS MOORE: Robin, good morning to you. I'm just outside the border patrol’s busiest processing center in the region. Over the weekend we were allowed to go inside to look at the operation where more than 1,000 people are being held. This place along with several others the focus of growing protest.
MOORE: This morning, outrage over Trump Administration's zero tolerance policy for undocumented immigrants and asylum seekers is growing.
CONGRESSMEN: We’re duly elected members of Congress. We’re entitled to come in and visit this prison.
MOORE: In New Jersey several congressmen demanded entry into this detention center.
REP. JERROLD NADLER: Today, father's day, we spoke to fathers whose children have been ripped from their arms, who have no idea when or if they will see their children again.
[ Chanting ]
MOORE: To the U.S./Mexico border, protesters marching by the hundreds outside a facility near El Paso. And further south in McAllen where more than 1000 detainees, men women and children are being held temporarily. In these images released by the Department of Homeland Security, you can see the sprawling array of fishnet cells and bare floors.
WOMAN: I don't think this should be happening and something has to be done.
MOORE: Amidst the furor over increased border enforcement and in some cases family separations.
MANUEL PADILLA JR., CHIEF PATROL AGENT: There no policy to separate family. The zero tolerance policy is tended to deter people from breaking the law adults, adults. If they are accompanied by a child, that child is temporarily separated from them as they go through a judicial process.
MOORE: Former Trump chief strategist Steve Bannon pushing the White House agenda on "This week".
STEVE BANNON: The morality is the law. They're criminals when they come across illegally and that's why they're getting separated.
MOORE: Yet, this morning the voices of descent not wavering outside these walls or on social media. Singer John Legend responding to a Father’s Day tweet by House Speaker Paul Ryan, “Reunite the families at the border and we can talk about Father's Day.” This morning thousands remain in custody including the most innocent, the children, caught in the middle of an adult fight. And this morning immigration officials are arguing that any of the temporary family separations that have happened are no different than when an American citizen discussed of a crime and is going through the judicial process.
ROBIN ROBERTS: As you know being inside that center we've heard about all the different rules suchs the detainees cannot be held or touched. We’re talking about children, even if they're crying they can't be held or touched which is very hard for people to hear. We're hearing from the Department of Homeland Security Secretary who's responding and giving the administration's response this morning, Marcus?
MOORE:That's right, Robin. She sent out a tweet, Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen saying, quote, we do not have a policy of separating families at the border, period.
