Tuesday, ABC’s congressional correspondent Mary Bruce didn’t even try to hide her disdain for Republicans and President Trump, while covering the government shutdown. On Good Morning America, Bruce mocked Trump’s proposal to re-open the government and touted Democrats as the victims in this "power play."
Anchor George Stephanopoulos led into the report calling out Republicans for “pushing” for a vote on Trump’s proposal while Democrats “insisted” the government re-open first. Bruce, reporting as if she were a Democrat activist instead of a reporter, snarked,“the Senate Republicans are pushing for the vote on the president's so-called compromise,” that includes funding for the border, “that the president has been demanding,” she gushed. Bruce touted Democrats’ unwillingness to budge as Trump bullying them or “holding a gun to their head:”
Democrats say it is dead on arrival. They will not vote for it. They are adamant they won't negotiate until Republicans agree to re-open the government and there are no signs they'll cave on that. George, the Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer saying it's hard to negotiate when a gun is being held to your head.
Bruce went on to tout Pelosi possibly disinviting Trump to the State of the Union address as a valid, reasonable option, after she spent last week praising it as "bold" and "brazen" move in this "power play" between Democrats and the president:
She does have the power to do that but so far said she'll cross that bridge when she comes to it. We know that Republicans and the president are reviewing their other options, but It is really hard to see how if the government is still shut down Pelosi would allow the president to have that traditional speech here on the house floor.
The media has continued to blame Trump and Republicans for the shutdown, even after Trump has attempted to re-open the government with a compromise proposed this past weekend.
Read the full transcript below:
7:05:46AM-7:07:17AM
Good Morning America
1/22/19
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: The latest on the government shutdown. It's day 32. More hardships spreading around the country and on capitol hill the stalemate continues with senate Republicans pushing for a vote on president trump's proposal, Democrats insisting the government re-open first. Our senior congressional correspondent Mary Bruce tracking it all from the capitol hill. Good morning, Mary.
MARY BRUCE: We are likely to see some action here today but it is not likely to bring lawmakers any closer to resolving this shutdown. In the Senate Republicans are pushing for the vote on the president's so-called compromise, that’s the plan that would provide temporary protections for dreamers in exchange for the $5.7 billion that the president has been demanding for his wall but Democrats say it is dead on arrival. They will not vote for it. They are adamant they won't negotiate until Republicans agree to re-open the government and there are no signs they'll
cave on that. George, the senate democratic leader Chuck Schumer saying it's hard to negotiate when a gun is being held to your head.
STEPHANOPOULOS: We are coming up against two deadlines. You've got the next paychecks supposed to go out on Friday and that State of the Union supposed to be next Tuesday.
BRUCE: George, the president still has not given a clear answer to the house speaker's proposal that they postpone the State of the Union next Tuesday if the government is still shut down. If the president says no and refuses to delay, it's unclear if the speaker would just flat out disinvite him. She does have the power to do that but so far said she'll cross that bridge when she comes to it. We know that Republicans and the president are reviewing their other options, but It is really hard to see how if the government is still shut down Pelosi would allow the president to have that traditional speech here on the house floor.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Real game of chicken. Alright, Michael.
