All three network morning shows on Thursday reveled in the news that during an upcoming White House meeting, President Obama would “nudge” Bernie Sanders out of Hillary Clinton’s way. NBC’s Today set the tone, as co-host Savannah Guthrie led the broadcast by proclaiming: “The presidential push. Bernie Sanders heads to the White House today, where President Obama is expected to gently nudge him out of the race.”
Moments later, Guthrie asked: “...will he strongly urge the Senator to drop out of the race, clearing the path for Hillary Clinton?” In the report that followed, correspondent Kristen Welker stressed that it was “a critical day here for the Democratic Party” that “could help chart the next phase of the race for the Democrats and their new standard bearer, Hillary Clinton.”
At the top of ABC’s Good Morning America, co-host Robin Roberts announced: “Bernie Sanders on his way to the White House to meet with President Obama. As calls for him to drop out of the race grow louder...” In the report minutes later, Cecilia Vega repeated the phrase: “The calls for unity growing are growing louder by the day, even some of Bernie Sanders' top backers in Congress are now publicly calling on people to unite around Hillary Clinton.”
In a discussion with political analyst Matthew Dowd following the report, co-host George Stephanopoulos teed up a clip of Obama telling Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon: “I thought that Bernie Sanders brought enormous energy and new ideas, he pushed the party and challenged them. I thought it made Hillary a better candidate.”
Stephanopoulos remarked: “What you see there a nice big arm around Bernie Sanders as he's ushering him out of the race.” Dowd chimed in: “As he’s pushing him in the hall, ‘Now you need to do what you need to do in the course of this.’”
On CBS This Morning, co-host Norah O’Donnell opened the show: “President Obama meets with Bernie Sanders today in an attempt to forge unity in the Democratic Party.” Minutes later, fellow co-host Gayle King touted: “Other Democrats are telling Bernie Sanders it is time to get in line and bring this party together.”
Correspondent Nancy Cordes offered this analogy: “...imagine if your basketball team won the game, but the other team refused to leave the court. That's what kind of what we're seeing right now in the Democratic race.”
She fretted that “The Vermonter's refusal to concede complicates things for Clinton” and proceeded to grill Sanders supporters in Congress over when he would quit. Talking to Arizona Congressman Raul Grijalva, Cordes demanded: “What kinds of conversations are taking place about when the right time is to drop out and how?” Turning to Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley, she pressed: “Do you think he sees Hillary Clinton as the nominee?”
Here are excerpts of the June 9 coverage on all three shows:
Today
7:00 AM ET TEASE:
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: The presidential push. Bernie Sanders heads to the White House today, where President Obama is expected to gently nudge him out of the race. While on The Tonight Show, he treads carefully on Sanders' feelings.
BARACK OBAMA: What happens during primaries, you get a little ouchy. My hope is that over the next couple of weeks we’re able to pull things together.
GUTHRIE: The question this morning, how soon will the President officially endorse Hillary Clinton?
7:01 AM ET SEGMENT:
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: As you put it yesterday, to be a fly on the wall.
MATT LAUER: We know what the message is gonna be, I think the tone is the big question.
GUTHRIE: Yeah, the top story of course that summit at the White House, where President Obama is set to meet with Bernie Sanders today. The big question – will he strongly urge the Senator to drop out of the race, clearing the path for Hillary Clinton? We’ve got complete coverage, starting with NBC's Kristen Welker at her post at the White house. Kristen, good morning.
KRISTEN WELKER: Savannah, good morning to you. It is a critical day here for the Democratic Party at the White House. President Obama set to meet with Bernie Sanders, and it will be a delicate dance. But will it prompt Sanders to concede? What happens in that meeting could help chart the next phase of the race for the Democrats and their new standard bearer, Hillary Clinton.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Sanders’ Summit at the White House; Meets With President to Discuss Party Unity]
WELKER: President Obama and Bernie Sanders just hours away from a high-stakes Oval Office meeting.
(...)
Good Morning America
7:00 AM ET TEASE:ROBIN ROBERTS: Good morning, America. Bernie Sanders on his way to the White House to meet with President Obama. As calls for him to drop out of the race grow louder and Hillary Clinton turns up the attacks on Donald Trump, calling him a threat to society.
7:01 AM ET SEGMENT:
ROBERTS: First to the race for the White House. Pressure growing on Bernie Sanders to drop out of the race and endorse Hillary Clinton and ABC’s Cecilia Vega is here, has the latest for us. Good morning, Cecilia.
CECILIA VEGA: Robin, good morning to you. The calls for unity growing are growing louder by the day, even some of Bernie Sanders' top backers in Congress are now publicly calling on people to unite around Hillary Clinton. Bernie Sanders now off the campaign trail and back on his Vermont home turf.
MAN: Welcome home, Bernie.
VEGA: Mapping out his next move ahead of today's visit with President Obama. Their last known meeting in January. This time around, the President wants to send a message, dropping out or staying in the race is Sanders' decision to make on his time line. The Vermont senator still standing his ground, telling supporters in an e-mail, "We will continue to fight for every vote and every delegate we can get." While Hillary Clinton says it's time for unity.
HILLARY CLINTON: I am looking forward to working with him to unify the Democratic Party against the threat that Donald Trump poses to our country. So we are talking.
(...)
CBS This Morning
7:00 AM ET TEASE:NORAH O’DONNELL: President Obama meets with Bernie Sanders today in an attempt to forge unity in the Democratic Party.
7:03 AM ET SEGMENT:
NORAH O’DONNELL: President Obama may tell Bernie Sanders today it's time to end his presidential campaign and unite the Democratic Party. They will meet at the White House to explore the next steps in the campaign. President Obama is ready to endorse Hillary Clinton as the Democrats' presumptive nominee.
GAYLE KING: Other Democrats are telling Bernie Sanders it is time to get in line and bring this party together. Sanders will also meet with Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid on Capitol Hill before holding a rally in Washington. Nancy Cordes is tracking the closing days of the Democratic race. Nancy, good morning.
NANCY CORDES: Good morning. So to use a sports analogy, imagine if your basketball team won the game, but the other team refused to leave the court. That's what kind of what we're seeing right now in the Democratic race. Sanders trails by nearly a thousand delegates, but he's got something the rest of the party wants, and he’ll talk about that with the President today.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Follow the Leader?; Sanders Meeting Obama as Democrats Push for Unity]
BARACK OBAMA [THE TONIGHT SHOW]: What happens during primaries, you get a little ouchy. Everybody does.CORDES: President Obama said on late-night TV that Sanders had made Clinton a better candidate.
OBAMA: I think she is whip smart. She is tough.
JIMMY FALLON: Is Bernie going to endorse Hillary?
OBAMA: Well, I’m sure they're going to have a conversation.
FALLON: Is he ever going to drop out?
[LAUGHTER]
CORDES: The Vermonter's refusal to concede complicates things for Clinton, who told Scott Pelley her top priority is –
HILLARY CLINTON: To take this base that I've built and expand it by reaching out to Senator Sanders' supporters.
CORDES: But even his top supporters, like Arizona’s Raul Grijalva, aren't sure of his plans. [TO GRIJALVA] What kinds of conversations are taking place about when the right time is to drop out and how?
RAUL GRIJALVA: When he transitions, because I think “drop out” is kind of like you quit.
CORDES: That's what everybody else does.
GRIJALVA: That's his timing. That's his call. But I would suggest that it's – it's something that is eminent.
CORDES: Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley also endorsed Sanders. [TO MERKLEY]: Do you think he sees Hillary Clinton as the nominee?
JEFF MERKLEY: Yes, I do.
(...)
