Reacting to Ivanka Trump’s Monday interview with NBC, on Tuesday, the hosts of CBS This Morning hyped the first daughter “drawing criticism” for objecting to a question about allegations of misconduct against President Trump and scolded her for “playing the daughter card.” This was the same morning show that fawned over Chelsea Clinton without asking a single question about Bill Clinton’s behavior toward women.
“Ivanka Trump is drawing criticism for her answer to a question about the more than a dozen women who accused the President of sexual misconduct,” co-host John Dickerson announced. “The President’s daughter says she should not be asked about the issue even though she’s also a senior White House adviser,” he added. The headline on screen throughout the segment fretted: “Off Limits? Ivanka Trump Sidesteps Questions on President’s Accusers.”
After playing a clip of Trump talking to NBC correspondent Peter Alexander and telling him that it was “pretty inappropriate” to ask her about her father’s accusers, Dickerson declared:
It’s so interesting on these questions of propriety in the Trump White House, because President Trump came to office saying let’s not be politically correct when it’s an important issue. And Ivanka Trump has said this is an important issue. She tweeted solidarity with Oprah Winfrey after her speech saying the Time’s Up movement, it’s important for us to rally together.
Fellow co-host Gayle King chimed in: “I think NBC had the right to ask the question. She’s playing the daughter card, but she’s also a senior – she also has an official role in the White House, which makes it a fair question to be asked.”
That certainly wasn’t the standard King followed during a softball interview with Chelsea Clinton in April of 2017. At that time, the show’s hosts promoted the former first daughter’s latest book and King repeatedly urged her to run for office. Numerous sexual harassment and assault allegations against her father were ignored.
Just one day later, King sat down for an interview with Ivanka Trump and demanded: “You hear the phrase complicit, that Jared and Ivanka are complicit in what is happening to the White House.... What do you think about that accusation?”
During Tuesday’s discussion, co-host Norah O’Donnell reminded viewers: “I had the first interview with Ivanka when The New York Times detailed many of these allegations. And I asked her specifically about some of the groping allegations. And she said, quote, ‘My father is not a groper.’”
That sit-down with Trump occurred in the middle of the 2016 presidential campaign. In late 2015, Chelsea Clinton was treated to a gushing appearance on the CBS morning show and hailed as a “reality check” for her parents. Not one word about her father’s scandals.
Despite having multiple opportunities to press the daughter of Bill Clinton on his treatment of women, CBS repeatedly avoided the subject. However, when given chances to talk to Donald Trump’s daughter, the network hosts made sure to grill her on the subject. The double standard is stunning.
Chelsea Clinton never needed to “play the daughter card” with the liberal media because she knew they were sycophants who wouldn’t dare ask such questions about her father.
Here is a full transcript of the February 27 segment:
7:34 AM ET
JOHN DICKERSON: Ivanka Trump is drawing criticism for her answer to a question about the more than a dozen women who accused the President of sexual misconduct. The President’s daughter says she should not be asked about the issue even though she’s also a senior White House adviser.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Off Limits? Ivanka Trump Sidesteps Questions on President’s Accusers]
IVANKA TRUMP: I think it’s a pretty inappropriate question to ask a daughter if she believes the accusers of her father when he has affirmatively stated that there’s no truth to it. I don’t think that’s a question you would ask many other daughters.
DICKERSON: Ivanka Trump says she has a right to believe her father’s denials. It’s so interesting on these questions of propriety in the Trump White House, because President Trump came to office saying let’s not be politically correct when it’s an important issue. And Ivanka Trump has said this is an important issue. She tweeted solidarity with Oprah Winfrey after her speech saying the Time’s Up movement, it’s important for us to rally together. So –
NORAH O’DONNELL: I had the first interview with –
GAYLE KING: She has a right to believe the denials. I remember that.
O’DONNELL: I had the first interview with Ivanka when The New York Times detailed many of these allegations. And I asked her specifically about some of the groping allegations. And she said, quote, “My father is not a groper.”
KING: “Not a groper.” I remember that. I remember that was – that was a very awkward exchange because she clearly didn’t want to answer it. And I think NBC had the right to ask the question. She’s playing the daughter card, but she’s also a senior – she also has an official role in the White House, which makes it a fair question to be asked.
DICKERSON: And she’s said, “Let’s not let propriety get in the way of talking about this very important thing, which is the Time’s Up movement and the questions of how you handle these kinds of allegations.
O’DONNELL: Right, really interesting.
