Over the weekend, NBC’s Sunday Today show went into full propaganda mode for the Biden White House as the network rushed to hail the newly passed COVID relief bill as a windfall for Americans that would “expedite the end” of the pandemic and “lift millions of American children out of poverty.”
“This week, President Biden signed into law nearly $2 trillion worth of stimulus designed to expedite the end of this year-long crisis and the first direct payments for Americans in desperate need of help already are hitting bank accounts this morning,” host Willie Geist gushed at the top of the broadcast, eager to sell the top Biden agenda item. He highlighted how the President “will hit the road over the next several days to tout the benefits of the plan.”
Moments later, Geist introduced the lead story by hailing the partisan boondoggle: “Many Americans already are getting checks, with the President now set to promote the plan that passed without a single Republican vote.” In the segment that followed, correspondent Kelly O’Donnell served as a shameless stenographer for the administration: “The White House shifting to promotion of the COVID relief law....Saturday, this official release touts a collection of thank-you tweets from Americans who have cash in hand.”
A soundbite ran of one man declaring: “I logged into my account and I saw the direct deposit straight from the government and I was pretty surprised.” A woman chimed in: “I was on the phone with my mom. I’m like, ‘Mom, I got money!’”
O’Donnell happily announced: “After a weekend at home in Wilmington, the President will kick off what they’re calling the ‘Help Is Here’ road tour.”
Following the fawning report, Geist concluded that the legislation was “Great news for millions of Americans.” He then turned to Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd and wondered about White House plans to introduce “a massive infrastructure project which could add a couple of trillion more dollars.”
Todd confidently proclaimed that everyone now agreed that huge deficit spending was just fine:
Well, look, I just think that the fear of a large deficit clearly continues to melt away with economists left and right....I’ve talked to some Democrats who say, “Hey, interest rates are low, just keep borrowing.” I think we’re more likely to do more deficit spending for infrastructure than we are to pay for it.
Going to a commercial break, Geist urged viewers to stay tuned for more sycophantic celebration of the relief bill: “But up next, our Sunday Focus on the provision inside that huge stimulus package signed this week by President Biden that could lift millions of American children out of poverty.”
As promised, the show returned with the anchor fulfilling his role as a true Democratic Party hack:
The sweeping package of nearly $2 trillion signed into law on Thursday by President Biden was designed to fight the year-long health crisis that has brought with it an economic one. But there is more to the legislation, much more. In fact, Republicans who voted against the bill unanimously complain that most of the proposed spending is unrelated to the pandemic. Democrats though are making no apology for including measures they say get at the root of poverty in America. Including a long sought policy to help struggling children.
That rhetoric echoed an obsequious Washington Post headline from March 6: “Biden stimulus showers money on Americans, sharply cutting poverty and favoring individuals over businesses.”
Senior Washington correspondent Hallie Jackson acted as DNC shill in the segment that followed: “But tucked inside one of the 600 pages of the new COVID relief law, a little paragraph, a life changing one, for millions of families, thousands of dollars for a child tax credit in 2021....Think of it as a guaranteed income for families with children...”
The headline on screen actually described it as a “monthly allowance” from the government, as if Biden was the parent and the American people were his obedient children.
Jackson applauded the massive new entitlement program: “The ripple effect expected to be enormous. By signing this bill into law, President Biden, with the stroke of a pen, is projected to cut child poverty by nearly half, according to a study by Columbia University.” She then teed up Democratic Colorado Senator Michael Bennett to further sell the policy: “This is more than just stimulus checks.” Bennett heralded: “People describe it as like Social Security for kids.”
Minutes later, while talking to Jackson, Geist touted how “there already is talk, as you know, among Democrats, of expanding this child tax credit beyond this year and making it permanent.” She chimed in with a preview of the DNC talking points that would be used to attack anyone who objected: “As some Democrats point out, it’s a real tough argument to make to say, ‘Hey, let’s have this go away and bring child poverty back up to those levels they used to be at.””
Predictably, the leftist media will always run defense for their allies in the Democratic Party. Anyone who questions spending taxpayer money at an alarming rate is nastily smeared as someone who doesn’t care about struggling Americans and is in favor of child poverty.
These blatant propaganda segments were brought to viewers by Citi and Subaru. You can fight back by letting these advertisers know what you think of them sponsoring such content.
Here is a full transcript of the March 14 report from Kelly O’Donnell:
8:00 AM ET TEASE
WILLIE GEIST: This week, President Biden signed into law nearly $2 trillion worth of stimulus designed to expedite the end of this year-long crisis and the first direct payments for Americans in desperate need of help already are hitting bank accounts this morning. President Biden will hit the road over the next several days to tout the benefits of the plan. This as congressional Republicans argue the package is too expensive and uses the pandemic to throw money at Democratic priorities. We’ll have a live report and talk to Chuck Todd just ahead.
Plus, our Sunday Focus on the impact of that massive relief package, beyond COVID. Including the child tax credit that experts say could have a historic impact on poverty in America.
8:02 AM ET SEGMENT
WILLIE GEIST: But let’s begin this morning with the rollout of the COVID relief package signed into law on Thursday by President Biden. Many Americans already are getting checks, with the President now set to promote the plan that passed without a single Republican vote. Kelly O’Donnell is at White House for us. Kelly, good morning.
KELLY O’DONNELL: Good morning, Willie. This will be the first time we see the Biden team getting out in the country and on the road. And they will be doing that to promote various programs and benefits supported by this new law. For millions of Americans, the first real impact will be those direct payments already landing in some bank accounts.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: COVID Relief Checks Hitting Bank Accounts; White House Launches “Help Is Here” Tour to Promote Plan Across U.S.]
The White House shifting to promotion of the COVID relief law.
JOE BIDEN: Help is here and we will not stop working for you.
O’DONNELL: Saturday, this official release touts a collection of thank-you tweets from Americans who have cash in hand.
STEVE MARTINEZ: I logged into my account and I saw the direct deposit straight from the government and I was pretty surprised.
O’DONNELL: Thirty-seven-year-old Steve Martinez of San Antonio, Texas says the $1,400 will help him recover financially from a COVID-related pay cut.
MARTINEZ: It couldn’t come at a better time. And I think what I would like to do is, yes, save most of it for a rainy day, but still use that to help pay for, you know, credit cards and debt.
O’DONNELL: Out of work in Casper, Wyoming.
BREANNE RAINS: I was on the phone with my mom. I’m like, “Mom, I got money!”
O’DONNELL: Twenty-four-year-old Breanne Rains received $5,600 for her young family.
RAINS: I’m feeling relieved. I know that a lot of Americans are stressed, including myself. And I know that this is going to help a lot of people. It’s going to help relieve that stress of bills or just providing day to day things that we need.
O’DONNELL: After a weekend at home in Wilmington, the President will kick off what they’re calling the “Help Is Here” road tour. Along with the First Lady, Vice President and Second Gentleman, who will make stops all week to highlight benefits like relief checks.
BIDEN: You’re going to be getting that check soon, either by direct deposit or a check from the Treasury.
O’DONNELL: And the relief comes in three different forms, direct deposit, paper checks, and debit cards. And it will roll out over a few weeks. And there is a way to track your payment. The IRS has established on its website a “Get My Payment” button, where you can track the progress and know how much you will be getting and when you should expect to receive it. Willie?
GEIST: Great news for millions of Americans. Kelly O’Donnell at the White House. Kelly, thanks so much.
Chuck Todd is NBC’s political director and moderator of Meet the Press. Chuck, good morning, great to see you. Obviously, this is a huge deal for the President, a bigger deal for the people who are getting the relief and money, the checks that are already going out. It is ambitious. It’s $2 trillion on top of a couple of trillion dollar more that already went out the door over the last year. And the Biden administration already is talking about a massive infrastructure project which could add a couple of trillion more dollars. So what does it look like from here in terms of getting legislation through that costs so much?
TODD: Well, look, I just think that the fear of a large deficit clearly continues to melt away with economists left and right. You know, Donald Trump passed his tax bill without worrying about it. This – all these COVID relief bills have been passed this way. And this fight over infrastructure, Willie, what’s interesting is that I think that Democrats believe they may go this budget reconciliation route again, say by the end of the year. So while there is some talk of, well, maybe you try toll roads or some new way of raising money on a new tax on cars that’s outside of a gas tax, since we may not be using gas in 15 years, I think that, frankly, I’ve talked to some Democrats who say, “Hey, interest rates are low, just keep borrowing.” I think we’re more likely to do more deficit spending for infrastructure than we are to pay for it.
GEIST: Yeah, they had Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg out already on Friday, turning the corner the day after the passage of this bill, talking about a new infrastructure bill.
(...)
Here is a full transcript of the March 14 segment from Hallie Jackson:
8:12 AM ET TEASE
WILLIE GEIST: But up next, our Sunday Focus on the provision inside that huge stimulus package signed this week by President Biden that could lift millions of American children out of poverty.
SAVANNAH FOX: So that could help with groceries, that could be added help for bills, it can also allow me money to put aside for their future.
8:16 AM ET SEGMENT
WILLIE GEIST: The sweeping package of nearly $2 trillion signed into law on Thursday by President Biden was designed to fight the year-long health crisis that has brought with it an economic one. But there is more to the legislation, much more. In fact, Republicans who voted against the bill unanimously complain that most of the proposed spending is unrelated to the pandemic. Democrats though are making no apology for including measures they say get at the root of poverty in America. Including a long sought policy to help struggling children. NBC’s senior Washington correspondent Hallie Jackson has more in our Sunday Focus.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Monthly Allowance For Parents; COVID Relief Bill Could Reduce Child Poverty in U.S. By Half]
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN [REPORTER]: This is the most consequential legislation that the Speaker has been a part of since ObamaCare.
KELLY O’DONNELL: To go big on COVID relief.
HALLIE JACKSON: The headlines focused on the top line.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN B [REPORTER]: The Senate passed the $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill.
JACKSON: But tucked inside one of the 600 pages of the new COVID relief law, a little paragraph, a life changing one, for millions of families, thousands of dollars for a child tax credit in 2021.
SAVANNAH FOX: Run as fast as you can.
Think of it as a guaranteed income for families with children, like the Foxs. Mom Savannah is an EMT, spending much of the last year in the back of an ambulance with COVID patients. She knows what it’s like to need a little help, after leaving an abusive marriage several years ago.
FOX: Through the course of it, I ended up being homeless. Being homeless with five kids was definitely something that I never imagined.
JACKSON: With the new credit, parents can spend the money on whatever they need most. Starting in July, the checks will be disbursed periodically, most likely monthly, up to $300 a month for kids five and under and $250 a month for each school-age child six and up. The rest comes at tax time. The Foxs will get just over $15,000 in the next year. Huge for Savannah, now in a home of her own with a savings buffer and working three jobs.
FOX: That could help with groceries. That could be added help for bills. It can also allow me money to put aside for their future.
JACKSON: The ripple effect expected to be enormous. By signing this bill into law, President Biden, with the stroke of a pen, is projected to cut child poverty by nearly half, according to a study by Columbia University. With estimates suggesting it will help nine of every ten kids in this country. This is more than just stimulus checks.
SEN. MICHAEL BENNETT [D-CO]: People describe it as like Social Security for kids.
JACKSON: Democratic Senator Michael Bennett has been working on this issue for years.
BENNETT: We’re one of the few countries in the industrialized world that doesn’t have a policy like this. Being poor is really tough for a kid and it’s very tough for our country. Childhood poverty costs America a trillion dollars a year.
JACKSON: While few Republicans have taken direct aim at the new credit, some conservative groups argue the money could incentivize people not to work.
CHARMAINE YOEST [HERITAGE FOUNDATION VICE PRESIDENT]: I think we all agree that we should be doing something. But what we should not be doing is using the pandemic as an excuse to put through a wish list of all kinds of programs that have nothing to do with helping people related to the pandemic.
JACKSON: But Fox says the real value of this money for her family is priceless.
FOX: I definitely think that this package will help me and my children, for sure, get us to the goals that we need to get to in order to succeed.
GEIST: And Hallie joins me now live. Hallie, great to see you on a Sunday morning, my friend. You know, as you found reporting this piece out, there’s so many organizations that fight poverty, who for years have pointed to this policy as a game changer. So let’s start by laying out who exactly qualifies for this benefit when it starts later this year.
JACKSON: It’s a good question, Willie, because some people might be thinking, isn’t there already a child tax credit in place? This is different for 2021. First of all, it gives more money, right? Instead of a $2,000 credit limit, it’s $3,600. And more people qualify, specifically lower income families, families at the lower end of that income scale will qualify. It does phase out, right? So if you make more, if you’re a couple, you’re in a household, you make more than $150,000 a year, this tax credit starts to phase out. You are still eligible for a smaller one, up to a certain income point, too, Willie.
GEIST: And there already is talk, as you know, among Democrats, of expanding this child tax credit beyond this year and making it permanent. Is there an appetite in this Congress to do that?
JACKSON: Definitely on the part of Democrats, because you’re right, Willie, this is just temporary. So this is game changing, as you describe, as advocates describe, for a lot of families for this year, right? But it goes away in a year, at least that’s how the law is written now. There are Democrats, Senator Bennett for example, who you saw in that piece, others, who think it is very unlikely that this actually does disappear. You have some Republicans, including, for example, Senator Mitt Romney, who have introduced their own kind of version of this. So there may be an appetite in Congress.
The question is, how do you get there? As always with things in Washington, Willie, the devil is in the details. So that may be where some of the sticking points are. But politically, once you have taken a step like this, and once, if the projections are accurate, this does cut child poverty significantly. As some Democrats point out, it’s a real tough argument to make to say, “Hey, let’s have this go away and bring child poverty back up to those levels they used to be at,” Willie. So I think this is one to watch. I think the question is probably more, how do you do it than whether it actually happens, Willie.
GEIST: Any way you slice it, this is a big deal for a lot of families in this country. Hallie Jackson, great report and great to see you, thanks so much.
