On Thursday afternoon, Hillary Clinton took to the stage in California and laid into Donald Trump, like ABC News has been begging her to do. And the big three networks couldn’t get enough of it, during their evening broadcasts. “It was an extraordinary moment today,” praised CBS Evening News host Scott Pelley, “Hillary Clinton warned that Donald Trump could lead America into nuclear war on a whim.” Pelley reminisced about how President Lyndon B. Johnson made the same claim of Barry Goldwater.
Pelley wasn’t the only host to be made giddy by the tone of Clinton’s speech. ABC’s David Muir introduced the segment in a similar way on World News Tonight, “She walked out smiling, but she was armed with a list of why she says electing Donald Trump would put this country on a, quote, “dangerous path.””
ABC’s Cecilia Vega projected a similar tone during her report. “The hits started right out of the gate, and they never stopped,” touted Vega, “Before a bank of flags and Teleprompters, Hillary Clinton delivering her new message. Donald Trump is dangerous to America and to the world.”
NBC’s Savannah Guthrie, who was filling in for Lester Holt, on Nightly News seemed to be filled with glee from Clinton’s attacks. “She dropped the hammer on Donald Trump,” she stated kicking off the program, “Sometimes mocking, sometimes pummeling the Republican’s presumptive nominee for positions she says endanger the country, frighten allies and embolden enemies.”
Later on, Guthrie brought on Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd to share his insight. And he was just as excited as the rest:
I think as a performance, as a candidate, you could argue that this was the single best performance she's had as a candidate this cycle. She delivered that speech very well, but it was not a foreign policy speech. This was a Trump takedown speech … What a break for Hillary Clinton. Any other opponent and her foreign policy speech would have been a lot more defensive. She would have had to defend Libya and defend Iraq vote and things like that. Thanks to Trump she didn't have to do that.
Partial transcripts below:
CBS
Evening News
June 2, 2016
6:31:29 PM EasternSCOTT PELLEY: It was an extraordinary moment today. Hillary Clinton warned that Donald Trump could lead America into nuclear war on a whim. Even by the standards of this election year, her foreign policy speech was incendiary. President Lyndon Johnson left it to an ad a half century ago to say what he could not, implying that Barry Goldwater couldn't be trusted with the bomb. Nancy Cordes is with Clinton in San Diego.
...
ABC
World News Tonight
June 2, 2016
6:36:12 PM EasternDAVID MUIR: We turn to the race for president now, and Hillary Clinton going on national TV this afternoon with what her campaign billed as a major national security speech. She walked out smiling, but she was armed with a list of why she says electing Donald Trump would put this country on a, quote, “dangerous path.” Donald Trump wasted no time, tweeting as Clinton spoke. ABC's Cecilia Vega is in California.
[Cuts to video]
CECILIA VEGA: The hits started right out of the gate, and they never stopped.
HILLARY CLINTON: Donald Trump's ideas aren't just different, they are dangerously incoherent. They're not even really ideas. Just a series of bizarre rants, personal feuds and outright lies.
VEGA: Before a bank of flags and Teleprompters, Hillary Clinton delivering her new message. Donald Trump is dangerous to America and to the world.
...
NBC
Nightly News
June 2, 2016
7:01:23 PM EasternSAVANNAH GUTHRIE: Good evening. I'm Savannah Guthrie in for Lester. Hillary Clinton minced no words and took no prisoners today in a speech billed as a major foreign policy address. She dropped the hammer on Donald Trump. Sometimes mocking, sometimes pummeling the Republican’s presumptive nominee for positions she says endanger the country, frighten allies and embolden enemies.
Clinton still faces a democratic primary opponent with diehard supporters not ready to give up and a razor tight primary race in California. But tonight in San Diego, she had her eye on the general election and her sights trained on Trump. NBC's Andrea Mitchell was there. Andrea, good evening.
ANDREA MITCHELL: Good evening, Savannah. Hillary Clinton unleashing her strongest attack yet on Donald Trump's qualifications to be commander in chief and she didn't hold anything back.
[Cuts to video]
It was a 33-minute takedown of Donald Trump.
...
NBC
Nightly News
June 2, 2016
7:06:14 PM EasternSAVANNAH GUTHRIE: Alright Hallie Jackson, thank you. For more on this let's bring in Chuck Todd, moderator of Meet the Press. And Chuck, two big events today. Clinton takes off the gloves against Trump like we've yet to see and Trump gets the prized endorsement of the House Speaker.
CHUCK TODD: Well, look, let's start with Hillary Clinton. I think as a performance, as a candidate, you could argue that this was the single best performance she's had as a candidate this cycle. She delivered that speech very well, but it was not a foreign policy speech. This was a Trump takedown speech. It was under the umbrella of international affairs but it was clear it was all about Trump and temperament and what a break for Hillary Clinton. Any other opponent and her foreign policy speech would have been a lot more defensive. She would have had to defend Libya and defend Iraq vote and things like that. Thanks to Trump she didn't have to do that.
