CBS appeared to be short on negative stuff to complain about with President Donald Trump’s address to Congress, so during Wednesday’s CBS Evening News they whined that he didn’t talk about US foreign policy. “As poignant as his salute the Ryan Owens was, Mr. Trump did not mention other Americans fighting overseas, nor very much about foreign policy at all,” announced anchor Scott Pelley before handing it over to reporter Margaret Brennan.
“The President's speech left diplomats and allies wondering just how President Trump views America's role in the world,” she told Pelley. She then started to nit-pick different foreign policy items Trump didn’t bring up, starting with U.S. troops.
“He made no mention of the thousands of U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq or the small number in Syria, and he did not explain why he's expanding the fight against Al Qaeda in Yemen,” she claimed. But Trump did say that “Heroic veterans will get the care they so desperately need. Our military will be given the resources its brave warriors so richly deserve.” So her criticism is not entirely accurate. He may not have talked about them in the detail that CBS would have liked but he did mention them.
Brennan noted that Trump talked about America’s relationship with Israel but chided that he offered “no explanation of his repeated calls for a new relationship with Russia.” “That's been worrying European allies in NATO, who President Trump again called on to spend more on their own defense,” she fretted.
Rumors were also pushed as news as she repeated State Department hearsay about a dire future for the United States’ use of diplomacy, “Now, here at the State Department, many see that White House proposal to cut 30 percent or more from the foreign aid budget as a sign that the President does not value diplomacy.”
“Rex Tillerson, the secretary of state, did release a statement today clarifying that U.S. policy is still to promote freedom, democracy, and stability. But Scott, none of those terms, were in Mr. Trump’s speech,” she bemoaned. But if one wanted to get as nit-picky as she did, Trump did say “freedom” three times.
It’s definitely difficult for the liberal media to find something to complain about with Trump’s address to Congress. Even CNN commentator Van Jones praise a segment of the speech, declaring, “He became President of the United States in that moment. Period.” It’s a little silly to complain that Trump didn’t expound on U.S. relationships across the globe when his motto from Day One of his presidency has been “America first.”
Transcript below:
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CBS Evening News
March 1, 2017
6:42:27 PM EasternSCOTT PELLEY: As poignant as his salute the Ryan Owens was, Mr. Trump did not mention other Americans fighting overseas, nor very much about foreign policy at all. Here's Margaret Brennan.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Scott, the President's speech left diplomats and allies wondering just how President Trump views America's role in the world. He made no mention of the thousands of U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq or the small number in Syria, and he did not explain why he's expanding the fight against Al Qaeda in Yemen. There was a statement of support for Israel, but no explanation of his repeated calls for a new relationship with Russia. That's been worrying European allies in NATO, who President Trump again called on to spend more on their own defense. Now, here at the State Department, many see that White House proposal to cut 30 percent or more from the foreign aid budget as a sign that the President does not value diplomacy. Rex Tillerson, the secretary of state, did release a statement today clarifying that U.S. policy is still to promote freedom, democracy, and stability. But Scott, none of those terms, were in Mr. Trump’s speech.
PELLEY: Margaret Brennan for us.
