President Trump touched down in Brussels, Belgium late Tuesday ahead of what many predicted to be a tense meeting with NATO allies. The President had been critical of the vast majority of those allies because they had refused to raise defense spending to what was required by the agreement, while America paid way more. Trump’s “America First” approach to foreign policy was detested by the liberal media. So much so, that ABC and NBC edited video to solely condemn the President.
In a press conference on Tuesday, European Council head Donald Tusk scolded America for slamming its allies. In the next sentence, he scolded Europe for not spending enough to defend themselves. “Dear America, appreciate your allies. After all, you don't have that many. And dear Europe, spend more on your defense,” he said. Guess which sentence they decided to leave on the cutting room floor?
Both ABC and NBC made sure to rake Trump over the coals before they got to their edited footage. “Today, President Trump on the move and on the offensive, attacking the very people he's off to meet,” decried senior foreign correspondent Ian Pannell on World News Tonight. “Even a mile high on Air Force One, the attacks on America's allies didn't let up.” Here’s how ABC’s broadcast went:
PANNELL: Today, from the presidents of the European Council, a stern warning.
DONALD TUSK: Dear America, appreciate your allies. After all, you don't have that many.
[Cuts back to live]
DAVID MUIR: And Ian Pannell joins us tonight from Brussels.
On NBC Nightly News, not only did they edit the video to slam only Trump, White House correspondent Kristen Welker misled the audience about the nature of one of President Trump’s combative tweets against NATO spending.
“President Trump coming out swinging, touching down in Brussels late today after raising tensions with the very allies he's poised to meet here at the NATO summit, calling them ‘delinquent’ on Twitter from Air Force One,” she suggested. “And before leaving, accusing them of failing to pay their fair share on defense.”
According to her portrayal of the tweet, Trump sounded like he was equating NATO allies to soccer hooligans. The mischaracterization was further exposed by her claim that he only knocked their payments on the plane. In reality, he was saying they were “delinquent” on payments. “Many countries in NATO which we are expected to defend are not only short of their current commitment but are also delinquent for many years in payments that have not been made,” Trump wrote.
As for NBC’s coverage of Tusk’s comments, Welker juxtaposed them with Trump’s upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin:
WELKER: While only 5 of 29 NATO nations have met their spending commitment set for 2024 the rest still have years to meet the target. Today, the President of the EU firing back.
DONALD TUSK: Dear America, appreciate your allies. After all, you don't have that many.
WELKER: It’s a bitter backdrop for the President's four-country trip all culminating in a high-stakes face-to-face in Helsinki with Russia's president, Vladimir Putin.
Meanwhile, on CBS Evening News, they were the only broadcast network to show Tusk’s remarks in their entirety:
MAJOR GARRETT: Today, European Union Council President Donald Tusk urged Mr. Trump to soften his rhetoric.
DONALD TUSK: Dear America, appreciate your allies. After all, you don't have that many. And dear Europe, spend more on your defense.
This was a great example of how the liberal media go out of their way to twist what their audiences see as they drive their anti-Trump narrative while he’s abroad.
The transcripts are below, click "expand" to read:
ABC's World News Tonight
July 10, 2018
6:42:03 PM Eastern(…)
IAN PANNELL: Today, President Trump on the move and on the offensive, attacking the very people he's off to meet.
DONALD TRUMP: NATO has not treated us fairly, but I think we'll work something out. We pay far too much and they pay too little.
PANNELL: Even a mile high on Air Force One, the attacks on America's allies didn't let up. The President tweeting, "Many countries in NATO which we are expected to defend are not only short of their current commitment but are also delinquent for many years in payments that have not been made. Will they reimburse the U.S.?" It's true that some NATO countries aren’t yet spending the amounts agreed upon for their own defense. But the President's persistent claim they owe the U.S. money is false.
TRUMP: I'll see NATO and I'm going to tell NATO, you got to start paying your bills. The United States is not going to take of everything.
(…)
6:43:27 PM Eastern
PANNELL: Today, from the presidents of the European counsel, a stern warning.
DONALD TUSK: Dear America, appreciate your allies. After all, you don't have that many.
[Cuts back to live]
DAVID MUIR: And Ian Pannell joins us tonight from Brussels.
(…)
NBC Nightly News
July 10, 2018
7:09:25 PM Eastern(…)
KRISTEN WELKER: President Trump coming out swinging, touching down in Brussels late today after raising tensions with the very allies he's poised to meet here at the NATO summit, calling them “delinquent” on Twitter from Air Force One. And before leaving, accusing them of failing to pay their fair share on defense.
DONALD TRUMP: We pay far too much and they pay far too little.
WELKER: While only 5 of 29 NATO nations have met their spending commitment set for 2024 the rest still have years to meet the target. Today, the President of the EU firing back.
DONALD TUSK: Dear America, appreciate your allies. After all, you don't have that many.
WELKER: It’s a bitter backdrop for the President's four-country trip all culminating in a high-stakes face-to-face in Helsinki with Russia's president, Vladimir Putin.
(…)
CBS Evening News
July 10, 2018
6:41:08 PM Eastern(…)
MAJOR GARRETT: So far this year, only five of 29 NATO countries, including the U.S., spent the two percent of gross domestic product on defense, the NATO standard. The President has lashed out at countries that fall short.
DONALD TRUMP: And we're the schmucks that are paying for the whole thing.
GARRETT: Today, European Union Council President Donald Tusk urged Mr. Trump to soften his rhetoric.
DONALD TUSK: Dear America, appreciate your allies. After all, you don't have that many. And dear Europe, spend more on your defense.
(…)
