On Thursday, the liberal media finally found one of the few things they could cheer on Republicans for. Of course, it involved the 12 Senate Republicans who voted to pass a resolution rebuking President Trump’s national emergency declaration for the crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border. Or, as ABC News and NBC News described it, the “Republican rebellion.”
In his introductory rambling for the story, during ABC’s World News Tonight, sensationalist anchor David Muir seemed to think dubbing it a “rebellion” was witty:
There's a developing headline from Capitol Hill tonight. The President, in fact, responding late today, with a one-word tweet to a key vote. A republic rebellion of sorts. They joined Democrats, voting to end the President's emergency declaration to build that border wall. His one word, “veto”.
ABC congressional correspondent Mary Bruce, who loves to elevate anti-Republican protestors, flipped her script and hyped those Republicans. “For President Trump, it's an embarrassing rejection. 12 Republicans joining Democrats to block Trump's emergency declaration to build his border wall,” she touted.
The idea of cheering on something that was “embarrassing” to former President Obama would never cross their minds or would be considered blasphemous. Back then, they called Republican concerns for executive overreach obstructionist and racist.
But on Thursday, Bruce promoted the Republican argument with multiple soundbites from those disapproving GOP Senators. “But for those 12 Republicans, this isn't about the wall, it's about the Constitution,” she noted. “They say Trump's decision to side-step Congress sets a dangerous precedent.”
For NBC Nightly News, chief White House correspondent Hallie Jackson used the exact same language just seconds into her report. “A Republican rebellion tonight, and an embarrassing blow to President Trump on his signature issue. 12 Senators in his own party joining with Democrats to try to block the national emergency he declared to get more money for the border wall he wants,” she said.
Jackson also promoted the Republican argument: “For Republicans, it's about reining in unfettered presidential power and swinging the pendulum back toward Congress.”
Seemingly lamenting how the vote would ultimately play out, Jackson explained that “for all the talk, there's no teeth since the resolution's set to die on the President's desk with a, as he put it, ‘veto.’” She added how the President planned to “fire up his base by arguing he's fighting the establishment on border security.”
Wrapping up the segment, anchor Lester Holt wondered if Thursday’s vote meant Trump’s control over the party was waning. “It says it's not a rock-solid grip on some of these Republicans who are really sending a warning now that they want a check on executive power,” Jackson responded.
But she reminded Holt that “he's really popular with Republican voters. The President has an approval rating with that group close to 90 percent” and that there were plenty of GOP lawmakers still behind him.
Again, this kind of reporting against a president wouldn't fly during the Obama years.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s World News Tonight
March 14, 2019
6:35:09 p.m. EasternDAVID MUIR: There's a developing headline from Capitol Hill tonight. The President, in fact, responding late today, with a one-word tweet to a key vote. A republic rebellion of sorts. They joined Democrats, voting to end the President's emergency declaration to build that border wall. His one word, “veto”. Here's ABC's Mary Bruce.
[cuts to video]
MARY BRUCE: For President Trump, it's an embarrassing rejection. 12 Republicans joining Democrats to block Trump's emergency declaration to build his border wall.
(…)
BRUCE: The President had turned up the pressure, tweeting "A vote for today's resolution by Republican Senators is a vote for Nancy Pelosi, crime, and the open border Democrats." But for those 12 Republicans, this isn't about the wall, it's about the constitution.
(…)
BRUCE: They say Trump's decision to side-step Congress sets a dangerous precedent.
(…)
BRUCE: Tonight, Trump responding to the vote with one word, “veto”. What does it say to make progress on his signature campaign pledge, the President may have to use his first-ever veto?
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM: It means, that he is dead serious about building the wall. And if a Republican or Democrat gets in the way, he's willing to build the wall.
(…)
NBC Nightly News
March 14, 2019
7:09:27 p.m. EasternLESTER HOLT: And on Capitol Hill today a rare act of defiance from the Republican-led Senate voting to undo President Trump's declaration of a national emergency along the Mexican border. 12 Republicans joined Democrats in the 59-41 rebuke of the President's plan to use emergency powers to fund a border wall. All this ratcheting up a power struggle over control of the government's purse strings. Hallie Jackson now with late details.
[Cuts to video]
HALLIE JACKSON: A Republican rebellion tonight, and an embarrassing blow to President Trump on his signature issue. 12 Senators in his own party joining with Democrats to try to block the national emergency he declared to get more money for the border wall he wants.
(…)
JACKSON: For Republicans, it's about reining in unfettered presidential power and swinging the pendulum back toward Congress.
(…)
JACKSON: Still, for all the talk, there's no teeth since the resolution's set to die on the President's desk with a, as he put it, “veto”. For the first time ever, President Trump will be forced to use that power to kill something Congress wants, since there aren't enough votes to override him.
(…)
JACKSON: The President also previewing a 2020 strategy. Fire up his base by arguing he's fighting the establishment on border security.
(…)
[Cuts back to live]
HOLT: Hallie joins us now. Hallie, does this say anything about the President's hold on the Republican Party?
JACKSON: Yeah, Lester, it does, right? It says it's not a rock-solid grip on some of these Republicans who are really sending a warning now that they want a check on executive power. But keep this in mind, the President still has a lot of sway with Republican lawmakers looking at, for example, their re-elections in 2020. Remember, he's really popular with Republican voters. The President has an approval rating with that group close to 90 percent, Lester.
HOLT: All right, Hallie, thank you.
