Former Vice President Joe Biden got a lot of positive coverage from the liberal media on Wednesday after he called for President Trump’s impeachment while campaigning against him in New Hampshire. The major broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC) hoisted up Biden’s demands with a combined four minutes and 20 seconds of largely enthusiastic coverage.
“There is breaking news on the impeachment inquiry at home. Democratic candidate Joe Biden is saying in no uncertain terms tonight that President Trump should be impeached,” NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt announced at the top of their 45-second portion.
NBC chief White House correspondent Hallie Jackson almost parroted Holt’s praise for Biden’s comments. “For the first time, Joe Biden issuing a full-throated no caveated call for President Trump's impeachment,” she touted. “It's the strongest statement yet from the Democratic candidate as President Trump, late tonight, fires back.”
Also boasting how it was “the first time” Biden had called for Trump’s impeachment, ABC’s World News Tonight was also on board. “As a defiant President Trump refuses to cooperate with the House impeachment inquiry and Speaker Pelosi declares the President is not above the law, a fiery Joe Biden now says it is time for the President to be impeached,” chief White House correspondent Jon Karl began.
ABC’s reporting on Biden’s comments lasted one minute and 29 seconds, with Karl gushing about how they were the “most forceful response since it was revealed the President asked Ukraine to investigate Biden and his son, Hunter.”
The echo chamber was strong on the CBS Evening News where they too celebrated the “the first time” Biden called for Trump’s impeachment. Their two minute and six-second report let Biden do a lot of the talking (click “expand”):
JOE BIDEN: To preserve our Constitution, our democracy, our basic integrity, he should be impeached.
ED O’KEEFE: After hedging on impeachment for weeks, Joe Biden ripped into President Trump today, calling him a threat to every American.
BIDEN: We all laughed when he said he could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot someone and get away with it. It's no joke. He's shooting holes in the Constitution. And we can not let him get away with it.
CBS political correspondent Ed O’Keefe highlighted an interview Biden did with a Boston CBS affiliate where he defended himself from accusations of corruption. “I don't discuss things with my son or my family because I don't want to have any knowledge of any-- I don't want to be accused of, ‘Well, you talked with your son, or you talked with your whomever,’” Biden huffed.
Of course, O’Keefe refused to mention the damning photo of Joe and Hunter Biden golfing with a board member of the same Ukrainian natural gas company Hunter worked for, Burisma.
Although, O’Keefe did speak with a New Hampshire resident who was concerned about the accusations against Joe Biden. “I think there’s been a lot of questions lately about – that I want answered from him about Hunter and, you know, just a lot of the kind of rumors that are going out there,” the woman said.
O’Keefe concluded: “The Biden campaign says the former Vice President changed his mind on impeachment in part because of the President's refusal to cooperate with Congress. He is the last of the 19 Democratic presidential candidates to call for impeachment.”
Of course, none of the networks seemed to think of the important questions: Is it a conflict of interest for the lawmakers running for president to call for their opponent’s impeachment? Are they soliciting something of value to their campaigns by doing so and thus violating campaign finance law as they’re accusing Trump?
Help fight back against the media's impeachment crusade.
The transcripts are below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s World News Tonight
October 9, 2019
6:36:43 p.m. EasternDAVID MUIR: Meantime, all of this playing out as the impeachment standoff intensifies tonight. It was last night, as we came on the air here, the White House refusing to cooperate going forward. Now Speaker Nancy Pelosi saying the President is not above the law. And for the first time tonight, the man who President Trump wanted Ukraine to investigate, Joe Biden, saying the President should be impeached. Here's ABC's chief White House correspondent Jonathan Karl.
[Cuts to video]
JON KARL: As a defiant President Trump refuses to cooperate with the House impeachment inquiry and Speaker Pelosi declares the President is not above the law, a fiery Joe Biden now says it is time for the President to be impeached.
JOE BIDEN: Donald Trump has violated his oath of office, betrayed this nation and committed impeachable acts. [Transition] To preserve our constitution, our democracy, our basic integrity, he should be impeached.
KARL: It's his most forceful response since it was revealed the President asked Ukraine to investigate Biden and his son, Hunter.
BIDEN: He believes he can and will get away with anything he does. We all laughed when he said he could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot someone and get away with it. It's no joke. He's shooting holes in the Constitution. And we can not let him get away with it.
KARL: President Trump fired back, calling Biden pathetic.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Biden is dropping like a rock. I don't think he's going to make it. And I guess this is one way he can do it.
(…)
CBS Evening News
October 9, 2019
6:38:01 p.m. EasternNORAH O’DONNELL: And we want to turn now to the 2020 presidential campaign trail. Because, for the first time, former Vice President Joe Biden called for impeachment and addressed the unfounded claims about his son’s business ties to Ukraine. Ed O’Keefe is covering the Biden campaign tonight in New Hampshire.
[Cuts to video]
JOE BIDEN: To preserve our constitution, our democracy, our basic integrity, he should be impeached.
ED O’KEEFE: After hedging on impeachment for weeks, Joe Biden ripped into President Trump today, calling him a threat to every American.
BIDEN: We all laughed when he said he could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot someone and get away with it. It's no joke. He's shooting holes in the Constitution. And we can not let him get away with it.
O’KEEFE: The president responded during Biden's speech tweeting, "Joe's failing campaign gave him no other choice."
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: You know, he didn't say that until right now and he's what's happening to him. I guess he's no longer the frontrunner.
O’KEEFE: Tonight, Biden told CBS station WBZ, that he did nothing wrong as vice president, while his son Hunter served on the board of a Ukrainian energy company.
BIDEN: I don't discuss things with my son or my family because I don't want to have any knowledge of any-- I don't want to be accused of, "Well, you talked with your son, or you talked with your whomever.”
O’KEEFE: Biden has been reluctant to get into specifics on Ukraine, leaving some voters with doubts.
TRICIA ALLEN (NH resident): I think there’s been a lot of questions lately about – that I want answered from him about Hunter and, you know, just a lot of the kind of rumors that are going out there.
O’KEEFE: Recent national polls suggest Biden hasn't lost supporters over the charges. But since the summer, he has seen his frontrunner status challenged, including here in New Hampshire, where he's neck and neck with Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren.
[Cuts back to live]
The Biden campaign says the former Vice President changed his mind on impeachment in part because of the President's refusal to cooperate with Congress. He is the last of the 19 Democratic presidential candidates to call for impeachment. Norah.
O’DONNELL: Big development there, Ed. Thank you.
NBC Nightly News
October 9, 2019
7:04:25 p.m. EasternLESTER HOLT: There is breaking news on the impeachment inquiry at home. Democratic candidate Joe Biden is saying in no uncertain terms tonight that President Trump should be impeached. The President is now firing back. Hallie Jackson has late details.
[Cuts to video]
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Mr. Vice President, what was the breaking point for you, sir?
HALLIE JACKSON: For the first time, Joe Biden issuing a full throated no caveated call for President Trump's impeachment.
JOE BIDEN: He should be impeached. [Transition] He's shooting holes in the Constitution. And we can not let him get away with it.
JACKSON: It's the strongest statement yet from the Democratic candidate as President Trump, late tonight, fires back.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: So Biden is dropping like a rock. I don't think he's going to make it. [Transition] He sees what's happening to him. I guess he's no longer the frontrunner.
(…)
