Well, the day the liberal media had been hoping for finally arrived on Tuesday as House Democrats released their Articles of Impeachment against President Trump. They were welcomed with anticipation by the broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC). And despite the fact, the Articles didn’t include many of the charges Democrats said there would be, the media did their job and treated them like serious documents.
On ABC’s World News Tonight, anchor David Muir began by touting them as the “historic next step in the impeachment showdown.” He did his job in echoing Democratic talking points: “[T]he President abused his powers to obtain an improper personal political benefit, betraying the nation by enlisting a foreign power and corrupting democratic elections.”
And as Muir started talking about how President Trump reacted to the Articles, an image of Trump with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov looming over his shoulder appeared on the screen. “So, how soon could he be impeached,” Muir eagerly asked as he turned the report over to senior national correspondent Terry Moran.
Moran played up the scene at the Democratic press conference announcing the Articles. He opined about how the “fateful step” was taken “under Speaker Nancy Pelosi's watchful eye.” He also helped Democrats fire back at those who said they were moving too quickly by boosting a conspiracy theory:
MORAN: Democrats are moving fast, some say too fast. Their answer to that today was stark.
CONGRESSMAN ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA): The argument, why don't you just wait, amounts to this -- why don't you just let him cheat in one more election? Why not let him cheat just one more time?
MORAN: The articles of impeachment concluding -- "President Trump has demonstrated that he will remain a threat to the Constitution if allowed to remain in office."
Over on CBS Evening News, anchor Norah O’Donnell boasted that Democrats gave “a nod to history” by including “some of the same language found in the Nixon and Clinton impeachments but with one big addition.” “Democrats say President Trump will remain a threat to national security and the Constitution if allowed it stay in office,” she added.
When it came to the fact that the Articles failed to include many of the charges against the President Democrats claimed they had indisputable evidence for, CBS chief congressional correspondent Nancy Cordes ran interference:
Because Democrats opted to play it safe, Norah, and stick with articles of impeachment that are easy to prove and less controversial. There was a lot of debate, for instance, about whether the President's actions truly constituted bribery. There was no debate, at least among Democrats, about whether or not he obstructed Congress.
At the top of the NBC Nightly News segment, anchor Lester Holt declared that a “sobering milestone [was] reached today as House Democrats turn weeks of evidence, testimony, and speeches into actual articles of impeachment against the President, charging him with high crimes and misdemeanors and calling for his removal from office.”
NBC chief White House correspondent Hallie Jackson tout it as “a moment months in the making, for just the fourth time in U.S. history.” She would go on to lament that while House Democrats were likely to impeach President Trump, “that does not mean the President would be removed from his job. Two-thirds of Senators would have to approve that after a trial next month and with supportive Republicans in control there, the President is almost certain to stay in office.”
The transcripts are below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s World News Tonight
December 10, 2019
6:35:15 p.m. EasternDAVID MUIR: And the other major news tonight, that historic next step in the impeachment showdown. Democrats putting forward 2 articles of impeachment. They allege abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi setting a solemn tone today, saying President Trump left them no choice, saying their oath of office requires them to impeach.
The President reacting today, calling it “political madness”, saying he did nothing wrong. But the Democrats say the President abused his powers to obtain an improper personal political benefit, betraying the nation by enlisting a foreign power and corrupting democratic elections.
So, how soon could he be impeached? ABC's Terry Moran tonight up on the hill.
[Cuts to video]
TERRY MORAN: A fateful step -- under Speaker Nancy Pelosi's watchful eye, House Democrats declare they will impeach President Trump.
(…)
MORAN: The two articles -- those are the charges against the President -- abuse of power in his dealings with Ukraine and obstruction of Congress.
On abuse of power, the charge that Donald Trump "Ignored and injured the interests of the nation." And "Betrayed the nation by abusing his high office to enlist a foreign power in corrupting democratic elections."
On obstruction of Congress, the charge that Trump, "Without lawful cause or excuse," rejected every subpoena or request for evidence. The article declaring, "In the history of the Republic, no president has ever ordered the complete defiance of an impeachment inquiry."
(…)
MORAN: Democrats are moving fast, some say too fast. Their answer to that today was stark.
REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA): The argument, why don't you just wait, amounts to this -- why don't you just let him cheat in one more election? Why not let him cheat just one more time?
MORAN: The articles of impeachment concluding -- "President Trump has demonstrated that he will remain a threat to the Constitution if allowed to remain in office."
(…)
CBS Evening News
December 10, 2019
6:34:18 p.m. EasternNORAH O’DONNELL: House Democrats today unveiled two articles of impeachment, charging that President Donald Trump is guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors. And in a nod to history, they used some of the same language found in the Nixon and Clinton impeachments but with one big addition. Democrats say President Trump will remain a threat to national security and the Constitution if allowed it stay in office. Nancy Cordes reports tonight from the Capitol.
[Cuts to video]
REP. JERRY NADLER (D-NY): Charging the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, with committing high crimes and misdemeanors.
NANCY CORDES: The nine-page resolution contains two charges: Article 1: Abuse of power, says “President Trump solicited the interference of a foreign government, Ukraine, in the 2020 U.S. Presidential election.” It accuses him of “openly and corruptly urging” Ukraine to publicly announce investigations into his political opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden.
NADLER: He endangers our democracy, and he endangers our national security.
CORDES: Article 2: Obstruction of congress, says the President “directed the unprecedented, categorical, and indiscriminate defiance” of the House investigation, with nine administration officials ignoring subpoenas to testify. Today, President Trump called the articles "Sheer political madness."
(…)
[Cuts back to live]
O’DONNELL: And Nancy joins us from the hill. Nancy, leading up to this we heard Democrats talk a lot about bribery, extortion, and obstruction of justice. Those are not included in these articles of impeachment. Why?
CORDES: Because Democrats opted to play it safe, Norah, and stick with articles of impeachment that are easy to prove and less controversial. There was a lot of debate, for instance, about whether the President's actions truly constituted bribery. There was no debate, at least among Democrats, about whether or not he obstructed Congress.
(…)
NBC Nightly News
December 10, 2019
7:04:05 p.m. EasternLESTER HOLT: Now to impeachment and a sobering milestone reached today as House Democrats turn weeks of evidence, testimony, and speeches into actual articles of impeachment against the President, charging him with high crimes and misdemeanors and calling for his removal from office. Hallie Jackson is at the White House tonight.
[Cuts to video]
HALLIE JACKSON: A moment months in the making, for just the fourth time in U.S. history.
(…)
HALLIE JACKSON: The first article introduced by House Democrats, abuse of power, charging the President with dangling a White House meeting and military aid money to Ukraine in exchange for its leaders publicly announcing investigations that would benefit his reelection.
The second article, obstruction of Congress for blocking testimony from key administration officials in what Democrats describe as “unprecedented categorical and indiscriminate defiance.” They say the time to act is now.
(…)
JACKSON: Today's announcement sets up a House vote to impeach the President as soon as next week. And with Democrats in the majority, it's expected to pass along party lines. But that does not mean the President would be removed from his job. Two-thirds of Senators would have to approve that after a trial next month. And with supportive Republicans in control there, the President is almost certain to stay in office.
(…)
