ABC and NBC, Tuesday, offered one-sided spin on Barack Obama’s executive actions on gun control. Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts insisted that the President is enacting these restrictions without the “help” of Congress. Only CBS This Morning featured objections from Republican presidential candidates.
On ABC’s GMA, Roberts and reporter Pierre Thomas allowed no clips of those denouncing the plan. Instead, the co-host spun it as “President Obama's big push to keep guns out of the hands of criminals” and “actions he hopes will reduce gun violence.” Incredibly, Roberts described the move this way: “All this without the help from Congress.”
Even reporter Pierre Thomas allowed that the new regulations might not be very effective: “There's some question as to whether there are enough federal agents to enforce the new guidelines.” The best he could do in the name of objectivity is note that “opponents will say this just puts more burden on gun lovers who like to sell weapons.”
Over on NBC’s Today, co-host Savannah Guthrie complained that the President hasn’t done more: “It's admittedly modest. But then you can also ask the question what took him [Obama] so long? Because he has the power with this pen for the last seven years?”
Guest Mark Halperin defended the President, arguing, “This is what his administration has come up. He's a constitutional lawyer. He thinks this passes constitutional muster.”
In contrast, CBS This Morning managed a balanced report. Instead of referring to Obama not getting “help,” he alerted, “President Obama is making an end run around Congress, acting on his own to tighten federal rules for gun sales.”
Unlike ABC and NBC, reporter Jan Crawford featured clips of several Republicans attacking the President’s plan:
CHRIS CHRISTIE: Of course, it's an overreach.
JAN CRAWFORD: Republican White House hopefuls condemn the President's actions even before the details were released.
MARCO RUBIO: Executive actions are designed to help implement law, not to undermine the law or ignore it
TED CRUZ: Well, he can abuse his power all he wants. He has a phone and he has a pen. But if you live by the pen, you die by the pen. And my pen has got an eraser.
On Monday, the same networks worried about Republican objections to Obama’s “go-it-alone” plan.
A transcript of the January 5 GMA segment is below:
7:06
ROBIN ROBERTS: Now to President Obama's big push to keep guns out of the hands of criminals. The President addressing the nation later this morning from the White House, announcing actions he hopes will reduce gun violence. All this without the help from Congress. ABC’s senior justice correspondent Pierre Thomas is in Washington with details. Pierre, what exactly is changing today?
PIERRE THOMAS: Good morning, Robin. With the stroke of a pen, the President is potentially greatly expanding the universe of people who should consider themselves as federal gun dealers and as a result require background checks on their gun sales. We're talking about hundreds if not thousands of people who are now selling firearms at gun shows or online. The White House is essentially saying if you routinely getting income from gun sales, you should consider yourself a commercial dealer. Those who violate this mandate with no background checks and without registering with the federal government are subject to five years in jail and a $250,000 fine, Robin.
THOMAS: What would be the possible impact of this, Pierre?
THOMAS: Well, there's some question as to whether there are enough federal agents to enforce the new guidelines. Proponents will say this could mean many more background checks on gun purchases catching people who fell through the cracks and opponents will say this just puts more burden on gun lovers who like to sell weapons. Robin?
ROBERTS: Okay, Pierre, thank you. And ABC will have live coverage of President Obama's announcement on gun control later this morning expected to be around 11:40.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Around 11:40.
