ABC, CBS, and NBC did not report any cheerleading news for President Biden on their Friday morning shows. All of them ran negative soundbites of Democrats and embarrassing gaffes from the president, like him claiming in a radio interview that he was a black woman as vice president. But something was noticeably missing: any soundbites from a Republican. The entire debate on Biden's future is apparently an only-Democrats matter.
This has been a predictable pattern after the disastrous debate: presenting two sides of the Democrat struggle, with only Democrats on each side. Will he stay or will he go now?
On CBS Mornings, reporter Scott MacFarlane apparently had no January 6 riot report today (his favorite), so they put him on the Biden beat:
Friday 'CBS Mornings' report on Biden Slipping has all Democrats in the soundbites. Republican views aren't "news." pic.twitter.com/5VCJVmFr7T
— Tim Graham (@TimJGraham) July 5, 2024
On Today, NBC's Kelly O'Donnell, last seen yelling at Newsmax reporter James Rosen in the briefing room for asking if Biden was "disabled," ran an eye-opening quote from an anonymous source. "One Democratic senator who declined to speak publicly said 'The country saw what those of us who have had personal interactions with him have all known for the last two and a half years.'"
"Kelly O' on NBC's "Today" offered a report on Biden Slipping without any citation of a Republican. GOP views are not "news" as Democrats fight. pic.twitter.com/6DONMG1lhu
— Tim Graham (@TimJGraham) July 5, 2024
On Good Morning America, ABC's Selina Wang at least mentioned something Trump said. "Donald Trump is trying to take advantage of this chaos. He is calling for another debate anytime, anywhere but of course, they've already committed to a debate in September on ABC News."
Selina Wang was no Biden-boosting Mary Bruce today on "GMA," but the soundbites are all Democrats. At least Wang ends with Trump demanding more debates to "take advantage of this chaos." pic.twitter.com/eyDndrPu7i
— Tim Graham (@TimJGraham) July 5, 2024
PS: PBS News Hour on Thursday night followed the same pattern in a five-and-a-half-minute report. The online headline accurately described this insular segment: How some Democratic lawmakers and voters feel about Biden staying in the race.
"I can report from having these conversations that we are talking about scores of House Democrats, not a handful, scores who want the president privately, they say, to step aside," @LisaDNews tells @IAmAmnaNawaz. pic.twitter.com/nCzW9ZgIuV
— PBS News (@NewsHour) July 4, 2024