Instead of covering Donald Trump’s most recent surprising foreign policy statements, two of the three big networks on Wednesday’s evening news broadcasts decided to harp on Trump’s comments about abortion instead.
Devoting over 12 minutes, between the three networks, to Trump’s comments about women being punished for getting abortions, NBC was the only one to bring up Trump’s comments during last night's townhall about who should have access to nuclear weapons.
On NBC Nightly News, correspondent Andrea Mitchell began by comparing Trump’s statements in recent interviews with MSNBC’s Chris Matthews, CNN and The Washington Post, when asked about nuclear weapons.
Mitchell led with Trump’s comments to Matthews, where Trump tells Matthews that he would “not rule out” using nuclear weapons in the Middle East or Europe. Mitchell then shifted to Trump’s comments to The Washington Post staff where he, as she put it, “gave a rambling answer.”
MITCHELL: Trump was first asked about using nuclear weapons against ISIS by The Washington Post last week and gave a rambling answer.
TRUMP: I don't want to use — I don't want to start the process of nuclear. Remember the one thing that everybody has said, I'm a counterpuncher. Rubio hit me. Bush hit me.
After Post publisher Fred Ryan stressed the question was specifically about targeting ISIS with nuclear weapons, the audio showed Trump complimenting his audience and bypassing the question.
WASHINGTON POST PUBLISHER FRED RYAN: This was about ISIS. You would not use a nuclear weapon against ISIS.
TRUMP: By the way, can I do one thing? This is a very good looking group of people. Could I just go around so I know who the hell I'm talking to.
RYAN: Sure.
At last, Mitchell showcased the most surprising admissions from Trump given during Tuesday night’s CNN town hall where he said that he’d be fine with other nations, including Saudi Arabia, getting nuclear weapons. Mitchell noted that those comments from Trump “contradict decades of American nuclear policy,” and were blasted by The New York Times as “shockingly ignorant.”
