On Saturday and Sunday, ABC’s Good Morning America and NBC’s Today continued to play up the ongoing controversy surrounding comments made by former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani in which he questioned President Obama’s love of America. Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd went so far as to suggest that some Republicans fear the New York City mayor had caused the “issue of race” to pop up.
Kristen Welker
By Jeffrey Meyer | February 18, 2015 | 11:59 AM EST
On Wednesday’s Today, NBC offered up yet another sympathetic report for the Obama administration following Federal Judge Andrew Hanen’s decision to block implementation of President Obama’s controversial executive action on immigration.
By Jeffrey Meyer | January 11, 2015 | 10:10 AM EST
On Sunday, Governor Chris Christie (R-N.J.) will attend the Green Bay Packers/Dallas Cowboys playoff game with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. Christie’s decision has drawn the ire of many football fans in New Jersey for not supporting either the Philadelphia Eagles or New York Giants, both of which have large fan bases in New Jersey. During their Sunday morning broadcasts, ABC’s Good Morning America and NBC’s Today did their best to play up the alleged football controversy, giving the story nearly six minutes of coverage. NBC’s Kristen Welker went so far as to insist despite Christie’s long support for the Cowboys “fans in the New Jersey region are crying foul. Some even saying the presidential contender has lost their vote.”
By Jeffrey Meyer | December 11, 2014 | 2:15 PM EST
Kristen Welker, NBC News White House Correspondent, served as fill-in host on MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell Reports Thursday afternoon and took the opportunity to badger Congressman Peter King (R-N.Y.) over the Democratic Senate Intelligence Committee report on the CIA’s use of enhanced interrogation techniques on suspected terrorists. Speaking to her Republican guest, Welker asked “some of the enhanced techniques that the report found included extended waterboarding, sleep deprivation, rectal rehydration, slapping and stress positions. How is that not torture Congressman?”
By Kyle Drennen | December 5, 2014 | 4:05 PM EST
During an NBC News special report on President Obama nominating Pentagon official Ashton Carter be the next secretary of defense, Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd advanced White House talking points that the President really wanted someone who would challenge the administration on foreign policy: "...they claim they want him to be more confrontational with the White House national security team....I have aides tell me they want Ashton Carter to be a bull in a china shop if necessary and be that person."
By Curtis Houck | December 1, 2014 | 10:29 PM EST
On Monday night, the “big three” of ABC, CBS and NBC each spent portions of their evening newscasts reporting on the resignation of a House Republican staffer after she criticized Sasha and Malia Obama on her personal Facebook page. This marks the second full day of coverage since the first reports aired on Sunday morning and provides another example of a media double-standard between Democratic and Republican administrations.
During the CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley, CBS News senior White House correspondent Bill Plante characterized what GOP aide Elizabeth Lauten wrote as a “snarky posting” which anchor Scott Pelley said “sparked a firestorm.”
By Kyle Drennen | December 1, 2014 | 1:08 PM EST
Between Sunday and Monday, all three broadcast networks devoted full reports to a Republican congressional staffer criticizing the Obama daughters on her personal Facebook page. On ABC's Good Morning America on Sunday, host Dan Harris proclaimed: "The online outrage over an attack on President Obama's daughters. A Republican congressional staffer posting a rant on Facebook about the way Sasha and Malia looked and acted at this moment here during the White House turkey pardoning the other day."
By Curtis Houck | November 22, 2014 | 12:29 AM EST
The evening following President Barack Obama’s announcement of his executive action on illegal immigration, major broadcast networks CBS and NBC sought to carry water for the President on Friday night as he made a trip to a Las Vegas high school to promote his move that would allow millions of illegal immigrants to stay in the United States.
Between two reports total from the CBS Evening News and NBC Nightly News, the President’s speech was hailed as having “campaign-style fervor” that featured “[a] combative President Obama, chastising congressional Republicans for inaction” on immigration.
By Kyle Drennen | November 10, 2014 | 1:10 PM EST
Worrying about President Obama's lame duck status following major Democratic Party losses in the midterm election, on Sunday's NBC Nightly News, White House correspondent Kristen Welker proclaimed: "...Republicans prepare to take over both houses of Congress, vowing to undo Mr. Obama's most treasured accomplishment, the Affordable Care Act."
By Kyle Drennen | November 7, 2014 | 1:05 PM EST
In a report for Friday's NBC Today, White House correspondent Kristen Welker continued the network's effort to preemptively blame Republicans for any gridlock that may occur in Washington following the GOP's landslide win in Tuesday's midterm election: "Republicans have drawn their own battle lines, doubling down on their pledge to repeal the President's signature piece of legislation, ObamaCare, and vowing to approve the Keystone Pipeline, which the President has resisted."
By Kyle Drennen | October 27, 2014 | 12:57 PM EDT
On Monday, all three network morning shows covered George P. Bush – the son of former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and current candidate for Texas land commissioner – telling ABC's Jonathan Karl that his father would likely make a 2016 presidential run. In addition, all three shows made sure to remind viewers of former First Lady Barbara Bush's objection to another one of her sons running for president.
By Jeffrey Meyer | October 27, 2014 | 9:22 AM EDT
On Sunday night, NBC Nightly News covered First Lady Michelle Obama’s busy campaign schedule with just over one week to go until Election Day. Unfortunately, in their rush to play up her midterm efforts, the network ignored the Democrat’s numerous gaffes on the campaign trail. Anchor Lester Holt introduced the report and noted how “First Lady Michelle Obama is taking on a key role that she's played before. She's going out on the campaign trail in hopes her high approval ratings can help Democrats maintain control of the Senate.”