GROSS: ABC Claims Trump WH Is Using Flight Cuts, Hungry Americans as Partisan Tools

On Friday’s Good Morning America, the ABC program implied without evidence flights are being cut to purposefully harm Americans in this government shutdown and touted the partisan claims of a federal judge appointed by President Obama (which they refused to mention) accusing the administration of not fully funding the federal food stamps program to starve Americans.

In just this week alone, ABC’s Good Morning America has repeatedly celebrated New York City communist Zohran Mamdani, defended an illegal alien taking immigration officials on a chase to her work at a daycare (where she could use the babies as human shields), engaged in sudden respect toward the late Dick Cheney, and was skeptical Nigerian Christians are being persecuted. 

Weekend co-host Whit Johnson went down the airline cancellations route, huffing “travelers feeling turbulence as the FAA cancels hundreds of flights at 40 major airports because of the government shutdown” and “frustration mounting” with “more than 800 flights already canceled this morning.”

Instead of leaving it at that, Johnson boasted “critics argue” the cancellations are “just a move to pressure Democrats to reopen the government as the shutdown reaches day 38.” Hilariously, Johnson’s evidence immediate fell flat thanks to his own words:

 

As for the food stamps, co-host and Clinton official George Stephanopoulos teased: 

Showdown over SNAP benefits...as concerns grow for more and more persons trying to put food on their table, a federal judge now accusing the Trump administration of withholding federal food assistance for political reasons and ordering it to fully distribute benefits. The reaction from the White House.

Friday co-host Rebecca Jarvis later touted the judge as having “accused the administration of withholding the benefits for political reasons.”

Senior political correspondent Rachel Scott cheered the “strong words from the federal judge saying the administration did not comply with his court order and must fully fund SNAP benefits by today, but it does set the stage for another legal battle with 42 million Americans hanging in limbo.”

The virulent Trump hater parroted Jarvis and quoted from the Obama partisan’s alleged ruling that sure did not come off like a legal opinion and more like an MSNBC monologue:

[T]his morning, a federal judge accusing the White House of withholding federal food assistance for political reasons and ordering the administration to fully distribute SNAP benefits by today. Judge John McConnell saying: “People have gone without for too long, not making payments to them for even another day is unacceptable.”

Scott said the judge used a Trump Truth Social post about SNAP only fully resuming when the government reopens as proof they’re starving Americans:

 

“The judge pointing to the president’s own words, accusing the administration of defying the court’s order and causing ‘irreparable harm,’ saying ‘the evidence shows that people will go hungry, food pantries will be over burdened, and needless suffering will occur,’” she opined.

Scott concluded with a hit on Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), whining “the House of Representatives has been out of town and out of session for 49 days.”

Co-host Michael Strahan threw in a Stephanopoulos-like jab, calling Johnson’s decision to force the Senate to do its job (a novel concept, right) “embarrassing at this point,” adding “it really is.”

NBC’s Today only met GMA halfway by going along with the touting of Judge McDonnell.

“Nearly 42 million Americans rely on food assistance, and the federal judge in this case blasting the administration for delaying those benefits, partly for what he called political purposes, adding, not making payments for even another day is simply unacceptable. The White House, though, already pushing back,” senior Capitol Hill correspondent Ryan Nobles began.

Fretting “food benefits for roughly 42 million Americans remain in limbo” and assigning zero blame, Nobles touted “a federal judge in Rhode Island ordering the Trump administration to fully fund the food assistance program, known as SNAP, by today...follow[ing] weeks of chaos and confusion leaving families wondering how they’ll pay for their next meal and long lines at food banks across the country.”

An anecdote from a New York City food kitchen later, Nobles acknowledged senators remaining in D.C., but framed Democrats as the ones fighting for Americans (click “expand”):

NOBLES: Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, some faint signs of progress to end the shutdown. The Senate’s preparing to take a procedural step today toward creating a package that could lead to the reopening of the government. But Democrats insist Republicans must negotiate reforms to health care, including an extension of the tax credits for the Affordable Care Act.

SENATOR CHRIS MURPHY (D-CT); We’re here begging for negotiation, and our Republican partners are refusing to talk to us.

NOBLES: Republicans maintain they’re willing to negotiate on health care, but say there needs to be a vote to reopen the government first.

SENATE MAJORITY LEADER JOHN THUNE (R-SD): How much more do Americans have to endure before Democrats are satisfied?

Nobles concluded with what seemed to have been a tacit admission about Democrats keeping the government shuttered, declaring “most Democrats are insistent that Republicans need to bring more to the table in order for the shutdown to end[.]”

In contrast to all this, CBS Mornings didn’t promote the Obama judge or this conspiracy theory about trimming flights.

Co-host Gayle King plainly stated: “The government shutdown is reporting a new reality to American life, waiting in long lines. These are the images of people lined up waiting at food banks after SNAP benefits ran out...[S]tarting today the airlines have been told to fly fewer planes during the shutdown.”

Moments later from Phoenix Sky Harbor, transportation correspondent Kris Van Cleave acknowledged the fire alarm going off as symbolic of the country’s aviation system.

And, ahead of an interview King and co-host Tony Dokoupil conducted with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Van Cleave further laid the ground work for stating the obvious for why the decision was made (click “expand”):

VAN CLEAVE: They’re literally sounding the alarm at Sky Harbor for something, but it’s an apt metaphor for what is going on across the nation’s airspace. Controllers unpaid, under pressure, stressed and fatigued, prompting the FAA to order airlines to cut flights, starting at four percent, builds to 10 percent at the nation’s 40 busiest airports and it starts now. With thousands of flights set to be cancelled at airports across the country this weekend, traveler frustration over the government shutdown and its impact is mounding.

(....)

VAN CLEAVE: The air traffic controllers union says the nations was thousands of controllers short before shutdown. Now many existing controllers are calling out sick, some even quitting after having gone weeks without pay and receiving a second zero-dollar pay stub Thursday.

NATIONAL AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS ASSOCIATION’s NICK DANIELS [on CBS News 24/7's The Takeout With Major Garrett, 11/07/25]: They’re worried about putting gas in their car. They’re worried about putting food on the table. They can’t even pay for child care in some instances. So, as that risk increases, you have to begin reducing the capacity of the system.

To see the relevant transcripts from November 7, click here (for ABC), here (for CBS), and here (for NBC).