ABC’s ‘GMA’ Paints Trump Economy as in Turmoil, Slams ‘Vicious Attacks’ on Omar

While all three networks went hard in the paint Wednesday morning against President Trump and painted the economy as in turmoil, ABC’s Good Morning America was particular vicious with an entirely negative story and zero recognition of how economic indicators have improved vis-à-vis the Biden economy.

Co-host George Stephanopoulos reveled in Trump’s state of affairs: “With his poll numbers dropping, the President hit trail in Pennsylvania last night to tout the record on the economy before veering off message and mocking affordability.”

Fellow Trump hater and chief White House correspondent Mary Bruce huffed that Trump “kicked off what is supposed to be a series of speeches to sell his economic message ahead of the midterms” and “[h]e is adamant his policies are benefitting Americans even though recent polls show voters feel the economy isn’t working for them.”

 

“And while the President is well aware this will be the key issue come November, for over 90 minutes last night, his remarks repeatedly veered off topic and into vicious attacks,” she added.

While many conservatives such as our friend Erick Erickson have noted the economic unease has persisted and will be a concern for Republicans in the midterms, ABC disgustingly painted Trump as uninterested in the economy (click “expand”):

BRUCE: But the President has also dismissed concerns about affordability, calling the issue a Democrat hoax and a con job.

TRUMP: They use the word affordability, and that’s their only word. They say affordability and everyone says, oh, that must mean Trump has high prices. No, our prices are coming down tremendously from the highest prices in the history of our country.

BRUCE: But the price of groceries actually up from a year ago, including products impacted by the President’s tariffs. Coffee up 41 percent, sirloin steak up 20 percent, frozen orange juice up 12 percent. The President standing by his tariffs while saying Americans may have to make some sacrifices.

TRUMP: You don’t need $37 for your daughter. Two or three is nice, but you don’t need 37 dolls. So, we’re doing things right. We’re running this country right.

BRUCE: But most polls show voters don’t agree. A new Reuters/Ipsos poll shows 56 percent of Americans disapprove of how the President is handling the cost of living. Only 31 percent approve.

Bruce then whined Trump “launch[ed] into vicious attacks against Somali immigrants, calling them lazy and garbage and continuing to go after Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, who is a naturalized U.S. citizen” and “rous[ed] the crowd” with his “anti-immigrant tirade.”

Back live with Stephanopoulos, the two also kept up the drumbeat about Trump’s health:

STEPHANOPOULOS: And Mary, the President also played on social media, lashing out at reports about his health.

BRUCE: Yeah, the President is clearly furious about recent reporting about his stamina. He is going after The New York Times’s latest reporting on his health. He says it’s “seditious, perhaps even treasonous,” and he’s threatening the publication, saying, “we should do something about it.”

Being the Biden regime’s chief apple polisher, Bruce did everything in her power to scoff at those concerned over the economy from 2021 through this past January.

In September 2022, Bruce gushed Biden wasn’t “worried about these latest inflation numbers and he’s putting a positive spin on things” because “inflation is relatively flat” with “low unemployment numbers and plunging gas prices.”

A month later, co-host Robin Roberts touted to Bruce that Biden was “address[ing] the issue of gas prices,” “going...after oil companies,” and taking “action...to drive prices down.”

Bruce was obedient to The Cause in 2024 as well by playing stenographer on both empathy for workers and job creation.

Bruce’s then-colleague Cecilia Vega was also all-in on the Biden economy, gushing in August 2022 that it was “turning a corner” and backed up by correspondent Trevor Ault celebrating national average gas prices as having fallen to $3.99 from $5.02 in June.

The second hour featured a “reality check” from chief business and economics correspondent Rebecca Jarvis:

Rewinding to the Biden years, the former Apprentice contestant defended his economy by arguing there was “technically” not a recession in 2022 and, in July of that year, conceded the economy was in rough shape. Missing from that latter segment, of course, was any blame on Biden.

She did the same in April 2024 by leaving the Biden administration out of any discussion about soaring grocery prices and gave consumers tips to save.

NBC’s Today took shots of its own at the President, but left out ABC’s condescension and had gave more context to the President’s remarks.

Co-host Savannah Guthrie said in a tease Trump addressed the economy and “acknowledg[ed] Americans are paying too much” amid “growing concerns over the cost of everything.”

Following two massive charts co-host Craig Melvin used to paint costs under President Trump as having soared double digits (while providing no date for what said costs were in comparison to), chief White House correspondent Peter Alexander said Trump “kick[ed] off a campaign that aides here say will stretch through next year’s midterms, insisting it will focus heavily on the economy.”

 

 

“But overnight, the President repeatedly veered off-course his favorite targets. And on that key issue, the topic of affordability, his speech underscored this disconnect between the President’s claims Americans are doing great and their growing frustrations about the cost of living,” he added.

Alexander at least ran soundbites of Trump that showed he cares about the American consumer (click “expand”):

TRUMP: I have no higher priority than making America affordable again.

ALEXANDER: The President facing growing dissatisfaction with his handling of the economy, focusing on affordability, which he’s called a Democratic hoax.

TRUMP: You know, there was never a hoax. The new word is affordability. [SCREEN WIPE] I can’t say affordability hoax because I agree the prices were too high.

ALEXANDER: Test driving ahead of next year’s midterms.

TRUMP: Lower prices, bigger paychecks.

ALEXANDER: But while wages have ticked up, so have prices, especially at grocery stores where staples like beef and Orange juice are up. Last night, the President also occasionally straying from his economic message.

TRUMP: I haven’t read practically anything off the stupid teleprompter.

(....)

ALEXANDER: And, in that speech last night, President Trump said his chief of staff told him that he needs to start hitting the campaign trail again to try to motivate MAGA voters, a move that may help reinvigorate his base, but one that Democrats are already welcoming, confident that, if next year’s midterms are viewed as a referendum on President Trump, it’ll drive up their voters to the polls a well. 

As for Trump’s Somalia comments, Alexander framed it as akin to “highly publicized remarks from an Oval Office meeting during his first term.”

Guthrie cued up senior business correspondent Christine Romans for more Trump bashing (click “expand”):

GUTHRIE: Let’s talk about what the President said last night — 

ROMANS: Yeah.

GUTHRIE: — acknowledging that affordability is a real issue. He’s also said prices are coming down tremendously and that they’re crushing inflation. What’s the reality check —

ROMANS: Right.

GUTHRIE: — bearing in mind Americans can do their own fact check. They’re the ones going to the grocery store and buying things. They know if prices are up and down.

ROMANS: Yeah, and it’s not just groceries. It’s utilities, it’s car insurance. I mean, over the past five years, since February 2020 before Covid, some of these things are up double digits, 20, 30, 40 percent. Look at those numbers, especially like auto insurance. Some of these things are non-negotiables in the family budget, so people really are feeling it. The President talking about how gas prices are lower. That is true. Talking about how cereal and ham and some single products are a little bit lower, but overall, I think zoom out, it’s the past five years of these price issues and the CPI — the inflation rate — at three percent right now? It’s exactly where it was at the end of the Biden administration.

While Good Morning America remained the safest bet of the networks to be the biggest anti-Trump tools, CBS Mornings mostly kept the proverbial train on the tracks and, like NBC, at least admitted prices have been soaring since the pandemic.

“President Trump has launched a new effort to sell his economic plans to Americans. He told the crowd in Pennsylvania last night that things are actually doing really well, going great, and if they aren’t, it’s the Democrats’ fault. Right now, he is not polling well on the economy, one of his signature issues,” declared co-host Tony Dokoupil.

 

 

Senior White House and campaign correspondent Ed O’Keefe only made one reference to Trump doing the weave and it was right off the top:

It was supposed to be focused mostly on the economy, but the President’s speech last night also included several attacks on Democratic lawmakers and immigrants, a potential preview of how he’ll campaign for Republicans next year. He tried convincing Americans he understands concerns about rising prices, but insisted the economy is strong.

O’Keefe reemphasized Dokoupil’s point that Trump “blame[d] Democrats for failing to address inflation during Joe Biden’s presidency” and provided some balance to the state of the economy by conceding “[g]overnment data does show the inflation rate had been falling at the beginning of the year, but began slowly rising again as the President imposed widespread tariffs” and while [t]he cost of a gallon of gas is down compared to the same time last year...it’s a mixed bag at the supermarket.”

CBS News business analyst Jill Schlesinger followed with analysis, saying “people are still feeling this pressure of high prices” and “much higher than they were even five years ago” even though “the rate of inflation has come down from nine to three percent” and “one good thing is gas prices.”

To see the relevant transcripts from December 10, click here (for ABC), here (for CBS), and here (for NBC).