On Friday, ABC, CBS, and NBC displayed proverbial thrills up their legs as they celebrated President Biden’s “high-powered”, “splashy”, “star-studded”, and “unprecedented” Radio City Music Hall fundraiser featuring “heavy hitters” from Hollywood and Democratic party politics (former Presidents Clinton and Obama) with tickets going for half a million dollars.
In contrast, the three downplayed former President Trump’s visit to the wake of fallen NYPD officer Jonathan Diller and ABC’s Good Morning America even bashed this visit as rank hypocrisy, arguing Trump doesn’t actually support police since his supporters attacked police officers on January 6, 2021.
Fill-in co-host Eva Pilgrim basked in the “high-powered fundraiser” as having “raise[d] millions” with [f]ormer Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama having “join[ed] forces with the [current] President”.
Chief White House correspondent and chief Biden apple polisher Mary Bruce fawned over the “unprecedented” and “critical night for” her dear President, who brought in “the heavy hitters and some star power to give his campaign a boost.”
“This morning, the Biden campaign is celebrating what it’s touting as a historic night. A star studded fundraiser at New York’s Radio City Music Hall raising a whopping $26 million in a single night,” she added.
Adding “big name stars [came] out too”, Bruce said “all three presidents made the case that Trump presents a dangerous threat to American democracy” and “tried to energize voters around Biden’s record”. By night’s end, Bruce bragged, “[t]he record-breaking event” hauled “in more money than Trump raised all last month.”
Bruce threw a bone to the pro-Hamas crowd who repeatedly interrupted the event, describing them as “protesters…calling calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and accusing the Biden administration of aiding genocide”
Pivoting to Trump, senior congressional correspondent Rachel Scott seemed burden in having to share that “Trump was eager to try to draw a contrast with President Biden and that star-studded fund-raiser just a few miles away, meeting with the family of an NYPD officer who was killed in the line of duty.”
Scott then questioned Trump’s motives for going and even dismissed any and all Americans concerned about crime by deeming it a figment of their imaginations. And, on Trump, she argued Trump doesn’t actually support police:
The former President attended the wake for Diller but also used it as an opportunity to call for a crackdown on violent crime, telling reporters the country has got to get back to law and order. Trump did not provide any specific details on how he would combat crime if he were to be reelected and FBI data does show a drop in violent crime nationwide. It is also worth noting as the former President continues to push for law and order, he also has expressed deep support for the rioters that stormed the Capitol on January 6th. Many of whom were convicted for brutally attacking police officers that day. And, of course, Trump himself is now being charged with 88 criminal counts
On CBS Mornings, co-host Tony Dokoupil proclaimed Bidne’s event was “splashy” and filled with “star power” featuring CBS colleague and Late Show host Stephen Colbert while, on the other side, Trump “visit[ed] with the family of an NYPD officer killed in the line of duty on Monday.”
Campaign correspondent Caitlin Huey-Burns framed this “star-studded fundraiser” as having underlined Biden’s “one advantage over his rival and that is cash” despite “protesters over war in Gaza” making “their voices heard”.
She continued (click “expand”):
HUEY-BURNS: The event, headlined by former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, brought in, according to the campaign, a record $26 million, cash Biden will need as he trails former President Donald Trump in many general election polls.
PRO-HAMS PROTESTERS: [inaudible] with genocide!
HUEY-BURNS: As the Presidents arrived, so, too, did protesters, in opposition to the administration’s handling of the war in Gaza, a major issue with a key voting block. And inside, there were several disruptions as protesters were escorted out. Despite President Biden’s low approval rating, his campaign has $71 million in the bank compared to the Trump chain’s $34 million. Trump’s legal troubles have been draining resources. A Super PAC supporting him has spent $8.5 million on legal fees so far this year, including $5.5 million just last month. Meanwhile, Trump was also in New York to attend the wake of fallen NYPD officer Jonathan Diller, who was fatally shot Monday during a traffic stop. A visit made to send a campaign message.
TRUMP: We have to stop it. We have to get back to law and order. We have to do a lot of things differently because this is not working. This is happening too often.
HUEY-BURNS: And Trump plans a fundraiser of his own in Palm Beach next week and that’s just a couple of days after he’s due to post that $175 million bond in a civil fraud case. And he’ll be back here in New York again in just two weeks when his first criminal trial is due to begin.
NBC’s Today was also gleeful. Co-host Savannah Guthrie and senior White House correspondent Gabe Gutierrez both deployed the “star-studded” label and only referred to the pro-terrorist crowd as “protesters”.
Gutierrez offered up all the key White House talking points and only a single sentence on Trump (click “expand”):
GUTIERREZ: [T]he Biden campaign is trying to build momentum after the State of the Union. The former President was in also in the New York area for a last-minute stop, setting up yet another split screen moment. Overnight, a trio of presidents inside Radio City Music Hall. Presidents Biden, Obama, and Clinton presenting a united front as the race for the White House against another former President, Donald Trump, kicks into high gear. The star-studded fundraiser featuring late-night host Stephen Colbert.
(….)
GUTIERREZ: The event also included performances by Lizzo, Queen Latifah, and Ben Platt. The Biden campaign, which did not allow reporters to record video inside the event, said it raised more than $25 million, a record haul. Actress and comedian Mindy Kaling joked about the price to get in.
MINDY KALING: It is such an honor to be in this room with so many rich people.
GUTIERREZ: Earlier in the day, former President Obama arrived with his one-time Vice President on Air Force One. NBC gained access to livestream early where the three presidents sat down for a pretaped campaign interview.
BIDEN: And we’re just getting started, so let’s keep going. Let’s win in November.
GUTIERREZ: Inside Radio City, the fundraiser interrupted a few times by pro-Palestinian protesters.
PRO-HAMAS PROTESTER: You’re funding genocide in Palestine!
GUTIERREZ: — while outside the iconic venue, demonstrators blasted President Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war.
(….)
GUTIERREZ: Also, in the New York area, former President Trump attended the wake of NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller, who was shot and killed this week during a traffic stop, meeting with his wife and one-year-old son.
TRUMP: We have to get back to law and order. We have to do a lot of things differently because this is not working.
To see the relevant transcripts from March 29, click here (for ABC), here (for CBS), and here (for NBC).