ABC's George Stephanopoulos says 2024 race can't be treated normally after Biden urges press to alter coverage
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
April 29, 2024Read Time:3 Minute, 5 Second
One day after President Biden implored the media to not treat the 2024 election like business as usual, ABC's George Stephanopoulos sternly told his audience on Sunday's "This Week" that this year was abnormal and a "test" for the media and the country.
In contrast with the show's usual style, Stephanopoulos began the program with remarks on former President Trump's legal troubles and how the 2024 election was testing the tenets of democracy. This followed Biden calling on members of the press to focus less on horse race politics and "rise up to the seriousness of the moment," in a sober conclusion to his speech at the White House correspondents' dinner on Saturday.
"Until now, no American president had ever faced a criminal trial," Stephanopoulos said. "No American president had ever faced a criminal indictment for retaining and concealing classified documents. No American president had ever faced a federal indictment or a state indictment for trying to overturn an election, or been named an unindicted co-conspirator in two other states for the same crime. No American president has faced hundreds of millions of dollars in fines for business fraud, defamation, and sexual abuse," Stephanopoulos began.
Stephanopoulos argued this election was not normal, and that it was easy for everyone to treat it as an ordinary race for the presidency when the "scale of the abnormality is so staggering."
"It's all too easy to fall into reflexive habits, to treat this as a normal campaign, where both sides embrace the rule of law, where both sides are dedicated to a debate based on facts and the peaceful transfer of power. But that is not what's happening this election year. Those bedrock tenets of democracy are being tested in a way we haven't seen since the Civil War. It's a test for the candidates, for those of us in the media, and for all of us as citizens," Stephanopoulos said.
There was no indication that Stephanopoulos' remarks weren't coincidental, however. An ABC News spokesperson didn't respond to request for comment on whether the anchor's editorial was related to Biden's admonition.
Biden highlighted Trump's rhetoric while addressing the press, and said the biggest question facing Americans in this election was whether democracy was "still the sacred cause of America."
"The defeated former president has made no secret of his attack on our democracy. He has said he wants to be a 'dictator on day one,' and so much more," Biden said. "He tells supporters he is their 'revenge' and 'retribution.' When in God's name have you heard another president say something like that? And he promised a 'bloodbath' when he loses again. We have to take this seriously."
He also told the press to focus on the high stakes of this presidential race, Fox News Digital reported.
"Move past the horse race numbers and the 'gotcha' moments and the distractions and the sideshows that have come to dominate and sensationalize our politics, and focus on what's actually at stake," Biden said. "I think in your hearts, you know what's at stake. The stakes couldn't be higher."
Biden added that every member of the media had "serious roles to play" in making sure democracy endures.
The president, who has taken heat from the New York Times and other news outlets for avoiding serious interviews, sat for a rare live chat on Friday with radio host Howard Stern. Biden told Stern he was "happy" to debate Trump this year after previously hedging on the subject.
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The shame of it all is that Biden ever had to remind the media that this election is not normal.
Over the past nine years there has been a constant, if varying, effort to "normalize" Trump and make it seem that his behavior and ideas are run of the mill politics.
Stephanopolous is completely correct, although he should have said it long ago and without any input from Biden.
At least this is a small step in the right direction.
They need to stop catering to, like you say, normalizing, this freakshow, which IMHO is exactly what Time magazine did with their recent 'interview' with this freak. No one should be giving voice to his insane endless ignorance and hateful baseless lies/rants.
Little Georgie’s abc has never been fair in its coverage. It’s not like it can be more biased in favor of Biden .
There is no reason for any news organization to treat Trump as if he were normal. Doing so is, in fact, a great disservice to the American people.
Exactly, their abnormal amount of free airtime in 2015-16 went a long way towards electing Trump. Hillary couldn’t compete for similar exposure.
Absolutely, the media goes where the profits are.
THey need to be honest.
That's where they fall short.
They do fall short. Trump is the worst person to ever run for president from a major party. The mainstream media never tells the public that.
Lol. You just have the anchor of a supposed independent news organization promising to work to elect Biden. How greedy can you get?
I call it patriotic.
That would be their opinion. What is wrong with giving the people facts without the spin and let them decide for themselves?
That is exactly what the Goebbels said to Hitler while they were discussing what information the German people should get.
Except for the current holder of the White House.
Funny how you and the left never hold him to any type of standard of decency.
He can lie as much as he likes; abuse the power of his office repeatedly; and never once take responsibility for any of his fuck ups.
Just another example of the biased media pretending to be news. The media taking sides in an election is more of a threat to democracy than Donald ever could be.
One of the absolutely worst things that has happened to America in the past ten years is the "normalization" of Trump's demented existence as a prominent politician. We have a generation of young people who dont anything other than this insanity. This will make ending the insanity much harder.
Every media outlet should be pointing out Trump's abnormalities, every day.
Nope, I will repeat it and stand by it. The media taking sides in an election is more of a threat to democracy than Donald ever could be.
If Donald Trump was running against Hannibal Lector would you say that?
I hope not.
There are times when the media needs to speak up, and this is one of them.
Hopefully that is just hyperbole
I hope you hope not
The actual news media should be reporting without any bias or spin and let people decide for themselves instead of hand feeding them information to try to control their thinking because they think people are too stupid to think for themselves.
The opinion shows (Many of the shows on MSNBC, CNN and Fox) should make it clear they are opinion shows.
It's been almost nine years of projection, deflection, denial and delusion from the former 'president' and the maga cult and their defense of the indefensible.
Too much too little too late from people speaking up NOW.
When you have certain media, a political party, and Trump spreading Trump and Russia born LIES, there is a time to insert the reality of the damning consequences of such a path, irregardless if driven towards for profits extreme, as the result will be Americas worse dream, for just like your moniker misstates your agenda, so does a media that will regret its agenda goal, as it continues push of the Morrocco Mole, who has infiltrated the GOP, via the Trump indoctricy that peep holes don't seem to wish to see, cause it will end the media for and by, The Free !
Yes, free to get all the information about the candidates without the bullshit and make up their own mind
ALL you know, is bullshit.
The best you can do is a personal insult.
Sad
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This is the model for political reporting. Urban manure is spread this way to fling it farther.
This really is how sewage treatment plants get rid of the stuff. Yes, we're eating Soylent Brown.
That appears to be what magats eat on a daily basis
Trump is now having a campaign stop and it is only covered by fox. Bidenistas and liberal media are scared shitless that trump will sound coherent and make joe look like the old,lost dementia ridden fool he is.