At the top of Wednesday's NBC Today, co-host Matt Lauer worked to tarnish Mitt Romney officially becoming the GOP Nominee: "Mitt
Romney secures the Republican presidential nomination....But will his
ongoing relationship with Donald Trump overshadow his big moment? As Trump plays the bi
rther card once again."
Moments later, Lauer continued to rain on Romney's achievement:
"...even as he basks in the glow of securing the nomination, Donald
Trump, who hosted a closed-door fundraiser for Romney in Las Vegas last
night, has managed to once again grab some headlines by reigniting the
debate over President Obama's birthplace. Should Romney have been quicker to distance himself from Trump?"
In
the report that followed, correspondent Peter Alexander declared that
Romney's campaign message had been "Trumped" and that, "On a day the
Romney campaign wanted to celebrate in Las Vegas, instead it was dealing
with a Trump side show..."
Meanwhile, a misleading on-screen headline read: "Not Letting Go; Trump
Presses Birther Issue at Romney Fundraiser." That made it sound as if
Trump made birther comments at an event with Romney present. In reality,
the NBC coverage only showed Trump making such remarks in interviews
separate from the event itself.
Alexander touted how: "The Obama campaign lashed out with this web
video, attacking Romney for failing to shoot down extreme voices in his
party..."
Wrapping up the report, Alexander was happy to highlight questions surrounding Romney's family heritage:
And the Romney campaign also released Mitt Romney's birth certificate late Tuesday, after a reporter's request, and yes, it shows that he, too, was born in the United States. But ironically, at the end of the day this Trump-fueled birth certificate battle ended up as a reminder that Romney's own father George Romney, who was born in Mexico, actually had his own birther controversy when he ran for president 44 years ago.
On Tuesday's NBC Nightly News, anchor Brian Williams
proclaimed: "Donald Trump doubles down as an Obama birther, raising
problems for Romney as Trump raises money for the candidate."
In that report, Alexander observed: "For Romney, who arrived in Las
Vegas this afternoon with Trump's personal jet over his shoulder, the
timing is awkward at the very least. With the two men scheduled to
appear together at a private fundraiser tonight." He later concluded:
"Now Romney finds himself having to answer questions about why he hasn't
been more outspoken on this issue."
NBC has repeatedly hit Romney for his association with Trump, despite
the celebrity businessman having two reality shows on the network.
Here is a full transcript of Alexander's May 30 Today report:
7:00AM ET TEASE:
MATT LAUER: It's a lock. Mitt Romney secures the Republican
presidential nomination by winning the Texas primary. But will his
ongoing relationship with Donald Trump overshadow his big moment? As
Trump plays the birther card once again.
7:01AM ET TEASE:
ANN CURRY: Mitt Romney says he's honored and humbled to be the GOP
nominee. It's an accomplishment that's been five years in the making.
And it comes after a bitterly fought primary season, Matt.
LAUER: And he has a right to celebrate. But even as he basks in the
glow of securing the nomination, Donald Trump, who hosted a closed-door
fundraiser for Romney in Las Vegas last night, has managed to once again
grab some headlines by reigniting the debate over President Obama's
birthplace. Should Romney have been quicker to distance himself from
Trump? We'll be talking about that in just a couple of minutes.
7:02AM ET SEGMENT:
LAUER: We begin on a Wednesday morning with presidential politics and
Mitt Romney now with enough delegates to become the Republican
presidential nominee. NBC's Peter Alexander has the latest on this.
Peter, good morning.
PETER ALEXANDER: Matt, good morning to you. With the Republican
nomination all sewn up, Mitt Romney now heads into what is a crucial
90-day stretch ahead of the Republican convention, nearly neck and neck
with the President. This week he launched a new series of attacks trying
to court those much-needed independent voters, targeting President
Obama for wasting taxpayer money. But on the very day he clinched the
nomination, that message was largely "Trumped."
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Not Letting Go; Trump Presses Birther Issue at Romney Fundraiser]
With the Republican nomination now secure, Mitt Romney is betting the road to the White House goes through the Las Vegas strip.
MITT ROMNEY: It's entirely possible that late in the evening of
November 6th, the nation is going to be wondering what's going to happen
in Nevada.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: You can do it!
ROMNEY: There, exactly.
ALEXANDER:
But it's another gamble that's literally "Trumped" his message,
overshadowing the campaign. Romney headlined a multimillion dollar
private fundraiser Tuesday night alongside his outspoken advocate Donald
Trump. Trump, who famously shoots from the lip, did it again Tuesday in
the wild west.
DONALD TRUMP: I don't consider myself birther or not birther. But there are some major questions here.
ALEXANDER: Single-handedly renewing questions about where the President
was born, whether he's a U.S. citizen. A claim that was discredited
more than a year ago when President Obama released his Hawaii birth
certificate, due in part to pressure from Trump himself. Trump tweeted:
"@BarackObama is practically begging @MittRomney to disavow the place of
birth movement, he is afraid of it and for good reason." And later,
sparred on CNN.
TRUMP: There are many people that don't agree with that birth certificate. They don't think it's authentic, Wolf.
WOLF BLITZER: I don't know when you say many people who don't agree-
TRUMP: Many people.
BLITZER: Like who? Give me a name of somebody in a position of authority in Hawaii says
TRUMP: There are many people that believe-
BLITZER: Give me a name.
TRUMP: There are many people. I don't give names.
ALEXANDER: The Obama campaign lashed out with this web video, attacking
Romney for failing to shoot down extreme voices in his party, like John
McCain did four years ago.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: He's an Arab.
JOHN MCCAIN: No, ma'am. No, ma'am. He's a – he's a decent family man, citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with.
ALEXANDER: On a day the Romney campaign wanted to celebrate in Las
Vegas, instead it was dealing with a Trump side show, insisting in a
statement, "Governor Romney has said repeatedly that he believes
President Obama was born in the United States." Late Tuesday at the
Trump event, even Newt Gingrich rallied behind Romney.
NEWT GINGRICH: Governor Romney is not distracted. The Republican Party
is not distracted. We believe that this is an American-born job-killing
president.
ALEXANDER: And the Romney campaign also released Mitt Romney's birth
certificate late Tuesday, after a reporter's request, and yes, it shows
that he, too, was born in the United States. But ironically, at the end
of the day this Trump-fueled birth certificate battle ended up as a
reminder that Romney's own father George Romney, who was born in Mexico,
actually had his own birther controversy when he ran for president 44
years ago. Matt.
LAUER: Alright, Peter Alexander on this story. Peter, thank you very much.
-- Kyle Drennen is a news analyst at the Media Research Center. Click here [1] to follow Kyle Drennen on Twitter.