Nick Bryant carries on regardless

 

Mac, on the open thread, noted the ending of a Nick Bryant report for the BBC's News at Ten a couple of days back:

Mac: Did enjoy Nick Bryant on News at 10 last night:

"Donald Trump keeps on trying to change the conversation to law and order but we keep on returning to the health crisis that has claimed the lives of more than 190,000 Americans. This feels like a covid campaign."

Sometimes you don't even have to do any work to detect the bias. They just tell you straight up. We are not going to report what the President says about the murders and riots but instead stick with the central theme of his campaign opponents. And when he says 'we', who exactly does he mean?

Charlie: Interesting Mac. Even though Bryant was recently censured for bias, it hasn’t stopped him. It won’t because no-one will ever challenge the BBC narrative that everything about Trump is bad. Certainly not his bosses. They feel the same way.

 Here's the full transcript:

Huw Edwards: President Trump knew full well that coronavirus was deadlier than the flu as the virus began to spread across the United States, but wanted to play down the crisis. That is according to the veteran journalist Bob Woodward, who spent hours with the President earlier this year. Mr Trump said he wanted to avoid causing any panic. The remarks are included in Mr Woodward's new book, which is called Rage, a book that Mr Trump has already dismissed as a "fake" piece of work. Our North America correspondent Nick Bryant has more details. 

Nick Bryant: Even as the coronavirus began to claim scores of American lives, the US president publicly talked down the threat. 

Donald Trump: It will go away. You know it is going away and it will go away and we will have a great victory. 

But at the same time, Donald Trump was telling the legendary Watergate journalist Bob Woodward that he had deliberately played down the pandemic, even though he understood the deadliness of the virus. 

Donald Trump: Well, I think, Bob, to be honest with you... Bob Woodward: Sure, I  want you to be... Donald Trump: I wanted to always play it down. I still like playing it down... Bob Woodward: Yes, sir... Donald Trump:...because I don't want to create a panic. 

This was impossible to dismiss as fake news and, instead, the President tried to explain his comments: 

Donald Trump: I am a cheerleader for this country. I love our country and I don't want people to be frightened. I don't want to create panic, as you say. And certainly, I'm not going to drive this country or the world into a frenzy. 

His Democratic rival Joe Biden is already leading in the polls and he immediately weaponised what the President's critics will seize upon as a Covid smoking gun.

Joe Biden: He lied to the American people. He knowingly and willingly lied about the threat it posed to the country for months. He had the information. He knew how dangerous it was. And while this deadly disease ripped through our nation, he failed to do his job on purpose. 

Donald Trump keeps on trying to change the conversation to law and order, but we keep on returning to the health crisis that has claimed the lives of more than 190,000 Americans. This feels like a Covid campaign. Nick Bryant, BBC News, New York.