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Reid Discusses Trump Crowd Size
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Reid Discusses Trump Crowd Size

ABC News didn’t hold back on Monday, serving up an afternoon of pearl-clutching and hyperventilation in the wake of President Donald Trump’s second inaugural address. If you thought the liberal media’s meltdown would be tempered by time and experience, think again. From calling Trump’s speech a “harsh repudiation” of Joe Biden’s administration to describing it as a “hot mess of division,” ABC’s coverage was less about analysis and more about emotional venting. And naturally, they managed to squeeze in critiques about diversity, grievances, and—of course—Mark Milley’s Pentagon portrait, because nothing screams journalistic integrity quite like obsessing over framed artwork.

Let’s start with the main theme of their coverage: Trump’s speech. Anchors like David Muir and Linsey Davis framed the address as a divisive broadside against the outgoing Biden administration. Davis, in particular, lamented that Trump’s remarks were filled with "grievances" and represented a full rejection of Biden’s worldview. Translation? Trump dared to outline his vision for the country without paying homage to Biden’s disastrous policies. The audacity!

Mary Bruce, ABC’s Chief Biden Cheerleader (sorry, Chief White House Correspondent), couldn’t hide her dismay over Trump’s criticism of Biden’s record on diversity and inclusion. She zeroed in on Trump’s declaration of biological reality—“there will only be two genders, male and female”—as if stating a fact was some radical act of defiance. For Bruce, this was an unforgivable repudiation of Biden’s so-called progress, which, for many Americans, felt more like ideological overreach disguised as governance.

Jonathan Karl, meanwhile, put on his usual anti-Trump hat and described the speech as a "harsh condemnation" of Biden, claiming even Trump’s positive words about America’s promise were thinly veiled attacks on the nation’s character. Because in the minds of the liberal media, any optimism Trump offers is somehow an act of subversion.

The hand-wringing didn’t stop there. Historian Mark Updegrove bemoaned Trump’s tone as “almost hard to watch,” while Martha Raddatz took offense at Trump’s “long list of grievances.” You’d think these people had been forced to watch a horror film rather than the peaceful transfer of power.

But the pièce de résistance of the coverage was Byron Pitts invoking Ecclesiastes to describe Biden’s departure. Yes, Pitts reached for scripture to paint Biden as a tragic figure, a man wronged by the tides of history, flying off into the sunset as a symbol of loss and missed opportunity. Pitts’ dramatic flair reached its peak when he called Trump’s speech “filled with hammers,” whatever that’s supposed to mean, and fretted that it was a “good day” for those who believe in colorblind policies—a concept apparently too radical for the Left.

The anchors also rushed to defend Biden’s midnight pardon spree, particularly the pardons of his family members and January 6 allies. Muir and Bruce parroted Biden’s claim that the pardons weren’t about wrongdoing but rather about shielding his loved ones from Trump’s incoming administration, which they suggested couldn’t be trusted. So, let’s get this straight: preemptively pardoning people to protect them from non-existent charges is totally fine, but Trump criticizing Biden’s record is beyond the pale? Got it.

Of course, no inauguration coverage would be complete without a dose of alarmism over the border. Correspondent Mireya Villarreal fretted about Trump’s renewed focus on border security, warning that his policies would bring “chaos.” The irony here is almost too rich. After four years of record-breaking border crises under Biden, ABC suddenly wants to talk about “chaos”? Please.

And then there was the pièce de résistance: Raddatz’s outrage over the removal of Mark Milley’s portrait from the Pentagon. Yes, folks, you heard that right—she treated the relocation of a painting as if it were some existential crisis. It’s as if the media is so desperate for reasons to bash Trump, they’ve resorted to clutching their pearls over decor choices.

Written by Arthur Higgens - January 21, 2025