This week’s Liberal Media Scream features the latest version of “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” this time on NBC’s Meet the Press.
Discussing embattled New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s refusal to step down over a couple of scandals, the tag team of host Chuck Todd and guest John Heilemann blamed Trump, suggesting that he set the “precedent” for refusing to quit when pressed by critics.
“He’s following what is seen now as the Trump precedent,” said Heilemann of Cuomo.
Todd turned on conservatives, calling them “excited about Cuomo’s downfall” when it’s been Democrats at the highest levels calling the liberal governor to quit over COVID-19 and sex scandals.
From the roundtable on Sunday’s Meet the Press:
John Heilemann: “I think, you know, that the other thing that’s true is Cuomo is totally dug in. I think the likelihood of Cuomo resigning is close to zero. And I think, you know, he is following right now — uncomfortably for a lot of Democrats — he’s following what is seen now as the Trump precedent. You know, if you are determined enough, you are shameless enough, you can hold on.
“And so the question then just becomes: Does he actually get impeached, does he actually get thrown out? And I think that’s going to be — a large question around that is going to be what additional evidence comes out over the coming — maybe enough now, but there’s going to be a large question of what else unfolds over the next couple weeks.”
Chuck Todd: “It does feel like he’s forcing that. I’m glad you brought up Trump there a minute, John. Lanhee [Chen], I want you to respond on something Tim Miller wrote in the Bulwark. He said, ‘Dunking on Cuomo’s demise requires admitting that the other party has standards and lays bare, once again, the cravenness of the excuse-making for Trump that kept the lights on for the past five years.’ There’s a lot of conservative media, acolytes, and propagandists that are very excited about Cuomo’s downfall, but they seem to not be very self-reflective.”
Media Research Center Vice President Brent Baker explains our weekly pick: “Trump Derangement Syndrome lives on, especially with those in the media still upset Trump’s personal foibles didn’t undermine support amongst his fans. Heilemann and Todd can’t get over their contempt for Trump and so still want to scold his supporters for hypocrisy without seeing any in themselves in cueing up a ‘Trump precedent’ to rationalize misbehavior by a liberal Democrat.”
Scream rating: THREE out of FIVE Screams.
