In what many on Tuesday called “an extremely rare step,” the FBI handed over their notes and other documents pertaining to their investigation of Secretary Hillary Clinton’s private e-mail server to Congress. Also on Tuesday, rumors swirled that Donald Trump was seeking debate advice from the former Chair of Fox News Rodger Ailes. While CBS and NBC dedicated almost equal time to both stories, the superficial ABC dedicated more than twice the time to Trump’s debate prep.
During World News Tonight, the Trump debate prep story garnered a segment that lasted two minutes, 35 seconds. In contrast, both CBS and NBC each had one general story about Trump’s day and each one lasted less than two minutes. In both, Trump’s debate prep of one part of the collective report about his day.
“…Reports Trump has been huddling with a powerful conservative player, Ousted Fox News honcho, Roger Ailes,” reported ABC’s Tom Llamas, “Ailes was force out of Fox last month after a series of women accused him of sexual harassment. Trump defended him.”
Llamas also focused on Ailes’ past debate history:
Ailes is an old hand at debate strategy. Here he is, sitting across from President Ronald Reagan, helping him prep for a debate in 1984. In this election, Ailes presiding over four Fox News debates featuring Trump. One of them, that epic showdown Megyn Kelly.
Anchor David Muir kept it simple during the report of the FBI turning over their notes, which lasted only one minute, eight seconds. “The FBI meanwhile, taking an extremely rare step tonight, turning over to Congress secret notes and documents from their investigation of Hilary Clinton’s private e-mail server,” he stated.
Muir talked live with correspondent Jon Karl, who had this to say:
David, these materials provide extraordinary insight into the process the FBI went through in deciding not to indict Hillary Clinton. And the FBI has been under enormous pressure from Republicans to explain and justify that decision. But David even as they explain their decision not to indict, the FBI has made it very clear, they are not saying Hillary Clinton did not do anything wrong.
