There was great news out of the Korean Peninsula Wednesday as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo retrieved the three Americans that North Korea arrested on trumped up charges going as far back as 2015. The North Korean regime released the hostages from their labor camps as a good faith measure ahead of the historic summit with the United States. Despite the wonderful news, ABC felt the need to rain on everyone’s parade and bring up the anti-American backlash from Iran over the Iran deal.

From the get-go, ABC was looking to crackdown on the joy of the hostage release. While they kicked off World News Tonight with coverage of the hostages, they mixed the story with that of the Iran nuclear deal. “President Trump says he plans to be there when they arrive at Andrews Air Force base at 2:00 in the morning. Just as Iran tonight sends the President its own message, after he tore up the nuclear deal,” announced anchor David Muir.

When it came down to the time allowed for each topic in the report, the hostage release did get the most, but just barely. Between Muir’s introduction and White House correspondent Jon Karl’s report, they allowed one minute and 51 seconds for the hostages and the summit while giving Iran deal backlash one minute and 21 seconds.

“But even as he pursues one nuclear deal, he is facing global blowback for pulling out of another. In Iran today, anti-American protests, including the burning of American flags and photos of President Trump,” Karl said as he transitioned away from the positive news. He even quoted “lawmakers there” who were “questioning the President's, quote, ‘mental capacity.’”

But Karl didn’t dare quote them chanting “death to America” or report that they had burned an American flag on the floor of their legislature.

After the prerecorded report ended, Muir questioned Karl about how North Korea inspections would work when they weren’t enough to keep Trump in the Iran deal, never mind the ridiculous sunset clause or announced inspections. Karl couldn’t see Trump’s plan for North Korea working out at all, despite how the Iran deal allowed them to build nukes in a few years.

In sharp contrast, NBC Nightly News actually went out and interviewed a family member of one of the hostages that were finally coming home. “The family of Tony Kim, held for more than a year, thanking the President for engaging directly with North Korea and Sun Soul Kim telling NBC News his anxious to reunite with his father,” reported White House correspondent Peter Alexander.

“I don’t know what I would do. I don't know if I'll cry or jump up and down. I don't know will I faint because I missed him so much,” Sun Soul Kim told Alexander.

The release of the American hostages was a time for joy and celebration, but ABC just wanted to be downers.

The relevant portions of the transcript below, click "expand" to read: