Similar to how the “Big Three" played down the alleged ransom payment to Iran, the nets chose to focus primarily on a Donald Trump controversy instead of a Hillary Clinton one. On Monday Clinton held a rally in Orlando, Florida and in attendance was Seddique Mateen, the father of the Orlando nightclub terrorist, while on Tuesday Trump used innuendo to suggest that 2nd Amendment supporters would somehow stop Clinton. In all, the nets dedicated over four times the coverage to Trump, rather than Clinton, during their Tuesday evening broadcasts.

Combined ABC, CBS, and NBC, dedicated 7 minutes, 31 seconds to Trump’s comment, while at the same time giving Mateen’s appearance at the Clinton rally a mere 1 minute, 36 seconds.

Trump’s comment:

Hillary wants to abolish, essentially, abolish the second amendment. By the way, and if she gets to pick -- if she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks. Although, the second amendment people, maybe there is, I don't know.

CBS Evening News gave Trump’s comment a brief and two full reports totaling 3 minutes 39 seconds. “Donald Trump spoke off the cuff and took his campaign off the rails, again,” stated anchor Scott Pelley leading off the whole show, “This time, it was a remark that some took as a threat of violence against Hillary Clinton or the Supreme Court justices she might appoint if elected president.” In stark contrast, CBS only gave the Mateen story a scant 24 seconds and noted the event was open to the public.

On ABC’s World News Tonight, reporter Tom Llamas featured a tweet from Senator Chris Murphy condemning Trump, saying, “"Don’t treat this as a political misstep. It’s an assassination threat, seriously upping the possibility of a national tragedy and crisis.”” And during their Mateen segment they played a clip of Mateen talking with their local affiliate, where he said, “It's the Democratic Party, so everybody can join.”

NBC Nightly News gave absolutely zero time to the Matten story, they instead chose to focus all of their political coverage on Trump. “But we want to start at home with Donald Trump and a potential new controversy simmering tonight after a remark that at best was a joke and at worst was an implied threat of violence,” said anchor Lester Holt leading off the night.

Spanish-language network Telemundo followed in the footsteps of their parent company—NBC— and dedicated zero time to the Mateen story. Telemundo gave Trumps comment a 53 brief. In stark contract Univision actually gave more time to the Mateen story, 24 seconds, than they did Trump’s comments, 16 seconds.

No network mentioned how Clinton made a similar comment in May of 2008, when she was battling then Senator Barrack Obama for the Democratic Party nomination:

HILLARY CLINTON: You know, my husband did not wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere in the middle of June, right? OFFSCREEN VOICE: June. CLINTON: We all remember, Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California. You know, I just, I don’t understand it.

Transcripts below:

CBS

Evening News

August 9, 2016

6:34:56 PM EASTERN SCOTT PELLEY: Clinton opened a rally near Orlando yesterday by paying tribute to the 49 people who were murdered in June at the Pulse nightclub. Well, it turns out just a few feet away, wearing a red hat, was Seddique Mateen, the father of the Orlando gunman. Today, the Clinton campaign said Mateen was not invite to the event. The event was open to the public.

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