Producers, anchors, correspondents and executives had spent days gaming out their plan should President Joe Biden end his 2024 campaign.
“We were planning for the news to leak out, followed by an address to the nation,” one producer says.
Instead, the president caught the media brunching.
“Enjoying a Wolf Spritzer at El Presidente restaurant here in DC,” CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer posted on Instagram at around 9:45 a.m. PT, holding a cocktail in one hand and a menu in the other.
An hour later, of course, Biden revealed his decision to end his campaign, a leak-free announcement made in the form of a PDF letter. Blitzer traded in the cocktail for a suit and tie and was on the air at noon PT. CNN was televising a replay of Fareed Zakaria’s program when the news broke.
A week after the shocking assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump’s life, TV news divisions once again spun into overdrive.
On ABC, Rachel Scott, who was in Butler, Pennsylvania covering Trump’s rally a week ago, led the network’s coverage with a special report at 11:04 a.m., with the full slate of ABC anchors, correspondents and contributors signing on to join her.
Hallie Jackson anchored NBC’s special report at 11:02 a.m. Lester Holt would join coverage, and will host not only NBC Nightly News, but a two-hour special report beginning at 4 p.m.
Kristine Johnson anchored CBS’ special report, with Norah O’Donnell joining later in the hour. The network is planning to run a special from 3-5 p.m.
On cable, MSNBC and Fox News appeared to be similarly surprised by the move.
Mike Emanuel anchored on Fox News, which was the first channel to break the news at 10:50 a.m. Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier phoned in to coverage, calling the move “a tectonic shift in politics.” John Roberts and Sandra Smith then took over at 11, with Baier joining them in the studio.
Fox, of course, quickly blew up its normal Sunday special to bring in most of its primetime opinion hosts, including Laura Ingraham, Jesse Watters and Sean Hannity, as well as Mark Levin.
MSNBC, meanwhile, had Biden’s former press secretary Jen Psaki break the news to viewers.
“I’m just going to say on a personal note, I’m just digesting this myself here because I worked for him for a year and a half and he is a remarkable person, a remarkable president,” Psaki said. “He’s had such a tremendous presidency where he has overcome the odds and defied people’s expectations.”
Rachel Maddow joined coverage shortly thereafter, and was similarly magnanimous: “This is history writ large, you know. We’ll all remember where we were and what we’re doing at this moment,” Maddow said. “And just thinking about the President right now, you know, what a man. What a patriot. What an act of selfless devotion to your country.”
MSNBC will have Maddow, Psaki and Nicolle Wallace hosting beginning at 4 p.m..
Perhaps most notably: A week after it was pulled from the schedule in the wake of the Trump assassination attempt, Morning Joe will be on MSNBC Monday morning.
