ABC’s George Stephanopoulos expressed a stern message on “This Week,” emphasizing that the 2024 presidential race could not be approached as business as usual. This commentary came in the wake of President Joe Biden’s plea to the press, urging a shift in media coverage to reflect the serious implications of the election, particularly highlighting former President Donald Trump’s legal entanglements and threats to democratic norms.
Stephanopoulos began his program by outlining the unprecedented nature of the challenges facing Trump, including multiple indictments and trials related to retaining classified documents, alleged election interference, and accusations of business fraud. These legal battles, Stephanopoulos argued, place this election in stark contrast to typical presidential races and test the foundations of American democracy in ways not seen since the Civil War.
Echoing President Biden’s remarks from the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, Stephanopoulos called on his media colleagues to rise above the usual “horse race” style of election coverage. Biden had emphasized the importance of focusing on the substantial issues at stake, particularly the threats posed by Trump to the rule of law and the peaceful transfer of power.
Biden’s comments, which also addressed the hostile rhetoric from Trump promising ‘revenge’ and ‘retribution,’ were meant to reframe the media’s role in covering the election. He highlighted the need for journalists to concentrate on the profound questions facing the nation rather than the superficial aspects of political reporting.
Stephanopoulos underscored that the situation called for a rigorous examination of what he described as “the scale of the abnormality” of the current political landscape. He stressed that this election is a critical test for the media, the candidates, and the American people, challenging each to defend the core principles that underpin the nation’s democratic institutions.
This pivot in Stephanopoulos’s approach and Biden’s admonitory tone both aim to recalibrate the narrative around the 2024 election, pushing for a media discourse that truly grasps and communicates the gravity of the challenges to American democracy.