Just like on ABC’s This Week, Sunday’s edition of NBC Meet the Press was stunned to find out that former President Donald Trump is in a dead heat with Joe Biden in a potential rematch for the presidency in 2024. Moderator Kristen Welker, proving she’s just as much of a partisan activist as her predecessor Chuck Todd, when she exclaimed “oof” in horror at the prospect of Trump getting good polling news.
“What’s so stunning about this number, a lot’s happened since June, we’re talking two more indictments against former President Trump,” Welker said to her guest and MSNBC political analyst Steve Kornacki. “So four in total and the first GOP primary debate and yet Mr. Trump is just solidifying his lead with GOP voters.”
“You know this from talking to Republican critics of Trump from rival campaigns, everything you just explained they thought would take him down a peg this summer and instead he has only moved up here,” Kornacki fretted. “You can see the number saying the party needs a new leader has gone down. So for Donald Trump there, nothing but good news.”
Before he could finish his thought, Welker blurted out “Oof.”
Kornacki added that “it raises this question: if Republicans go forward and nominate Trump again, this is what the rematch in our poll would look like.”
“A dead heat,” Welker begrudgingly said while looking at the poll numbers on the studio board.
Are we sure Welker isn’t really just Chuck Todd in a pink pantsuit?
The transcript is below:
NBC’s Meet the Press
9/24/2023
10:04:29 a.m. EasternKRISTEN WELKER: Well, Steven, what’s so stunning about this number, a lot’s happened since June, we’re talking two more indictments against former President Trump. So four in total and the first GOP primary debate and yet Mr. Trump is just solidifying his lead with GOP voters.
STEVE KORNACKI: And Kristen, you know this from talking to Republican critics of Trump from rival campaigns, everything you just explained they thought would take him down a peg this summer and instead he has only moved up here. You can see the number saying the party needs a new leader has gone down. So for Donald Trump there, nothing but good news—
WELKER: Oof!
KORNACKI: And it raises this question: if Republicans go forward and nominate Trump again, this is what the rematch in our poll would look like.
WELKER: A dead heat!
