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As most of the mainstream media attempts to cover the end of the Biden Presidency with praises of its many accomplishments, CNN has come to its own conclusions. Thursday night’s Inside Politics with Dana Bash proved to be a more sober view of the Presidency as CNN Senior Reporter Edward-Isaac Dovere pointed out the discontent of the public, noting Biden’s insignificance compared to the Trump terms.

CNN Journalist, Phil Mattingly, began the conversation pointing out the contrast in public approval between Presidents Donald Trump and Joe Biden, both before and after the events of January 6th: 

But in terms of how people view the president right now, I think what’s stunning to me, the latest Quinnipiac University poll, his approval is at 38% right now, in December of 2020, Donald Trump’s approval after he’d lost the election was 44%. Now that was pre January 6th. After January 6th, his approval was 34%. That’s kind of within the margin of where Biden is right now.

Even during the turbulence of January 6th, Trump’s approval rating was within the margin of error compared to Biden’s current support. Such an analysis begs the question as to why so many are praising the current President for his time in office. Dovere highlights this attitude when explaining Biden’s term coming to a close:

“We can affect more change in one day in this building than we will in a lifetime after we leave the building.” That is not the approach that Joe Biden has been taking, at least publicly, since the election certainly, and even since he ceded the nomination to Kamala Harris. But there –  there are things that he could be doing through executive authority.

Dovere explains the President’s constant fight to distinguish himself apart from his associates, yet this lackluster finish proves the reporter’s crushing but fair point, Biden was defined by the success of Trump:

I had a conversation with a senior person in the White House, and I said, if Harris loses most of the way that Biden is going to be remembered, at least in the short term, is the guy who was just in between the Trump terms and they’re saying, “No, no, no, that’s not true.” At this moment that is the way that he is acting.

As the media wraps up their coverage of Biden’s Presidency, and the rose colored glasses are used just a few more times, these moments of honest reporting seem to be few and far between. Refreshing, nonetheless, one hopes that in the future CNN’s usual hosts could take vacation more often.

The transcript is below. Click “expand” to read:

CNN’s Inside Politics with Dana Bash

12/26/2024

12:32:30 PM EST

(…)

PHIL MATTINGLY: My panel is back with me. You know, Isaac, if you look at the legislative record, particularly the first two years, it doesn’t have much precedent over the course of the last five decades. Right? And that’s a lot of what they’ve been doing in the last couple of months, is been trying to push out all the money that was already signed off on there to burnish that legacy.

But in terms of how people view the president right now, I think what’s stunning to me, the latest Quinnipiac University poll, his approval is at 38 percent right now. In December of 2020, Donald Trump’s approval after he’d lost the election was 44 percent. Now, that was pre January 6th. After January 6th, his approval was 34 percent. That’s kind of within the margin of where Biden is right now. And Donald Trump had January 6th. Legacy wise where are we right now, legacy wise?

EDWARD-ISAAC DOVERE: Look he had. I think you’re right. A historic first couple of years in office, more legislation on the domestic front than anybody going back to Lyndon Johnson can claim credit for. I do think that what you’ve seen is a slow receding into the bushes from Joe Biden here.

I’m going to do it. I’m going to bring up a West Wing quote here. There’s a moment on the West Wing when John Spencer as Leo McGarry, the White House chief of staff, says to –  he’s like trying to rally the troops and he says, “We can do more – we can affect more change in one day in this building than we will in a lifetime after we leave the building.” That is not the approach that Joe Biden has been taking, at least publicly, since the election certainly, and even since he ceded the nomination to Kamala Harris.

But there –  there are things that he could be doing through executive authority. A lot of things that he could be doing would probably put a target on them for Donald Trump to go after first. It does not seem like taking another vacation now is the kind of running-through-the-tape mentality that the White House staff has said he and the whole building is approaching things with. I think it’s a really difficult thing for Joe Biden to know that he came into the presidency as a rejection of Donald Trump, and here he is being replaced by Donald Trump.

I think back to an interview that I did with Joe Biden. He’d been president for about three weeks, was talking to him for a book that I wrote, and I part of the takeaway that I had from it was him trying to assert himself as Joe Biden, the guy who got elected president, not just Barack Obama’s vice president, not just the guy who beat Donald Trump. But now that is part of who he is, and it may define who he is.

A couple of weeks before the election, I had a conversation with a senior person in the White House, and I said, if Harris loses most of the way that Biden is going to be remembered, at least in the short term, is the guy who was just in between the Trump terms and they’re saying, “No, no, no, that’s not true.” At this moment that is the way that he is acting.

MATTINGLY: Yeah, it was a very good book that you wrote. But I would also note it underscores that as a long time chronicler and one of the best of Democratic politics, of course, you quoted the West Wing! 

DOVERE: Of course! It’s required. (Laughs)

MATTINGLY: (Laughs) It’s in every conversation. Right. Up next, President-Elect Trump is raising a record amount of money for his inauguration. Where’s it all coming from? Noonan’s new CNN reporting next.