All three networks on Wednesday previewed Robert Mueller’s “historic” testimony before Congress with an excited and nervous tone, wondering if this “movie” version of his report could save the impeachment hype. Good Morning America co-host George Stephanopoulos wistfully hoped that Mueller might turn out to be like famous High Noon star Gary Cooper.

CBS journalist Major Garrett began the film comparisons by touting Democratic talking points: “The Democrats have a theory, Gayle, which is ‘No one read the book, maybe they’ll watch the movie.’ Which is today. This is the movie.” Using remarkably similar language, ABC’s Cecilia Vega combined the movie comparison with a book on tape: “One analogy I read yesterday that said people aren't reading the book but they will watch the movie. They will listen to this book on tape.”

ABC’s Stephanopoulos even tried to cast the Mueller Report movie with a star from the silver age: “So much of this then is in Mueller's hands.... If you talk about a movie does he choose to be Gary Cooper or does he choose to kind of continue to kind of be as indistinct as he was in the report?” 

https://www.newsbusters.org/print/244986