All three broadcast networks provided special coverage of President Obama’s statement on the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 that killed all 295 aboard.
The president announced that at least one American citizen was killed when the Boeing 777 was shot down. Dutch-American Quinn Schansman was going to Malaysia to join family members on vacation there. Calling it a “global tragedy” that calls for a credible international investigation, the president said, “Evidence indicates that the plane was shot down by a surface-to-air missile that was launched by an area that is controlled by Russian-backed separatists inside of Ukraine.”
ABC News cut in at 11:50amET with David Muir anchoring in New York and chief white house correspondent Jonathan Karl reporting from the White House. CBS News cut in at 11:50amET with Scott Pelley anchoring from New York and national security correspondent David Martin reporting from Washington, DC. NBC News cut in at 11:51amET with David Gregory anchoring from Washington, DC and chief white house correspondent Chuck Todd reporting from the White House. Fox broadcast cut in at 11:51am ET with Bill Hemmer anchoring in New York and correspondent Molly Henneberg reporting from the White House.
The first question went to the Associated Press’ Julie Pace. The second went to Reuters’ Steve Holland.