MSNBC's Scarborough Spars With Rob Reiner Over Trump's 'Racist' Base

May 5th, 2016 1:18 PM

MSNBC's Joe Scarborough faced off with Rob Reiner on Thursday's Morning Joe, after the liberal Hollywood producer/writer explained Donald Trump's base of support by underlining that "there are a lot of people who are racist in this country." Scarborough shot back, "Could this not be about working-class Americans being left behind by [the] Republican Party?" Reiner acknowledged that "they're not all racist," but contended that "there's racism in this country that has been submerged for a long, long time....He's unearthed a lot of it." [video below]

Willie Geist asked the question that sparked the confrontation between Reiner and Scarborough: "How do you explain the millions and millions of people who do not watch this show who actually like what they hear from Donald Trump — and aren't taking messages and orders from us in the media — but they listen to what he says for themselves and vote for him." When the guest immediately replied with his charge of racism, Scarborough interrupted, "Oh, my God! Did you just say that?" The host continued interrupting as Reiner tried to explain his answer:

ROB REINER: I'm not saying—

JOE SCARBOROUGH: No, you just said that.

REINER: Well, that's true. That's true

SCARBOROUGH: So, you think that people that vote for Donald Trump are racists?

REINER: I'm not saying — no, let me finish — they're not all racist

SCARBOROUGH: You led with that, though.

REINER: No. I said there a lot of people who are. There's racism in this country that has been submerged for a long, long time. And, all of a sudden, there's a man who's speaking

MIKA BRZEZINSKI: So, he has unearthed it?

REINER: He's unearthed a lot of it.

Tell the Truth 2016

When Scarborough pointed out the "working-class Americans being left behind," the former actor countered that "there are those that are following Bernie Sanders that feel the same way." Brzezinski asked Reiner to clarify: "They're racists?" Reiner replied, "No. Do you see any racist people at the Bernie rallies? Do you see any skinheads?" Scarborough retorted, "I can't see into their hearts." That response sparked a second exchange, with the guest playing up that "if...there are people in your rally who are KKK members; members of the Aryan Nation; white supremacists...I don't really want that support....I don't see Donald Trump saying, I don't want that support. He's saying, fine!"

The transcript of the relevant portion of the Rob Reiner interview from the May 5, 2016 edition of MSNBC's Morning Joe:

WILLIE GEIST: How do you explain the millions and millions of people who do not watch this show who actually like what they hear from Donald Trump — and aren't taking messages and orders from us in the media — but they listen to what he says for themselves and vote for him. How do you explain that?

[MSNBC Graphic: "Rob Reiner On The 2016 Election: Hollywood Filmmaker Talks About Trump's Tactics"]

ROB REINER, DIRECTOR & PRODUCER, "BEING CHARLIE": Well, there — there are a lot of people who are racist in this country—

JOE SCARBOROUGH: Oh, my God! Did you just say that?

REINER: I'm not saying—

SCARBOROUGH: No, you just said that.

REINER: Well, that's true. That's true—

SCARBOROUGH: So, you think that people that vote for Donald Trump are racists?

REINER: I'm not saying — no, let me finish — they're not all racist—

SCARBOROUGH: You led with that, though.

REINER: No. I said there a lot of people who are—

SCARBOROUGH: Okay—

REINER: There's racism in this country that has been submerged for a long, long time—

SCARBOROUGH: Right—

REINER: And, all of a sudden, there's a man who's speaking—

MIKA BRZEZINSKI: So, he has unearthed it?

REINER: He's unearthed a lot of it. Let me say this—

SCARBOROUGH: Could this not be about working-class Americans—

REINER: Let me say this — yes!

SCARBOROUGH: Being left behind by a Republican Party that's always talking about—

REINER: Yes; yes; yes!

SCARBOROUGH: Okay—

REINER: And let me say this to that: there are those that are following Bernie Sanders that feel the same way. They're—

BRZEZINSKI: They're racists?

REINER: No—

BRZEZINSKI: Oh—

REINER: Do you see any racist people at the Bernie rallies? Do you see any skinheads?

SCARBOROUGH: I can't see into their hearts.

REINER: Well, no, but you can see if somebody's got a tattoo with a swastika and stuff! Come on, Joe! Be honest here! (Scarborough laughs) No, seriously! Seriously—

SCARBOROUGH: I am being honest here!

BRZEZINSKI: We're trying—

SCARBOROUGH: I am not — I'm not going to call people racist because they support a candidate—

REINER: No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no — wait a minute; wait a minute; wait a minute; wait a minute; wait a minute. If you're a candidate — and you've been one — and you're standing there, and there are people in your rally who are KKK members; members of the Aryan Nation; white supremacists — if I were you, I would say, you know, I don't really want that support. That's hate speech. That's hate-mongering—

SCARBOROUGH: I would do that—

REINER: I don't want that support. I don't see Donald Trump saying, I don't want that support. He's saying, fine! I don't know who David Duke — maybe, he is. Oh, I disavow—

SCARBOROUGH: We were — we were harshly critical of that as well, and I'm just—

REINER: That's to answer Willie's question: there's a strain of racism there.

SCARBOROUGH: Okay—

GEIST: But they're not all racists.

REINER: No, they're not all racists. They're not all racists, but there is a strain there.