During a rare moment of candor on Monday’s Hardball on MSNBC, host Chris Matthews and a majority of his panelist actually came down hard against the 84 Lumber ad that aired during the Super Bowl, and which many believe was an anti-Donald Trump ad. “That is so weird because it seemed to me when I saw it, they are going to recruit people here without papers,” said Matthews after reading a statement from the owner of the company confirming his suspicions.
Shockingly, Matthews claimed that it was possible that Immigration and Customs Enforcement would put heavy scrutiny on the company now. “I think ICE will be watching to see if they hire people like the ones in the ad,” he quipped.
According to Matthews, the firm who created the ad admitted one of the goals was for it to be used as a recruitment tool. “One was to generate awareness, two was to position 84 Lumber as an employer of choice, and then most importantly is to get recruits, to fill the number of positions they had open over the course of the year,” Matthews read from their statement.
“That was strange. That was an odd way to apply for citizenship to go through a wall,” Matthews stated.
Republican strategist John Brabender couldn’t understand how the ad could possibly help 84 Lumber’s brand based on their location in Pennsylvania. “If you look at where 84 Lumber is located, and where their main things are, it's all Trump country. So, a lot of people did interpret this as an anti-Trump ad,” he explained.
In a statement, also read by Matthews, the owner of 84 Lumber came out strong in support of illegal immigration, saying, “I am all about those people willing to fight can go extra yard to make a different and then if they have to, you know, climb higher, go under, do whatever it takes to become a citizen. I'm for that 110 percent.”
Matthews agreed with Brabender that the ad came off as “anti-Trump” and remarked that “The American people don’t support illegal immigration.” The MSNBC host came down hard on the lumber company’s owner, and refuting his claims, “That was weird. To say that’s how you become a citizen. You don't get to be a citizen just getting on the geographic mass of the United States.”
The only panelist who had something positive to say about the ad was Yamiche Alcindor from The New York Times. “Well, the thing is, it’s using the imagery of what Trump said,” she explained, “He said he was going to build a big wall and have a big beautiful door.” She also claimed to have seen tweets from Trump supporters who liked the commercial and argued that “there are people who don't see it as an anti-Trump ad.”
As shocking as it may seem for Matthews to come down on illegal immigration he does have a history of understanding the right’s argument. On election night 2016, he told radical leftist Rachel Maddow “I've never heard of a country that didn’t have a border … I think that Trump took advantage of it, and I don't think that it's racism.”
Transcript below:
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MSNBC
HardBall
February 6, 2017
7:46:34 PM EasternCHRIS MATTHEWS: One of the most talked about ads last night was the Pennsylvania company called 84 Lumber. The 90-second immigration-themed ad was cut short because it was too controversial for Fox broadcast to put on. The ad invited viewers to watch the end online. Well here are the last few seconds that didn’t air during the game.
…
MATTHEWS: Well, Michael Bruner, the CEO of the advertising company that created that spot, told a CBS affiliate the ad had three goals. Quotes, “One was to generate awareness, two was to position 84 Lumber as an employer of choice, and then most importantly is to get recruits, to fill the number of positions they had open over the course of the year.”
Well, the CEO of 84 Lumber itself defended the message of the ad, telling The New York Times last week, quote, “I am all about those people willing to fight can go extra yard to make a different and then if they have to, you know, climb higher, go under, do whatever it takes to become a citizen. I'm for that 110 percent. But do I want cartel? Hell no.”
That is so weird because it seemed to me when I saw it, they are going to recruit people here without papers. That’s what I thought. They’re out to do that. I said, “Why is this company running this ad?” And it turns out that the ad person says “yeah, that was the purpose. We're recruiting people.” And then the owner of the company that paid for the ad said “the people -- by coming to the country illegally.” That was strange. That was an odd way to apply for citizenship to go through a wall. Your thoughts.
JOHN BRABENDER: First of all, who ever talked 84 lumber into doing that ad I think did them a disservice. First, the biggest reason, 84 Lumber is only in a small part of the country. So, now they’re paying for this tremendous cost for a lot of people who can’t even go to 84 Lumber, number one. Number two, if you look at where 84 Lumber is located, and where their main things are, it's all Trump country. So, a lot of people did interpret this as an anti-Trump ad.
MATTHEWS: I did.
BRABENDER: So, I'm not sure I understand from a marketing stand point. From a film standpoint, it looked beautiful it was a nice story. But I'm not sure how it enhanced their brand.
MATTHEWS: The American people don’t support illegal immigration.
YAMICHE ALCINDOR: Well, the thing is, it’s using the imagery of what Trump said. He said he was going to build a big wall and have a big beautiful door. So, I’ve seen a lot of Trump supporters on Twitter actually praising this ad, saying, “This is what we want. We want a big wall and we want the door to open when we want it to open.” So I—There are people who don't see it as an anti-Trump ad.
MATTHEWS: Well, the CEO said that’s the way to get in the country, illegally. That was weird. To say that’s how you become a citizen. You don't get to be a citizen just getting on the geographic mass of the United States.
PAUL SINGER: And also, I don’t understand their explanation. Because as a lumber company, you know, I don’t go to buy 84 Lumber.
MATTHEWS: They said they were out there recruiting workers.
PAUL SINGER: And the workers are going to watch that ad online?
MATTHEWS: I think ICE will be watching to see if they hire people like the ones in the ad.
