MSNBC’s Ali Velshi, best known for standing in front of a burning building and saying nothing “unruly” was going on, used his Saturday show to proclaim that his audience, unlike Fox’s, does not conspiracy theorists in it.
Speaking to Nika Jankowicz, formerly of DHS’s infamous Disinformation Governance Board, Velshi recounted, “I just did that intro to the segment, right? So that my audience would understand this conspiracy theory that I guarantee you, pretty much nobody in my audience knew that story because why would they?”
Velshi was referring to Ray Epps, who recently sued Fox News for claims that he was an FBI agent who encouraged the rob to storm The Capitol on January 6. Velshi claimed he is not like that. Instead, viewers tune in to his show for egghead takes about economics, “Two segments ago I talked about red states and Bidenomics, again I’m not-- my audience doesn't have conspiracy theorists in, right?”
In addition to denying what was right in front of his face, Velshi was a big proponent of the Trump-Russia Collusion narrative. Velshi has also accused conservatives of creating an environment for terrorism, suggested high gas prices were a Saudi plot to help Republicans in the 2022 midterms, warned of theocracy, defended Stacey Abrams from accusations of conspiracy theories, and allowed his guests to suggest a President Ron DeSantis may lead to coups in the United States.
Proving that MSNBC’s concern about disinformation only goes one way, Jankowicz responded by hyping her own lawsuit against Fox, “I've decided to sue Fox, as well, for the conspiracy theories they spread about me. I think there needs to be consequences for people running people’s lives, lying for profit.”
Jankowicz also urged Velshi’s viewers to vote for her preferred candidates:
And unfortunately, we cannot sue members of Congress for the things that they say on the floor in the course of duty. But what we can do is go to the ballot box. So, hopefully your viewers, Ali, are all over the country and can go out there and vote not just in the presidential elections but in midterm elections, and in local elections because that's how we show that we mean business. That is the real consequence that we can have with our elected officials and we have to say to them that they can categorically dismiss their lies.
And where do they go to get the truth about MSNBC’s lies?
This segment was sponsored by 4imprint.
Here is a transcript for the July 15 show:
MSNBC Velshi
7/15/2023
10:52 AM ET
ALI VELSHI: Nina, but let’s just talk about that for a second, I just did that intro to the segment, right? So that my audience would understand this conspiracy theory that I guarantee you, pretty much nobody in my audience knew that story because why would they?
Two segments ago I talked about red states and Bidenomics, again I’m not-- my audience doesn't have conspiracy theorists in, right? So, what does this content war mean? What does this volume of information mean? I can sit here and book you guys in the show and we can debunk these conspiracy theories that my viewer didn't have in the first place and the people who are out there bathing in the cesspool of conspiracy or not watching me.
NINA JANKOWICZ: Yeah, that’s exactly the problem. We’re not reaching the target audience of those conspiracy theories, and frankly, I think that’s why Ray Epps decided to bring his lawsuit.
Also to get, you know, back at Fox for the damage they’ve done to his life and it’s why I've decided to sue Fox, as well, for the conspiracy theories they spread about me. I think there needs to be consequences for people running people’s lives, lying for profit.
And unfortunately, we cannot sue members of Congress for the things that they say on the floor in the course of duty. But what we can do is go to the ballot box. So, hopefully your viewers, Ali, are all over the country and can go out there and vote not just in the presidential elections but in midterm elections, and in local elections because that's how we show that we mean business. That is the real consequence that we can have with our elected officials and we have to say to them that they can categorically dismiss their lies.
