On Saturday's AM Joy show, the MSNBC show gave frequent guest and The Nation correspondent Elie Mystal a forum to spew hate for Donald Trump supporters holding a rally in Washington, D.C., as he declared that "I hope they get frostbite," and, invoking Jane Goodall, vaguely likened them to gorillas.
Earlier in the show, host Tiffany Cross had lauded Mystal -- known for making incendiary comments -- as being popular with viewers as she introduced him.
During a discussion of the pro-Trump Million MAGA March, Cross asked Mystal for his reaction to protesters refusing to accept the election results. After declaring that they are fighting against reality, he made a reference to the book and movie, Gorillas in the Mist, as he continued:
I don't forget the fact that these people are fundamentally a joke. These aren't serious people. These are members of a cult. I feel a little bit like I'm Jane Goodall watching "People in the Mist," right? (changes voice) "Here see the North American MAGA bros in all of its idiot glory. Their leader has left them for greener pastures, yet still they march neatly -- almost mindlessly," right?
While arguing that President Trump is just trying to raise money from them, Mystal further threw venom at the pro-Trump activists as he added: "I refuse to let these people take my joy having defeated them for at least the next four years. I refuse to let them take my joy -- march all they want -- I hope they get frostbite."
When MSNBC contributor Jason Johnson was then asked by Cross how Joe Biden supporters could "co-exist" with these Trump supporters, he repeated the discredited claims that President Trump advised people to drink bleach to treat COVID-19 even though the President never said any such thing. Here's Johnson:
Oh, we don't have to. I mean, we just -- we have to tolerate them. Look, 230,000 people dying of COVID and nine million people being infected has not changed the fact that these people still want to support and worship a guy who said that you should drink Clorox bleach to be okay.
A bit earlier, as she introduced Mystal for an earlier segment, Cross gushed over him as if he were one of the show's stars: "Joining me now is who you've all been tweeting me about and asking for, justice correspondent for The Nation and my friend, Elie Mystal. I'm so happy to have you here, the act everybody's been waiting to see."
As he commented on why Republicans are pushing for the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down the Affordable Care Act, Mystal blamed racism against a black President for opposition to universal health care:
There's no good reason for Republicans to keep trying to do this, right? Their voters -- their own voters don't want the Affordable Care Act to go away. The issue with Obamacare has always been that if was called Obamacare, right? It was always that it was a black President who was trying to help them with health care.
This episode of AM Joy was sponsored by Happy Nappers. Their contact information is linked.
Transcript follows:
MSNBC
AM Joy
November 14, 2020
11:36 a.m. Eastern
TIFFANY CROSS: Joining me now is who you've all been tweeting me about and asking for, justice correspondent for The Nation and my friend, Elie Mystal. I'm so happy to have you here, the act everybody's been waiting to see. So I have a lot of questions for you because I have to tell you, this ACA conversation is very personal to me. I needed surgery in September -- I didn't have the health insurance. I was losing my hair -- I was in intense pain -- and the only way I was able to have that surgery is because of Obamacare. So I'll ask a pretty basic question: Why are Republicans trying to strip this away when they, in fact, have no alternative to the Affordable Care Act?
ELIE MYSTAL, THE NATION; Because they don't like you? There's no good reason for Republicans to keep trying to do this, right? Their voters -- their own voters don't want the Affordable Care Act to go away. The issue with Obamacare has always been that if was called Obamacare, right? It was always that it was a black President who was trying to help them with health care. If it was called -- oh, I don't know -- Romneycare, which is what it was when Mitt Romney came up with it in Massachusetts, the Republicans would be fine with it. So this is really -- this is politics at the pettiest level.
(...)
11:51 a.m.
TIFFANY CROSS: Elie, what do you make of so many people showing up to defy what has clearly been a confirmed victory by Joe Biden? These are people saying, "We refuse to accept the reality of what we're seeing."
ELIE MYSTAL, THE NATION: Yeah. Well, reality doesn't care if they accept it or not, right? They lost. They're going to keep losing. And as the Big Lebowski says "The bums lost!" all right, and so I'm not really -- I mean, I'm concerned for the reasons why Jason said. but I don't forget the fact that these people are fundamentally a joke. These aren't serious people. These are members of a cult. I feel a little bit like I'm Jane Goodall watching "People in the Mist," right? (changes voice) "Here see the North American MAGA bros in all of its idiot glory. Their leader has left them for greener pastures, yet still they march neatly -- almost mindlessly," right?
I mean, Trump drove by that parade to go golf! His entire election results lawsuit strategy is a grift to make money for his campaign, and these people give it to him. And so I just -- I refuse -- I refuse to let these people take my joy having defeated them for at least the next four years. I refuse to let them take my joy -- march all they want -- I hope they get frostbite.
CROSS: Well, that means -- let me say this march includes the Women for Trump event. And they have falsely asserted this voter fraud, and that that's the reason that Donald Trump lost the election. But we're seeing record turnout in terms of the popular vote. Arizona has been called. North Carolina was called, and Trump actually won it. Arizona, much thanks to the Navajo nation. Native Americans in that state who helped deliver a decisive win for Donald Trump. What will it take for such a large crowd to accept that this is where we are as a country and then, Jason, let me ask you, how do we proceed? How do we co-exist with our fellow countrymen who are here willing to risk life and livelihood marching in the streets without masks, rejecting reality, rejecting the reality of COVID, rejecting the reality of the election? How are we expected to co-exist with this crowd of people?
JASON JOHNSON, MSNBC CONTRIBUTOR: Oh, we don't have to. I mean, we just -- we have to tolerate them. Look, 230,000 people dying of COVID and nine million people being infected has not changed the fact that these people still want to support and worship a guy who said that you should drink Clorox bleach to be okay.
