As per usual for MSNBC, facts were not necessary on Thursday before the second night of the first 2020 Democratic presidential debate. Host and Trump Derangement Syndrome sufferer Nicolle Wallace falsely claimed that there’s never been a presidential “candidate to be credibly accused of sexual assault as violent as the rape described by E. Jean” before Donald Trump.
Moments earlier, Wallace offered another whopper, insisting that the “[t]he Republican Party is dead” despite currently holding the White House, the Senate, and a Supreme Court majority.
First, the rape claim. Speaking about the now scatterbrained story of E. Jean Carroll, and ignoring her bizarre claims (such as her belief that more than a few people find rape sexy), Wallace fretted that “in the flurry of news, to be perfectly honesty, in the flurry of news and some of her media appearances, it became foggy what she was alleging.” Gee, one wonders who’s fault that was!
Wallace then ignored the history regarding any and all of Bill Clinton's accusers (most notably Juanita Broadrick) as well as Ted Kennedy’s sordid history with women to offer the following on Trump (click “expand”):
But in terms of what Donald Trump did and in terms of how the U.S. criminal codes look at the act of what he did, it was a rape. But, you know, it — we are having a Democratic primary that will result in someone who will run against the first ever candidate to be credibly accused of sexual assault as violent as the rape described by E. Jean. So I think what — what Kirsten Gillibrand, what Kamala Harris bring tonight, whether they bring this up or not, I do not know, but I think it is a unique strength that some of these women in the field will have if they decide to make this an issue. These allegations aren't going away. There are more now than there were when Donald Trump ran the first time[.]
As for her nonsense about her former party, the failed McCain/Palin campaign hand asserted that “I’m pretty sure the Democrats don't want to follow the Republican Party to the cemetery. The Republican Party is dead.”
Shockingly, All In host Chris Hayes stepped in for a reality check: “Donald Trump won the presidency. They had unified government for two years. They have a Supreme Court majority of 5-4.”
Wallace attempted to save face, offering some nonsense about Hayes “making an argument about what wins,” but her lie was buried even deeper by MSNBC contributor and former Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill (click “expand”):
I just know when I did 50 town halls in the reddest part of this country, invariably I said who likes Medicare for All? And they would all raise their hands. I said now keep your hand up if it means that you have to give up your insurance at work. Well, all of the sudden everybody's hands went down. They went, “What do you mean we have to give up our insurance at work?”I said well, yeah, that's what it is. And I don't think — I think there is a danger in that issue because most people when they have — that's what I'm talking about. Let's not go so far that we lose sight of November going forward.
Wallace can try to save face by fretting that Republicans have “optimism” with their belief that “there is a civil ideological war inside the Democratic Party, and I think it gives me no comfort that Republicans are comforted by that. I think Republicans think the Democrats are locked in a duel for the soul of the Democratic Party between the AOC wing and between maybe the Biden wing,” which could turn off Obama-to-Trump voters.
Hayes then wrestled away the crazy mantle by describing himself as someone who feels as if America was “sitting in 1940, and we have a rendezvous with destiny and the Nazis are sweeping across Europe and the attack is going to come and we're going to be engaged in a generational fight with climate change.”
In other words, it was more of the same on MSNBC compared to last night.
To see the relevant transcript from MSNBC’s pre-debate coverage on June 27, click “expand.”
MSNBC’s Democratic Debate Pre-Show
June 27, 2019
7:23 p.m. Eastern
NICOLLE WALLACE: And I’m pretty sure the Democrats don't want to follow the Republican Party to the cemetery. The Republican Party is dead. I mean, Hillary Clinton — I mean, I — I —
CHRIS HAYES: Donald Trump won the presidency.
WALLACE: — know what you’re saying. He won the presidency.
HAYES: They had unified government for two years. They have a Supreme Court majority of 5-4.
WALLACE: Well, I think if you're making an argument about what wins and I think you're making the same argument. I think maybe your disagreement is on how.
HAYES: I'm saying we don't know. We don't know.
CLAIRE MCCASKILL: Well, I think I —
HAYES: We don't know what the voters want. We just don't know.
MCASKILL: — I just think that — I just know when I did 50 town halls
HAYES: Yeah.
MCCASKILL: in the reddest part of this country, invariably I said who likes Medicare for All?
HAYES: Right.
MCCASKILL: And they would all raise their hands. I said now keep your hand up if it means
HAYES: If you want to get rid of — yes.
MCCASKILL: — that you have to give up your insurance at work. Well, all of the sudden everybody's hands went down. They went, “What do you mean we have to give up our insurance at work?”
BRIAN WILLIAMS: Right.
MCCASKILL: I said well, yeah, that's what it is. And I don't think — I think there is a danger in that issue —
HAYES: Right.
MCCASKILL: — because most people when they have — that's what I'm talking about.
HAYES: I totally agree.
MCCASKILL: Let's not go so far that we lose sight of November going forward.
WALLACE: But let me just say —
HAYES: I just think it's more mysterious, right? It's more mysterious than we know. Period.
MCcASKILL: I agree.
WALLACE: I also think this —
WILLIAMS: There’s the guy from Delaware arriving by the way.
MCCASKILL: There’s Joe.
WALLACE: There’s Joe Biden.
WILLIAMS: And —
WALLACE: He’s in.
WILLIAMS: Inside, yes.
WALLACE: I think, though, this debate is what gives Republicans optimism. I think Republicans think there is a civil ideological war inside the Democratic Party, and I think it gives me no comfort that Republicans are comforted by that. I think Republicans think the Democrats are locked in a duel for the soul of the Democratic Party between the AOC wing and between maybe the Biden wing.
HAYES: Right.
WALLACE: That once — that they don't even know the answer to the question should we try to get back the two-time Obama voter who flipped for Trump in Erie, PA, in Bay City, Michigan. Do we want them or not is a question that I think Republican and maybe some in the media don't know the answer to or don't know if the Democrats have consensus.
HAYES: There is two things here. People have substantive commitments. I mean, that's the other part of it, right? Like there are people right now who feel like we're sitting in 1940, and we have a rendezvous with destiny and the Nazis are sweeping across Europe and the attack is going to come and we're going to be engaged in a generational fight with climate change and those people, that’s — I mean, I'm one of those people, but there are many of those people, millions of those people. That's what they think the stakes are. They're not thinking about, like, what is the right way to unlock —
WALLACE: But let me give you something — but let me give you something just as dire. I think there are a lot of people who think there is a racist, misogynist in the Oval Office
HAYES: Yes.
WALLACE: — who would like to see Democrats nominate someone who can win.
HAYES: Totally, but my whole point is there is not some skeleton key that’s locked in a box that this is how you win. If there were, someone would have cracked it open.
MCCASKILL: Well, that’s —
HAYES: It doesn't exist.
WALLAEC: And if it were any of us, we wouldn't be here.
HAYES: Right, exactly like I would — If anyone knew how to do it, go ahead and put it in there.
EUGENE ROBINSON: What happens is the electorate changes —
HAYES: That’s right
ROBINSON: — the atmosphere changes. The issues that — that really matter to people change, and we live in tumultuous times.
HAYES: Yeah, right.
(....)
7:47 p.m. Eastern
WALLACE: But the story within a story is another credible and extremely violent sexual assault. The other is the way we all treated it. I read the book. I had booked E. Jean. And then, in the flurry of news, to be perfectly honesty, in the flurry of news and some of her media appearances, it became foggy what she was alleging. She as a victim has chosen not to use the word rape as part of her own strength, as part of not seeing herself as a victim. But in terms of what Donald Trump did and in terms of how the U.S. criminal codes look at the act of what he did, it was a rape. But, you know, it — we are having a Democratic primary that will result in someone who will run against the first ever candidate to be credibly accused of sexual assault as violent as the rape described by E. Jean. So I think what — what Kirsten Gillibrand, what Kamala Harris bring tonight, whether they bring this up or not, I do not know, but I think it is a unique strength that some of these women in the field will have if they decide to make this an issue. These allegations aren't going away. There are more now than there were when Donald Trump ran the first time and I think something haunting that E. Jean says to Megan Twohey in The Daily interview is the reason she didn't tell her story of being raped in Bergdorf by Donald Trump allegedly is because she thought it would help him win in 2016. So it’s really — it’s all the darkness of this moment. It’s all the darkness of Donald Trump, and it’s — it’s frankly a bit of an indictment about how we cover these allegations, how disorienting they can be.
