It’s time to find out who had the Worst Media Quote of the Week. This interactive series is where you — our loyal NewsBusters visitors and MRC supporters — get to vote on which leftist journalist or celebrity had the worst media quote of the week.
Much appreciation to all who voted last week via NewsBusters and the MRC’s various social media sites (Facebook, Instagram, X, and Truth Social).
The results of the Worst Media Quote of the Week are in, and the winner is…
Symone Sanders Townsend!
The MS NOW host won with a whopping 71 percent of the vote! Sanders Townsend won for downplaying Byron Donald’s historic win in Florida because he’s a Black Republican, as she dismissed him: “All kinfolk, ain’t skinfolk.” CNN’s Van Jones came in second place with 15 percent. MS NOW host Rachel Maddow finished right behind Jones, in third place with 14 percent.
Check out the following clip (via the MRC Video team) to see the nominees in action:
Watch the quotes from @maddow, @SymoneDSanders, and @VanJones68 👇
Video by @Schineman pic.twitter.com/hFNyngCw1K— Media Research Center (@theMRC) November 5, 2026
WINNER (71 percent of the vote)
Symone Sanders Downplays Byron Donalds’s Historic Win Because He’s a Black Republican: “All Kinfolk, Ain’t Skinfolk”
“Byron Donalds is now the governor of Florida. It is a historic win. It is the first time Florida has elected a black governor. I will say, though, you know, as they, as you say in my community, all kinfolk ain’t skinfolk. And what I say and what I mean by that is Byron Donalds is making history, but he is going to continue the political direction that Ron DeSantis is going to continue in Florida.”
— MS NOW host Symone Sanders Townsend during MS NOW’s live election night coverage, November 3.
SECOND PLACE (15 percent of the vote)
Van Jones: “Cult Leader” Trump Led Republicans to Jonestown Massacre
“If you join a cult, at some point the cult leader takes you to Jonestown and tries to get you to drink the Kool-Aid. This is Jonestown for the Republican Party. They drank the Kool-Aid, and they have candidates that are dropping like flies across the country because they did not stand up to this guy when he was doing things that were wrong, when he was violating the law, when he was running over our system. They didn’t stand up to him and they’re paying the price. It’s Jonestown tonight. You join a cult, at some point, you go to Jonestown. That’s where you are tonight, Republicans.”— Senior political commentator Van Jones during CNN’s live coverage, November 3.
THIRD PLACE (14 percent of the vote)
Rachel Maddow Celebrates: “This is a Freaking One-Finger Salute” to Trump’s Authoritarianism
“One of the things that happens in Democratic backsliding, and when authoritarians take over Democratic countries, is that they tell you that the vote doesn’t matter. I mean, that’s the whole thing behind claiming voter fraud and claiming that the elections are rigged. It’s to tell people, don’t bother voting. Your vote doesn’t count. Your vote, whatever you intend it to mean, it won’t ever mean that, and this whole system is rigged against you. And it’s to turn people off from voting not only to make them disbelieve the results, but to make them disinterested in participating. And this is a freaking one-finger salute to that idea from the American people tonight.”
— MS NOW host Rachel Maddow on MS NOW’s live election night coverage, November 3.
Thanks again to all who participated!
Sponsored by James P. Jimirro
