Among many moments of smarmy media contempt for Donald Trump during a long election night, Chris Matthews' exchange with former New York City mayor and Trump surrogate Rudy Giuliani was an early contender for most self-righteous.
It came prior to polls closing on the East Coast and not a single state having been decided, and long before the magnitude of Trump's seismic victory set in.
After several minutes of give and take (the whole exchange is captured here), Matthews became predictably heavy handed --
MATTHEWS: Let me ask you, bottom line and I'm outta time, but I gotta ask you -- are you proud? You're a smart guy, you're a smart politician, I've known you forever. I don't think there's anything wrong with you until this campaign. (Giuliani laughs). Are you proud of the way you've been so loyal to Trump that I think you've gone over the top.
GIULIANI: I am proud of the way I conducted myself. I think every issue I raised is a legitimate issue. I think that my analysis of her legal problems is spot on. I think she has committed a significant number of crimes that she has gotten away with. And I think throughout their lives the Clintons have committed a significant number of crimes that they have gotten away with and I think that's a shame for our criminal justice system.
MATTHEWS: OK, thank you. Thank you, Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York. Thanks for joining us on election night, 2016.
But I gotta ask you, Mista Mayuh -- how do you sleep?
This from a man who goofily gushed about Obama's speechifying skills consistently sending a "thrill up my leg," and who once claimed to have lived in "black-majority" Washington for decades when he actually resides in a tony Maryland 'burb that's less than one percent people of color.
Most laughably, Matthews, a former Capitol Hill cop who later worked as a top aide/enforcer for House Speaker Tip' O'Neill, has long hosted a cable show on MSNBC called Hardball with Chris Matthews.
Operative word here -- hardball. As in, "forceful uncompromising methods to gain an end." (Merriam-Webster). Ever notice how libs allegedly love the rough and tumble but are so quick to cry foul, regardless of whether any occurred?
Psst, Chris -- if you're going to play hardball, your opponents might actually reciprocate.
