Appearing on MSNBC’s 11 a.m. ET hour on Tuesday, NewsOne Now host Roland Martin said something so offensive about President Trump that even liberal anchor Stephanie Ruhle had to object. Discussing the President giving an unusually political speech to the Boy Scouts on Monday, Martin launched into a tirade: “Here’s the deal, large rallies for Donald Trump – that’s his crack. He is addicted to it. He is a crackhead when it comes to large crowds.”
Ruhle was forced to interrupt her guest and scold him for his nasty attack: “Hold on. Roland – Roland, hold on a second. Hold on – we’re talking about being respectful. This is the president – ” Martin insisted: “No, no, no, follow me here....follow me, Stephanie – ” Ruhle continued to admonish him: “Hold on a second, no. This is the President of the United States. If you want to say he’s an adrenaline addict, if you want to say this fires him up, fine. You’re not going to say it’s his crack.”
Adjusting his language slightly, Martin ranted: “That’s his fix....When he gets in front of a large crowd, he loses it.” The left-wing commentator proclaimed: “He’s gonna keep doing this, and you sat there and listened to it, and it was horrible....I’m sorry, that was despicable and I would like to respect the President, but can he please respect the office?”
After first lecturing Martin, Ruhle then joined in the harsh criticism: “I’ll tell you, my mother, who voted for President Trump, she herself was disgusted by last night’s speech.” She then noted that the President would be “giving another rally tonight to a huge crowd in Ohio.” Co-anchor Ali Velshi remarked: “He’s going to get a fix tonight.” Ruhle agreed: “He’s certainly going to get a fix.”
Wrapping up the segment, she reiterated: “Ali, I appreciate the sentiment, but if we’re calling to raise the bar, if we’re calling for respect – ” Velshi interjected: “We’re going to go with a ‘fix.’”
Martin’s offensive statements were brought to viewers by American Express, Trivago, and AARP.
Here is a transcript of the July 25 exchange:
11:49 AM ET
(...)
ALI VELSHI: The organizers of the [Boy Scout] Jamboree sent out a notice to all the various scouts that are going to be there and their leaders and said, “You can help make the President’s visit a success by ensuring that any reaction to the President’s address are, as we state in our Scout Law, friendly and courteous and kind. Please help us ensure that all scouts can enjoy this historical address by making sure your troop members are respectful not only of the President, but of the wide variety of viewpoints held by Scouts and Scouters in the audience tonight.” So the Scouts had instructions about how to be respectful.
This man can make anything political. Right after his inauguration, went to the CIA, a place where respect is paid by presidents to the fallen, unnamed CIA employees who have died, and he made that political.
ROLAND MARTIN: Here’s the deal, large rallies for Donald Trump – that’s his crack. He is addicted to it. He is a crackhead when it comes to large crowds.
STEPHANIE RUHLE: Okay.
MARTIN: No, no, no, follow me here.
RUHLE: Hold on. Roland – Roland, hold on a second. Hold on –
MARTIN: No, no, follow me, Stephanie –
RUHLE: Roland, hold on –
MARTIN: Follow me here.
RUHLE: We’re talking about being respectful. This is the president –
MARTIN: No, I know, but follow me here –
RUHLE: Hold on a second, no. This is the President of the United States. If you want to say he’s an adrenaline addict, if you want to say this fires him up, fine.
MARTIN: When he stands – no, no, no, follow me here. That’s his fix.
RUHLE: You’re not going to say it’s his crack.
MARTIN: That’s his fix.
RUHLE: Fine.
MARTIN: When he gets in front of a large crowd, he loses it. The CIA, this one here, it doesn’t matter. “Oh, the big win, I won this state. I couldn’t win.” He did not spend the time talking about public service, what you should do for the country. It’s all him, him, him. America would like to see the President of the United States act like it.
And we keep saying, people were saying, “Oh, it’s gonna change him.” No, it's not. We’re six months in and it’s not going to change him. He’s 71 years old. He’s gonna keep doing this, and you sat there and listened to it, and it was horrible. And I had Boy Scouts, people who are now adults, saying, “Is that what you want to hear?”
So here’s the question. Can we trust this President to speak to America’s young? Or is he simply going to trash President Obama, a boy scout, is he gonna trash former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton? Is he going to sit here and joke about hot people at parties? I’m sorry, that was despicable and I would like to respect the President, but can he please respect the office?
RUHLE: Alright, then, Roland Martin. I’ll tell you, my mother, who voted for President Trump, she herself was disgusted by last night’s speech.
MARTIN: There you go.
RUHLE: He’s giving another rally tonight to a huge crowd in Ohio.
VELSHI: He’s going to get a fix tonight.
RUHLE: He’s certainly going to get a fix.
MARTIN: And watch what happens. That’s his fix.
VELSHI: We’re going to stick with “fix.” Roland, thank you for coming. I do wish you’d come out of your shell a little bit when you come on TV with us.
MARTIN: I’m trying. I’m trying. I’ll be a little bit more forthright next time.
VELSHI: Alright, Roland.
RUHLE: Ali, I appreciate the sentiment, but if we’re calling to raise the bar, if we’re calling for respect –
VELSHI: We’re going to go with a “fix.”
