During his 11:00 a.m. ET hour show on Monday, MSNBC anchor Craig Melvin falsely and outrageously claimed that a gun rights rally taking place in Richmond, Virginia was being attended by “Armed militia, white nationalist groups from all over the country.” Despite having no evidence of such a claim, he repeated his assertion while introducing a report on the peaceful demonstration.
“This is the scene in Richmond. Armed militia, white nationalist groups from all over the country taking part on MLK day,” Melvin ranted as he teased an upcoming segment on the rally. He warned that the event was “Raising fears of a dangerous confrontation” in the capital of the commonwealth.
Minutes later, while teeing up a live report from the protest, Melvin again lied to viewers: “Right now, thousands of guns rights activists, white nationalists, militia groups all swarming the Virginia state capitol in Richmond.”
Reporter Cal Perry feared: “Thousands of people, as you said, heavily, heavily armed....And lawmakers will tell you that is an intimidation tactic. That they are trying to change or stop the legislation that will be enacted soon.” He eagerly touted the new gun restrictions since recent state elections “flipped Virginia blue.”
“Now, the concern is that these militia groups, some of these more extremist groups....Authorities are worried those groups will come into town and we could see a repeat of what we saw in 2017 in Charlottesville,” Perry declared.
Without evidence, Perry then claimed that he saw “militia leaders” who took part in Charlottesville “on the ground this morning.” He never identified any of those people or showed any footage of such groups taking part in the Second Amendment rally.
“As of right now, everything is quiet, everything is peaceful,” Perry was forced to admit. Though he lamented the fact that “there are no counter-demonstrators” and how “This is a very pro-gun rally, it is still a very one-sided rally.”
Earlier in the day, all three network morning shows predicted Charlottesville-style violence at the upcoming gun rights demonstration.
The fake news and fearmongering being pushed by liberal media on this story is disgraceful. The unfounded accusations being hurled by reporters and Virginia Democrats against citizens peacefully exercising their First Amendment rights is the worst kind of libel.
Here is a transcript of Melvin’s January 20 coverage:
11:40 AM ET
CRAIG MELVIN: This right now folks is a live look at the pro-gun rights rally happening outside the Virginia statehouse. This is the scene in Richmond. Armed militia, white nationalist groups from all over the country taking part on MLK day. Raising fears of a dangerous confrontation there in Richmond, Virginia. We’re gonna get a live update from on the ground next.
(...)
MELVIN: Right now, thousands of guns rights activists, white nationalists, militia groups all swarming the Virginia state capitol in Richmond. They’re protesting state bills there that would limit handgun purchases. The bills would also require background checks as well. NBC’s Cal Perry is on the ground there in Richmond. What’s the scene right now, Cal? How are things?
CAL PERRY: Thousands of people, as you said, heavily, heavily armed. I’ll get out of the way and give you an idea of what we’re seeing here. We are outside the enclosed area around the capitol, where guns are banned today. And so, what we’re seeing are people who have come out here with assault rifles, with pistols. And lawmakers will tell you that is an intimidation tactic. That they are trying to change or stop the legislation that will be enacted soon.
And we should remind our viewers it was the midterms that flipped Virginia blue. The statehouse is now Democratic. So they are able to push through these restrictions. As you said, one handgun per month restriction, background checks, and some red flag laws.
Now, the concern is that these militia groups, some of these more extremist groups, and we have seen arrests across the country, at least seven people arrested in the last 24 hours, both here and in the state of Georgia. Authorities are worried those groups will come into town and we could see a repeat of what we saw in 2017 in Charlottesville.
I can tell you that a number of those militia leaders actually signed agreements that they would not return to Charlottesville and we have seen them on the ground this morning. As of right now, everything is quiet, everything is peaceful. Frankly, because there are no counter-demonstrators. This is a very pro-gun rally, it is still a very one-sided rally.
MELVIN: Alright, Cal Perry. So far, so safe, it would seem. Hope that that’s the case throughout the next hour and a half or so. That rally set to wrap up around 1:00. Cal, thank you.
(...)
