The radical rhetoric targeting President Donald Trump got extremely out of hand during Monday’s edition of MSNBC’s Hardball, with accusations that America’s number one enemy for 10 years, Osama bin Laden, desired Trump’s travel ban. “Osama bin Laden’s whole theory of a war of the west on Islam now gains great credence thanks to what Donald Trump just did,” declared the Huffington Post’s Howard Fineman to host Chris Matthews.
“We’re all crusaders now,” Matthews announced. “We are the crusaders officially in the eyes of Islam,” Fineman argued, building off of Matthews, “At least that’s what that’s what Osama said, that’s what Donald Trump has done. It is the reaction that Osama Bin Laden, himself, would have prayed for.” Fineman went off the deep end, exclaiming, “He prayed for and died for. This is 9/11 15 years later.”
This was all a part of Matthews’ first segment where he framed the ban as an affront to America’s relationship with Muslims in our military and those helping us in war zones abroad. “If you’re an American of the Islamic faith serving in the American military, do you have a strong confidence right now this is not a war against your religion,” he ridiculously asked in his opening tirade, “If you’re living a country fighting on America’s side and you’re Muslim, could you be getting this sense you are fighting against your own faith and people?”
The three-month hold on travel from select countries in the Middle East could hardly be seen as the start of a holy war by the United States. But that didn’t stop Matthews from trying to push the notion:
If you’re a sworn enemy of the United States are you happy or sad that your number one enemy in the world has just done you the favor of declaring this a war between east and west. Precisely what you have been saying with every bomb you explode, every word you speak, isn't this what you dream of?
Their claims that a travel ban would be the catalyst for a major boon for terrorist recruitment is (to borrow a term from a former Obama administration official) “stone cold crazy.” They asserted that the ban gave ‘great credence” to the idea of a war between east and west. But do you know what’s a gives, even more, credence to that idea? Actually dropping bombs, like the over 26,000 former President Barack Obama dropped in 2016 alone.
Of course, we are at war with terrorist organizations throughout the region, so those strikes are to be expected. But to act as though Trump’s three-month stay on travel was what the terrorists needed as a proof of war is ludicrous. They could just exploit the accidental US airstrike on a hospital in Afghanistan for their recruitment.
Both Matthews and Fineman conveniently failed to mention that under Obama the U.S. conducted 10 times more drone strikes than under President George W. Bush, which resulting in roughly 801 civilian casualties. It now seems as though the anti-war left is finally making its way out of hibernation after eight long years.
Transcript below:
<<< Please support MRC's NewsBusters team with a tax-deductible contribution today. >>>
MSNBC
Hardball
January 30, 2017
7:00:33 PM EasternCHRIS MATTHEWS: Good evening, I’m Chris Matthews in Washington. Tonight, terrible news on the national security front. Consider it casualties of this travel ban. Everyone in the world knows it's directed against people of one religion. Our friends know it and are hurt by it in so many ways. Our enemies know it and are excited by it, knowing it will humiliate our friends, will stir terrorist recruitment around the world, will trigger others to radicalize. Think of what this announcement means from America and what it’s telling people around the world.
If you’re an American of the Islamic faith, try explaining this to your children. If you’re an American of the Islamic faith serving in the American military, do you have a strong confidence right now this is not a war against your religion? If you’re working for America’s cause overseas, perhaps in a dangerous situation, perhaps as a translator do you still feel you’re working for friends? If you’re living a country fighting on America’s side and you’re Muslim, could you be getting this sense you are fighting against your own faith and people? Do you feel more secure today given this declaration from the American president against the radicals trying to topple you? If you’re a Muslim now grouping up in America do you feel more comfortable, or more or less welcome, or more or less American? At least the Trump kind of American.
If you’re a sworn enemy of the United States are you happy or sad that your number one enemy in the world has just done you the favor of declaring this a war between east and west. Precisely what you have been saying with every bomb you explode, every word you speak, isn't this what you dream of?
…
Tell me what this means in history, right now, the fact that seven countries have been targeted by the new president, you can't come here for three months.
HOWARD FINEMAN: Well Chris, it means Osama bin Laden’s whole theory of a war of the west on Islam now gains great credence thanks to what Donald Trump just did.
MATTHEWS: We’re all crusaders now.
FINEMAN: We are the crusaders officially in the eyes of Islam. At least that’s what that’s what Osama said, that’s what Donald Trump has done. It is the reaction that Osama Bin Laden, himself, would have prayed for.
MATTHEWS: And he died for. This is what he wanted to happen.
FINEMAN: He prayed for and died for. This is 9/11 15 years later.
...
