When people think of the liberal venom coming from MSNBC, many would single out Chris Matthews, Rachel Maddow or Lawrence O’Donnell. But the 9am hour has quietly become another home on the network for angry rants. On Wednesday, guests compared Donald Trump to a dictator and somehow linked Trump’s White House speech on Tuesday to the assassination of Robert Kennedy.
Talking about Trump’s patriotism event in the wake of cancelling the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles' appearance at the White House, New York Times columnist Bret Stephens linked: “This reminds me of certain regimes around the world. The Maduro regime in Venezuela comes to mind that pumps out its followers to create an appearance of unity and celebration when it's simply not there.”
Nicolas Maduro is the authoritarian, socialist leader of Venezuela. While many disagree with Trump’s decision to disinvite the Eagles, it’s hard to see how that makes Trump like a socialist human rights violator.
Also appearing with Stephens was liberal XM host Mark Thompson. Thompson somehow connected the White House event with... RFK’s assassination:
Fifty years ago, Bobby Kennedy walked into the kitchen of the Ambassador hotel, on his right was a great African American athlete, a gold medalist, Rafer Johnson. On his left, a former NFL player, Rosey Grier. They took him to the podium. They walked him off the podium where he lost his life. Literally 50 years to the day Trump holds his ceremony. It’s a part of his overall movement to attack African American athletes and cause division.
The 9am hour of MSNBC has also featured co-host Stephanie Ruhle comparing Trump to The Godfather.
A transcript is below.
MSNBC Live
6/6/18
9:32am ET[On the White House ceremony yesterday]
STEPHANIE RUHLE: There are stories they were asking people in the crowd who's the quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, and people couldn't answer. I mean, listen, I might not be an Eagles fan. But if I was an eagles fan I sure as heck would know. There was even one who was walking towards the press line, and his friend said, “No, no, no, remember, we're not allowed to talk to them.” Sounds a little —
BRET STEPHENS: I'm sorry, but this reminds me of certain regimes around the world. The Maduro regime in Venezuela comes to mind that pumps out its followers to create an appearance of unity and celebration when it's simply not there. What always stuns me, and it shouldn't stun me because we've had two and a half, three years to get used to this, which is the continual weaponization of differences when we should have conciliation that is the stocking trade of this presidency.
...
MARK THOMPSON: (XM radio host, Make It Plain): Fifty years ago, Bobby Kennedy walked into the kitchen of the Ambassador hotel, on his right was a great African American athlete, a gold medalist Rafer Johnson. On his left, a former NFL player Rosey Grier. They took him to the podium. They walked him off the podium where he lost his life. Literally 50 years to the day Trump holds his ceremony. It’s a part of his overall movement to attack African American athletes and cause division. We just talked about the pork farmers in the Dakotas. Bobby Kennedy won California and South Dakota and said at the Ambassador hotel, if we can win a state like California, win a rural state like South Dakota we can have unity. What's Trump doing? Dividing America. That's what he's about.
