An awkward and pained Brian Williams on Monday night was forced to discuss the ethical lapse of someone other than himself. MSNBC journalists and panelists eagerly pounced on lines from Melania Trump’s Republican convention speech that appear to be lifted from Michelle Obama’s 2008 Democratic National Convention address. However, Williams, who came under fire for grossly exaggerating stories he repeated on-air, at first tried to stay out of it.
After playing clips of Mrs. Obama and Mrs. Trump’s speech, he simply teed up Chris Matthews and Steve Schmidt to talk about it: “We are joined here by two political professionals, who have both seen of light and entered the world of television journalism, and let's talk about this.” Later, Williams imagined memes mocking the businessman’s wife.
Williams speculated, “This is all but guaranteed to become a meme, whether anyone wants it to or not by tomorrow morning, if not by the middle of the night tonight.”
He worried, “They [the campaign] can stop digging on this by the morning shows... What do you think is going to end up being the story here?”
Brian Williams might be aware of just how memes related to ethical lapses can develop.
In other moments, the NBC journalist simply encouraged others to make the point about Mrs.’s Trump’s speech: “We have a former White House speech writer as part of our on-air family and that’s Chris Matthews, who has been listening to all of this in Cleveland. Chris?
A partial transcript is below:
MSNBC live coverage
7/19/16
12:20BRIAN WILLIAMS: We have put together just the first rudimentary video comparisons from tonight to '08, as with a lot of things on the appropriately named social media, this started with one person, kind of the butterfly effect by the time most persons wake up tomorrow morning, this will likely be a thing. Here now the most rudimentary edit of the passages being highlighted.
MICHELLE OBAMA: And Barack Obama and I were raised with so many of the same values, like you work hard for what you want in life, that your word is your bond, that you do what you say you're going to do, that you treat people with dignity and respect.
MELANIA TRUMP: From a young age, my parents impressed on me the values that you work hard for what you want in life, that your word is your bond and you do what you say and keep your promise, that you treat people with respect.
OBAMA: Because we want our children and all children in this nation to know that the only limit to the height of your achievement is the reach of your dreams and your willingness to work hard for them.
TRUMP: Because we want our children in this nation to know that the only limit to your achievements is the strength of your dreams and your willingness to work for them.
WILLIAMS: We are joined here by two political professionals, who have both seen of light and entered the world of television journalism, and let's talk about this.
...
12:24
WILLIAMS: We have a former White House speech writer as part of our on-air family and that’s Chris Matthews, who has been listening to all of this in Cleveland. Chris?
MATTHEWS: It’s devastating
...
MADDOW: This is bad. This is really bad.
...
MATTHEWS: Steve, You've been the most recent of anyone on the air right now in the trenches of a campaign. Remind our viewers the life of a speech writer, the finite world of available speech writers. These are by definition freelancers, unless it's a hugely big moving finance
campaign or the White House or a senate office where they can be carried on payroll, correct?
...
WILLIAMS: Hallie, this conversation can exist on several levels. Number one, this is all but guaranteed to become a meme, whether anyone wants it to or not by tomorrow morning, if not by the middle of the night tonight. Number two, this is, they can stop digging on this by the morning shows, to use Steve’s point. What do you think is going to end up being the story here?
