Yes, that headline does not contain a typo. All Saturday morning on MSNBC, the liberal cable network foolishly tried to convince viewers that the far-left, pro-abortion Women’s March would offer only “a message of unity” and not be “hateful or anti-Trump.”
This is just not true. As my colleague and MRC Culture writer Katie Yoder has repeatedly chronicled, women’s groups with pro-life beliefs were not only purged, but also informed that the official event platform “is pro-choice” and stated it would “look forward to marching on behalf of individuals who share the view that women deserve the right to make their own reproductive decisions.”
Just after 7:00 a.m. Eastern, reporter Cal Perry remarked near the National Mall that attendees have referred to themselves as “part of the Resistance” responding to “what they saw yesterday on TV with Donald Trump, giving sort of a dark inauguration speech.”
Perry must not have done his homework on what the Resistance stands for, but it’s entire focus is to stop the Trump administration and cause mass disruption. Nonetheless, he left that knowledge behind as he played the role of march publicist:
They're here to send a message of unity, to send a message of women's rights of course. This is the Women's March, but to send a message of unity and to send a message that Democratic Party — certainly, the organizers would tell you this, the Democratic Party is not in as bad a shape as people say.
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Covering the Chicago edition of the march, MSNBC editor Beth Fouhy repeated this misleading talking point that it's not meant to be “negative” toward Trump:
Now, what the organizers are saying is they don't want to be a negative rally. They don’t want it a hateful or anti-Trump. It’s really about activating, motivating women, getting them excited, getting them to run for office, getting them to stand up for their rights. We spoke to one of the main organizers yesterday about the rally and she insisted that this is really not about Donald Trump.
In the next hour, Perry spoke with an unidentified female attendee who told him that she simply “[w]e're not about divisions between people” but “unity and acceptance of other peoples and acceptance of people’s differences.”
Fouhy also came back in the 8:00 a.m. Eastern hour with a similar message: “What we're hearing generally is people are just — want to send a message of positivity and hope and advocating for women and for people who haven't had a voice or feel they haven't had a voice in this administration.”
Before Joy Reid took over at 10:00 a.m. Eastern, Kristen Welker anchored the last hour and told someone affiliated with the march that “[o]ne of the fascinating things about this march when you read the literature about it, it's not necessarily written about as an anti-President Trump march, but at the same time, that is what you're protesting.”
“Well, we're saying that we are a unified — I mean, it's women coming together to say, you know what? We've got to protect each other. Right? At this point, we need to make sure as we move forward in four years, we don't look back and say, well, this is what the United States stands for, right,” responded Erika Andiola.
As highlighted above, the idea that this march is inclusive and welcoming of people across the spectrum of ideas is absurd. MRC Culture’s Yoder wrote here about how the march’s primary objectives include abortion via its “unity principles document.”
Here’s just one excerpt concocted with help from Planned Parenthood:
We believe in Reproductive Freedom. We do not accept any federal, state or local rollbacks, cuts or restrictions on our ability to access quality reproductive healthcare services, birth control, HIV/AIDS care and prevention, or medically accurate sexuality education. This means open access to safe, legal, affordable abortion and birth control for all people, regardless of income, location or education. We understand that we can only have reproductive justice when reproductive health care is accessible to all people regardless of income, location or education.
When Yoder inquired with a Women’s March representative about why Students for Life of America wouldn’t be included as a participating organization, they provided a statement all but denying they had ever received an application.
The far left group added that they’re “are engaging with partners from diverse backgrounds and we look forward to making this a historic and successful march for all women and their families.”
Here’s the relevant portions of the transcript from MSNBC Live on January 21:
MSNBC Live
January 21, 2017
7:03 a.m. Eastern
CAL PERRY: They say they're here to be part of the Resistance. That is something that they will tell you. They're here to let the world know he that what they saw yesterday on TV with Donald Trump, giving sort of a dark inauguration speech. Some people would say a politically divisive inauguration speech. They're here to send a message of unity, to send a message of women's rights of course. This is the Women's March, but to send a message of unity and to send a message that Democratic Party — certainly, the organizers would tell you this, the Democratic Party is not in as bad a shape as people say.
(....)
BETH FOUHY: It's unusually balmy here today in Chicago, so that’s going to help boost turnout. Now, what the organizers are saying is they don't want to be a negative rally. They don’t want it a hateful or anti-Trump. It’s really about activating, motivating women, getting them excited, getting them to run for office, getting them to stand up for their rights. We spoke to one of the main organizers yesterday about the rally and she insisted that this is really not about Donald Trump.
WOMEN’s MARCH ON CHICAGO ORGANIZER JESSICA SCHELLER: I'm sure there will be some anti-Trump marchers this Chicago. But as an organization, we are looking to the future. This is much bigger than just one man. This is about the mindset that led to the election of that person.
FOUHY: So that's what you're hearing, Chris. We’re hearing just a lot of positivity from people. They're getting in here. They're excited. They’re not going to be able to make to Washington today, so this is the next best thing for them, Chris.
(....)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE ATTENDEE: I had to put my body here to just indicate that the majority of Americans are not for this, are not for — and almost any policy that's happening. We're not about divisions between people. We're about unity and acceptance of other peoples and acceptance of people’s differences. That's what America means to me. It means that this is a place where you can come and have an American dream of making a life that's better for your family. It's not about exclusion. It's about inclusion. That's why I'm here.
(....)
FOUHY: What we're hearing generally is people are just — want to send a message of positivity and hope and advocating for women and for people who haven't had a voice or feel they haven't had a voice in this administration.
(....)
KRISTEN WELKER: One of the fascinating things about this march when you read the literature about it, it's not necessarily written about as an anti-President Trump march, but at the same time, that is what you're protesting, correct?
ERIKA ANDIOLA: Well, we're saying that we are a unified — I mean, it's women coming together to say, you know what? We've got to protect each other. Right? At this point, we need to make sure as we move forward in four years, we don't look back and say, well, this is what the United States stands for, right? We cannot normalize the rhetoric that happened throughout the campaign trail and for that to happen, we need to come together and tell each other we're protect each other if this, you know, if those attacks actually become a reality.
