After pompously declaring that MSNBC regulars like the disgraced Brian Williams would “fact check” Donald Trump’s State of the Union, Williams and Rachel Maddow on Tuesday went juvenile and touted a protester flipping off the President’s limo. The disgraced ex-Nightly News anchor mocked, “It encountered a small but vocal, as they say, group of protesters including a gentleman you seen who had a funny way of waving to the motorcade.”
Maddow joked, “One-fingered salute!” Williams piled on: “He was by my count eight fingers short of a full, two-handed wave there. So, I don't know what it is we just witnessed there.”
This prompted more giggling from Maddow.
Earlier in the night, MSNBC and CNN pushed the talking point that Trump is like Richard Nixon in 1974.
A partial transcript is below:
State of the Union Address preview
1/30/18
8:53BRIAN WILLIAMS: We've been watching everything from inside the chamber. We saw Karen Pence arrive and take her seat. We saw the motorcade around what is really the final turn as it heads up to Capitol Hill. It encountered a small but vocal, as they say, group of protesters including a gentleman you seen who had a funny way of waving to the motorcade.
RACHEL MADDOW: One-fingered salute!
WILLIAMS: He was by my count eight fingers short of a full, two-handed wave there. So, I don't know what it is we witnessed there. [Maddow giggles.]
