As MSNBC anchor Ali Velshi prepared to cover Air Force Technical Sergeant John A. Chapman posthumously receiving the Medal of Honor during a White House ceremony Wednesday afternoon, he implored his anti-Trump viewers to stay tuned despite their opposition to the president.
“I know sometimes some of you tweet me that you’re frustrated when we go to the White House for events,” Velshi acknowledged as he promoted the upcoming live coverage. To his credit, he continued: “I will beg your indulgence when it comes to Medal of Honor recipients. These are American heroes who do deserve your time.”
Coming back after a commercial break, Velshi brought on NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt, who recently interviewed Sergeant Chapman’s widow about her late husband being honored for his heroism during a 2002 fire fight with Al Qaeda forces in Afghanistan, which took his life. The host again noted: “Lester, as I mentioned before you came in, sometimes our viewers don’t like to stick around when we go to hear the president speak, but the exception must be made for Medal of Honor recipients.”
Talking to Medal of Honor recipient and NBC News Military Analyst Colonel Jack Jacobs minutes later, Velshi reiterated: “So it is important, and this is sort of what I was sharing with my viewers, it’s important that we pause and we listen to these stories very fully.”
It’s pretty sad when a liberal media host has to plead with his audience to watch a White House ceremony honoring a military hero who gave his life for his country just because viewers don’t like the current president.
Here are excerpts of Velshi’s August 22 coverage leading up to the White House event:
3:23 PM ET
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ALI VELSHI: Alright, let’s have a quick look at the East Room of the White House, where in just a few minutes Air Force Technical Sergeant John A. Chapman will posthumously receive the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest award for valor in combat. I know sometimes some of you tweet me that you’re frustrated when we go to the White House for events. I will beg your indulgence when it comes to Medal of Honor recipients. These are American heroes who do deserve your time.
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3:28 PM ET
VELSHI: Any minute now, President Trump is expected to present the Medal of Honor, our nation’s highest military award, to a man who was left behind by his unit in Afghanistan because they thought he was dead. Only later did they learn he was still alive and continued to fight alone for more than an hour. And before Air Force Tech Sergeant John Chapman died of his injuries, he killed two Al Qaeda fighters, including one in hand-to-hand combat.
This was in March of 2002. The investigation into what happened took more than two and a half years and involved videos like this one from Air Force – from the Air Force from drones that were flying overhead.
Sergeant Chapman was embedded with SEAL Team Six, the same unit that killed Osama bin Laden. And today, Sergeant Chapman’s mother and his widow will receive the honor on the Sergeant’s behalf. NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt joins me now. Lester spoke with the Sergeant’s widow to talk about what this ceremony means to their family. Lester, as I mentioned before you came in, sometimes our viewers don’t like to stick around when we go to hear the president speak, but the exception must be made for Medal of Honor recipients.
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3:34 PM ET
VELSHI: So for each one of these 3,000-plus people, there are so many more who did these things, who die in silence sometimes, who fight in silence. So it is important, and this is sort of what I was sharing with my viewers, it’s important that we pause and we listen to these stories very fully.
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