In the wake of New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortex’s disgusting use of concentration camps imagery to attack ICE and Border Patrol, members of the liberal media, most notably CNN’s Brian Stelter, Andrew Kaczynski, Chris Cuomo, and MSNBC’s Chris Hayes, rushed to defend her and spin the comments.
But during Wednesday’s MTP Daily, NBC political director Chuck Todd put his foot down and stood above his colleagues as he called out Ocasio-Cortez and gave her a lesson on the Holocaust.
“You can call our government's detention of migrants many things depending on how you see it. It's a stain on our nation maybe, a necessary evil to others, a deal with untenable situation perhaps. But do you know what you can't call it,” he proclaimed in an obviously irritated tone.
After playing the infamous soundbite of Ocasio-Cortez, he noted that she tried to spin her comments by trying to point out the difference between concentration camps and Nazi death camps. “But Congresswoman, tens of thousands were also brutalized, tortured, starved, and ultimately died in concentration camps. Camps like Dachau,” he said coldly.
“If you want to criticize the shameful treatment of people at our southern border, fine. You’ll have plenty of company. But be careful comparing them to Nazi concentration camps! Because they're not at all comparable in the slightest,” he forcefully exclaimed.
Ocasio-Cortez wasn’t the only one to draw Todd’s ire. He soon shifted to unloading on the Democrats that were so wrapped up in their partisanship that they were making excuse for her. First on his list was New York Congressman Jerry Nadler:
But here's where it’s upsetting as her comments. Some Democrats have been reluctant to condemn her remarks and don’t want to get criticized on Twitter. Fellow New York Congressman Jerry Nadler tweeted in response: “One of the lessons from the Holocaust is ‘never again’ … We failed to learn that lesson when we don’t call out such inhumanity right in front of us.”
Jerry Nadler surely knows migrant detainment camps are not the same as concentration camps. So why didn’t he just say that?
“Why are we so sheepish calling out people we agree with politically these days,” he decried with frustration in his voice. “Are we really so ensconced in our political bubbles, liberal versus conservative that we cannot talk about right versus wrong anymore? Some things are bigger than partisanship. Or at least they used to be.”
He then suggested that Ocasio-Cortez did the detained migrants a “tremendous disservice”. “And in the interim, the crux of what’s truly at stake is lost: What is this country going to do about what's happening at the border in this humanitarian crisis,” he added. “We’ll get to that at some point I guess, after we have this debate.”
“She said she didn't use those words lightly. Well, neither did I,” he concluded as the screen somberly faded to black.
The media needs more of this. Good on Chuck Todd.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
MSNBC’s MTP Daily
June 19, 2019
5:47:54 p.m. EasternCHUCK TODD: Welcome back. Tonight, I’m obsessed with what's happening on our southern border. You can call our government's detention of migrants many things depending on how you see it. It's a stain on our nation maybe, a necessary evil to others, a deal with untenable situation perhaps. But do you know what you can't call it? Take a listen.
ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ: The United States is running concentration camps on our southern border. And that is exactly what they are. They are concentration camps.
TODD: That was obviously New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Instagram. After being criticized, Ocasio-Cortez tried to make a distinction between concentration camps and Nazi death camps, where the industrialized mass slaughter of the Holocaust occurred. Fair enough.
But Congresswoman, tens of thousands were also brutalized, tortured, starved, and ultimately died in concentration camps. Camps like Dachau.
If you want to criticize the shameful treatment of people at our southern border, fine. You’ll have plenty of company. But be careful comparing them to Nazi concentration camps! Because they're not at all comparable in the slightest.
But here's where it’s upsetting as her comments. Some Democrats have been reluctant to condemn her remarks and don’t want to get criticized on Twitter. Fellow New York Congressman Jerry Nadler tweeted in response: “One of the lessons from the Holocaust is ‘never again’ … We failed to learn that lesson when we don’t call out such inhumanity right in front of us.”
Jerry Nadler surely knows migrant detainment camps are not the same as concentration camps. So why didn’t he just say that? Why are we so sheepish calling out people we agree with politically these days? Obviously, this isn’t a Democratic thing. It's an even bigger problem on the Republican side of the aisle when it comes to President Trump and the reluctance there.
Are we really so ensconced in our political bubbles, liberal versus conservative that we cannot talk about right versus wrong anymore? Some things are bigger than partisanship. Or at least they used to be. And in the interim, the crux of what’s truly at stake is lost: What is this country going to do about what's happening at the border in this humanitarian crisis?
We’ll get to that at some point I guess, after we have this debate. But no doubt Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez cares deeply about what's happening at the border. But she just did the people there a tremendous disservice by distracting from their plight.
She said she didn't use those words lightly. Well, neither did I.
