Hosting his late night MSNBC show, disgraced former NBC News anchor Brian Williams made obvious his pro-abortion bias by taking the time to cheer on a high school valedictorian in Texas who lied about what her speech would be about so she could speak out against her state's new law against abortion.
In the last few minutes of The 11th Hour show on Wednesday, Williams played almost two minutes of a speech given by a Texas high school senior, Paxton Smith, who used her valedictory speech to attack the state's new heartbeat law that protects unborn babies after a heartbeat can be detected.
Lauding Smith as having more "bravery" than most politicians, Williams also admired her dishonesty in slipping her speech into her speaking slot by lying about its content as the MSNBC host oozed:
Last thing before we go tonight, a young woman in Texas who showed more bravery than we see from our elected representatives these days. Her name is Paxton Smith, and she was valedictorian of her class in Lake Highland High School in the Dallas suburbs She submitted her valedictory speech -- it was on the subject of the media. She submitted it to the school administrators, and it was pre-approved, but she didn't deliver that speech. Instead, she pulled what is called in academia a switcharoo, and spoke about a new anti-abortion law in Texas which is the most severe in the United States.
Then, almost two minutes of Smith's speech aired in which she complained about the possibility of not being able to get an abortion if she became pregnant by accident, and suggested that giving birth might ruin her life. She wrapped up by claiming that there was a "war" on her body by pro-life supporters.
Williams then celebrated one of the attorneys involved in arguing for the Roe v. Wade decision and talked up the possibility that the liberal high school graduate would follow a similar path of liberal activism:
It is unlikely the class of '21 will forget their graduation. For her part, Paxton Smith is headed to the University of Texas, specifically UT Austin. And then, who knows, maybe she'll run for something. And perhaps she knows the story of another Texan -- a former professor at UT Austin named Sarah Weddington who -- as a young lawyer four years out of UT law school -- successfully argued Roe versus Wade before the U.S. Supreme Court, which made the right to an abortion the law of the land back in 1973. That, for us is our broadcast for this Wednesday night.
No mention was made that polls show most Americans support such a law.
This episode of MSNBC's The 11th Hour was sponsored in part by All State. Click on the link to let them know what you think.
Transcript follows. Click "expand" to read more.
MSNBC
The 11th Hour
June 2, 2021
BRIAN WILLIAMS: Last thing before we go tonight, a young woman in Texas who showed more bravery than we see from our elected representatives these days. Her name is Paxton Smith, and she was valedictorian of her class in Lake Highland High School in the Dallas suburbs She submitted her valedictory speech -- it was on the subject of the media. She submitted it to the school administrators, and it was pre-approved, but she didn't deliver that speech. Instead, she pulled what is called in academia a switcharoo, and spoke about a new anti-abortion law in Texas which is the most severe in the United States.
PAXTON SMITH, LAKE HGHLAND HIGH SCHOOL VALEDICTORIAN: Recently, the heartbeat bill was passed in Texas. Starting in September, there will be a ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy regardless of whether the pregnancy was a result of rape or incest. Six weeks. That's all women get. And so before they realize -- most of them don't realize that they're pregnant by six weeks. So before they have a chance to decide if they are emotionally, physically, and financially stable enough to carry out a full-term pregnancy -- before they have a chance to decide if they can take on the responsibility of bringing another human being into the world, that decision is made for them by a stranger. A decision that will affect the rest of their lives is made by a stranger.
I have dreams and hopes and ambitions -- every girl graduating today does. And we have spent our entire lives working towards our future. And without our input and without our consent, our control over that future has been stripped away from us. I am terrified that if my contraceptives fail -- I am terrified that if I am raped, then my hopes and aspirations and dreams and efforts for my future will no longer matter. I hope that you can feel how gut-wrenching that is -- I hope you can feel how dehumanizing it is to have the autonomy of your own body taken away from you. (editing jump) And I cannot give up this platform to promote complacency and peace when there is a war on my body and a war on my rights -- a war on the rights of your mothers -- a war on the rights of your sisters -- a war on the rights of your daughters. We cannot stay silent. Thank you.
(Cheers and applause)
WILLIAMS: It is unlikely the class of '21 will forget their graduation. For her part, Paxton Smith is headed to the University of Texas, specifically UT Austin. And then, who knows, maybe she'll run for something. And perhaps she knows the story of another Texan -- a former professor at UT Austin named Sarah Weddington who -- as a young lawyer four years out of UT law school -- successfully argued Roe versus Wade before the U.S. Supreme Court, which made the right to an abortion the law of the land back in 1973. That, for us is our broadcast for this Wednesday night.
