Just last week, former Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer was assaulted and robbed in crime-ridden Oakland, CA. The attack on a well-known liberal star garnered no coverage on MSNBC. Yet an awkward joke by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has been trumpeted as a “new low” on the liberal cable network.
Over a few hours on Monday morning and afternoon, MSNBC devoted 7 minutes and 54 seconds to McCarthy’s joke that, should he win back the House and become Speaker, “it will be hard not to hit” Pelosi with the gavel. Host Hallie Jackson chided:
We’re also giving an update on what's going on between Nancy Pelosi and Kevin McCarthy, with their relationship it seems hitting new lows. The latest thing, the House Republican leader under fire for saying this at a Republican Party fund-raiser in Tennessee this weekend
On Morning Joe, an appalled Mika Brzezinski lamented, “House Minority leader Kevin McCarthy is facing strong backlash after he said this about speaker Nancy Pelosi at a fund-raiser over the weekend.”
In the 2 PM hour, Geoff Bennett touted, “Also coming up, Democrats demand an apology from House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy for saying, quote, ‘it will be hard to not hit Speaker Nancy Pelosi with a gavel” if he becomes Speaker.’” Later, Bennett took the whole thing very seriously: “Democrats are demanding an apology today from house minority leader Kevin McCarthy who over the weekend made a remark about hitting Nancy Pelosi with the Speaker's gavel if the GOP takes control next year.”
In contrast, when Boxer was assaulted last week, the network NEVER mentioned it, as Fox’s Joseph Wulfsohn noted in a tweet. This was actual violence, not a joke. Yet, as the MRC’s Nick Fondacaro explained on Wednesday, the networks skipped it too. Only CNN’s Erin Burnett bothered to cover it.
The hypocrisy on MSNBC was sponsored by Dove. Click on the link to let them know what you think.
Partial transcripts are below. Click “expand” to read more.
GEOFF BENNETT: Also coming up, Democrats demand an apology from House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy for saying, quote, “it will be hard to not hit Speaker Nancy Pelosi with a gavel” if he becomes Speaker.
2:43 PM ET
BENNETT: Democrats are demanding an apology today from house minority leader Kevin McCarthy who over the weekend made a remark about hitting Nancy Pelosi with the Speaker's gavel if the GOP takes control next year. Now, McCarthy says it was a joke.
10:41 AM ET
HALLIE JACKSON: We’re also giving an update on what's going on between Nancy Pelosi and Kevin McCarthy, with their relationship it seems hitting new lows. The latest thing, the House Republican leader under fire for saying this at a Republican Party fund-raiser in Tennessee this weekend. Watch.
KEVIN MCCARTHY: I want you to watch Nancy Pelosi hand me that gavel. It'll be hard not to hit her with it.
