Less than a week after NewsBusters caught her deceptively editing a statement provided to her by Florida Department of Health press secretary Jeremy Redfern, Maddow decided to deceive her viewers one more time before she heads out the door for a month-long hiatus; this time by editing remarks given by Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis.
After discussing the recent Nazi demonstrations in Florida, Maddow quickly turned her ire on DeSantis for the false claim that he never condemned the Nazis. "In addition to this rash of Nazi incidents, in addition to the Nazi incidents themselves, kind of a follow-on scandal that’s now simmering in Florida, involving Florida’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis," Maddow whined in an attempt to create a scandal out of nothing.
Maddow then aired the first portion of DeSantis' response to a reporter's request for the Governor to respond to the Nazi demonstrations:
DESANTIS: So what I’m gonna say is, these people…
She then cut him off and left her viewers in suspense by teasing, "I’m just gonna stop that there for a second and say what I’m gonna say is these people you can sort of guess where he's going, right?" Maddow continued ranting about the reporter's question and DeSantis' response to it:
I mean that is the easiest, most straightforward question an American politician can get, right? Please respond to the Nazis. That’s like a long, slow softball right over the plate. Are you ready? There’s only one right answer to that and you shouldn’t have to memorize it. It’s an easy one. Please respond to the Nazis. That’s what Ron DeSantis was asked. And he starts off -- so what I’m gonna say to these people. What do you think he says next? Here’s where he went with it.
Maddow then finally aired the Governor's response (or at least part of it):
So what I’m gonna say is, these people these Democrats who are trying to use this as some type of political issue to try to smear me as if I had something to do with it, we’re not playing their game.
Maddow immediately cut back live and in her typically smug condescending tone. "Not gonna play their game of condemning Nazis? Cause that’s a Democrat game that you don’t wanna get dragged into to muddy yourself," she scoffed. "I am not kidding when I tell you that Florida's Governor Ron DeSantis, his answer continued for another two and a half minutes, in which he talked about Joe Biden and inflation and immigration and crime. He even talked about Airbnb."
Maddow then outright lied about what DeSantis said and didn't say claiming "he never actually got around to condemning the Nazis."
Here is what Governor DeSantis actually said, including calling the pathetic road-side gathering of Nazis "jackasses":
DeSantis adds "we're not playing their game" and called the demonstrators "jackasses."
— JB Biunno #HeyJB (@WFLAJB) January 31, 2022
"I will not be smeared by them," @GovRonDeSantis says. "We're going to take our record in Florida and what we've done, sign the strongest anti-Semitism bill in the country." (2/2) @WFLA pic.twitter.com/sv73wqcKtn
Once again, Maddow has proven she cannot be trusted. If she tells you what day of the week it is, you should double-check your calendar.
This dishonest segment was made possible by Liberty Mutual, AT&T, and Tide. Their contact information is linked so you can let them know about the biased news they fund.
To read the relevant transcript of this segment click "expand":
MSNBC’S The Rachel Maddow Show
2/2/2022
9:11:28 PMRACHEL MADDOW: How are things going in Florida these days? In addition to this rash of Nazi incidents, in addition to the Nazi incidents themselves, kind of a follow-on scandal that’s now simmering in Florida, involving Florida’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. When the Nazi groups showed up in central Florida on Saturday right? Screaming antisemitic abuse of people and beating up at least one Jewish passerby, and then the Nazis showed up the following day and those overpasses as well. And this was upsetting, right? In central Florida and local and state leaders, Democrat and Republican, they all rushed to condemn the Nazis. One by one the local Mayor, the Sheriff, members of Congress, Florida's Republican U.S. Senator, Rick Scott -- they all volunteered themselves, they all came forward and condemned the events in no uncertain terms. But from the Governor, it has been a little weird. The only initial response from Florida's Republican Governor Ron DeSantis was this tweet from his Press Secretary saying, quote, do we even know if they are Nazis? Yeah. Yeah, they volunteered that they are and also, swastika banners help with that. She’s since deleted that tweet. You’ll be happy to know that after that wobbly start to this whole crisis, Governor DeSantis did finally get around to addressing the Nazis and Orlando issue. Here’s what he said.
[Cuts to video]
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Please respond to the Nazi demonstration in Orlando over the weekend. Why do you feel hate groups would feel comfortable [inaudible]...
RON DESANTIS: So what I’m gonna say is, these people…
[Cuts back to live]
MADDOW: I’m just gonna stop that there for a second and say what I’m gonna say is these people you can sort of guess where he's going, right? What I'm gonna say is, these people, what do you think he’s gonna say next, right? What I'm gonna say is, these people, these Neo-Nazi hate groups, they have no place in our society, no place in Florida. I condemn them in the strongest terms. You figure that’s what he’s gonna say. Right? You figure that is where Florida's Governor is going with that statement. Because, I mean that is the easiest, most straightforward question an American politician can get, right? Please respond to the Nazis. That’s like a long, slow softball right over the plate. Are you ready? There’s only one right answer to that and you shouldn’t have to memorize it. It’s an easy one. Please respond to the Nazis. That’s what Ron DeSantis was asked. And he starts off -- so what I’m gonna say to these people. What do you think he says next? Here’s where he went with it.
[Cuts to video]
DESANTIS: So what I’m gonna say is, these people these Democrats who are trying to use this as some type of political issue to try to smear me as if I had something to do with it, we’re not playing their game.
[Cuts back to live]
MADDOW: Not gonna play their game of condemning Nazis? Cause that’s a Democrat game that you don’t wanna get dragged into to muddy yourself? I am not kidding when I tell you that Florida's Governor Ron DeSantis, his answer continued for another two and a half minutes, in which he talked about Joe Biden and inflation and immigration and crime. He even talked about Airbnb. But he never actually got around to condemning the Nazis.
