On NBC's Sunday Today, senior Washington correspondent Hallie Jackson joined host Willie Geist in fearmongering that Republican campaign ads featuring candidates carrying or shooting guns while promising to protect the Second Amendment rights of all Americans could be leading to violent attacks on Democrat politicians. Nowhere in the segment was there any mention of Democrat campaign ads that feature guns.
It's not like Jackson had to dig too far back into the past. Just last week, Ohio Democrat Senate candidate Tim Ryan posted a video to Twitter of him shooting a gun. Ryan was then blasted on Twitter, not by NBC or any other left-wing media outlet, but by conservatives and gun experts for Ryan's poor firearm etiquette.
Not too bad for a Democrat 🎯 pic.twitter.com/a0TkBWDT7V
— Tim Ryan (@TimRyan) November 4, 2022
After Jackson went through a list of Democrats who were victims of political violence, she claimed the violent incidents were "fueling criticism of some GOP campaign ads accused of leaning into violence."
She then aired a montage of various Republican campaign ads featuring guns. Notably missing was Ryan or any other Democrat holding a gun in a campaign ad:
DOCTOR MEHMET OZ: Our Second Amendment is not just about hunting. It's about our constitutional right to protect ourselves from intruders or an overly intrusive government.
J.R. MAJEWSKI: And I'm willing to do whatever it takes to return this country back to its former glory.
MIKE COLLINS: In the swamp, it's RINO season too.
Former Department of Homeland Security analyst Daryl Johnson went on to warn Jackson that "unfortunately, this is not the end or the height of this type of heated political rhetoric."
During the handoff, Jackson told Geist that NBC News polling "shows that 80 percent of voters in both parties think the other side is going to destroy America. And our pollsters say many people are being driven to cast their ballots this year out of anger, out of fear."
She went on to say with a straight face that disgraced Congressmen Adam Kinzinger and Liz Cheney are working to tamp down the toxic political rhetoric despite the two serving on a sham committee that claims to investigate what happened on January 6.
"Congressman Adam Kinzinger who's long been a voice who would speak out against his party. He has launched a new group to try to combat some of this rhetoric and attitude that we’re seeing. Same with Congresswoman Liz Cheney who’s moving forward on a new anti-Trump group," Jackson insisted.
She ended by noting that "the question is, are those groups gonna actually get any traction, Willie? We just don't know yet."
Getting the last word, Geist snarked that "when you cast politics in apocalyptic terms people behave accordingly."
This propaganda on NBC was made possible by Citi. Their information is linked.
To read the transcript click "expand":
NBC’s Sunday Today
11/6/2022
8:21:21 a.m. EasternHALLIE JACKSON: All of it fueling criticism of some GOP campaign ads accused of leaning into violence.
[cuts to video montage of campaign ads]
DOCTOR MEHMET OZ: Our Second Amendment is not just about hunting. It's about our constitutional right to protect ourselves from intruders or an overly intrusive government.
J.R. MAJEWSKI: And I'm willing to do whatever it takes to return this country back to its former glory.
MIKE COLLINS: In the swamp, it's RINO season too.
[cuts back to live]
DARYL JOHNSON (ANALYST, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY): Unfortunately, this is not the end or the height of this type of heated political rhetoric. I'm afraid this is the new norm and it could be even taken to even more heights.
WILLIE GEIST: And Hallie joins me now live. Hallie, good morning. As you say the stoking of division and anger nothing new, but social media and prominent leaders many of them you’ve just mentioned have accelerated us perhaps closer to political violence. But what are the hopes among people you speak to of turning this around?
JACKSON: Listen, I think very few people like this, I think that is just the reality, but it exists. It is here. Look at the mood of the electorate. Even right now, Willie, our latest polling shows that 80 percent of voters in both parties think the other side is going to destroy America. And our pollsters say many people are being driven to cast their ballots this year out of anger, out of fear. That is the political reality here. You are seeing some people try to do things to turn things around. Look at Congressman Adam Kinzinger who's long been a voice who would speak out against his party. He has launched a new group to try to combat some of this rhetoric and attitude that we’re seeing. Same with Congresswoman Liz Cheney who’s moving forward on a new anti-Trump group. The question is, are those groups gonna actually get any traction, Willie? We just don't know yet.
GEIST: When you cast politics in apocalyptic terms people behave accordingly and unfortunately.
