In the immediate aftermath of President Joe Biden’s bitterly partisan and divisive State of the Union address, MSNBC host Alex Wagner went after House Speaker Kevin McCarthy for not showing enough allegiance to the left’s latest obsessions like the war in Ukraine and “democracy” at home and abroad. Wagner was outraged that McCarthy didn’t stand up when he clapped for Biden’s applause lines and went after his House members as being against democracy and wanting to “subvert the will of the people.”
“Biden understands the truth, which is McCarthy has no power in that caucus. He's along for the ride. And as much as he's gonna say, not all of you, the reality is the madmen are running the asylum. At the very end of the speech, Biden is making a sort of–in some ways, platitudes—towards you know what democracy means,” Wagner cried.
“There is a season in which this is stating the obvious. And yet half of this room did not get up. McCarthy, the best Kevin McCarthy could do was applaud from his seat,” Wagner kvetched.
Turning to one of her other co-hosts off camera, Wagner sneered: “Because as you were saying, talking about it, as it was happening, his Republican Party does not want to recognize how democracy works, does not want to take subverting the will of the people off the table.”
“That's the reality. And that's why, in the most high-stakes negotiation of the moment, Joe Biden is talking to Marjorie Taylor Greene,” Wagner said to snickers from her other co-hosts.
Because of ongoing State of the Union coverage, there were no commercial breaks during this hour, but you can head over to the MRC’s Conservatives Fight Back Page to see what companies typically sponsor MSNBC.
To read the transcript, click “expand”:
MSNBC State of the Union
2/7/2023
10:31:05 p.m. EasternALEX WAGNER: Biden understands the truth, which is McCarthy has no power in that caucus. He's along for the ride. And as much as he's gonna say, not all of you, the reality is the madmen are running the asylum. At the very end of the speech, Biden is making a sort of–in some ways, platitudes—towards you know what democracy means.
And there is no place for political violence in America. In America, we must protect the right to vote, not suppress that fundamental right. We honor the results of our elections, not subvert the will of the people. There is a season in which this is stating the obvious. And yet half of this room did not get up. McCarthy, the best Kevin McCarthy could do was applaud from his seat.
Because as you were saying, talking about it, as it was happening, his Republican Party does not want to recognize how democracy works, does not want to take subverting the will of the people off the table. That's the reality. And that's why, in the most high-stakes negotiation of the moment, Joe Biden is talking to Marjorie Taylor Greene.
