On MSNBC’s The ReidOut, host Joy Reid and guest Bishop William Barber took turns smearing Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) by accusing him of causing the racist shooting that took place at DollarTree in Jacksonville, Florida on Saturday. The duo even suggested DeSantis is akin to racist Alabama Governor George Wallace and that he was inspired by the horrific Jacksonville riots in 1960.
“There is a history of governors, of southern governors stoking racial hatred and animus, specifically directed at black people, and then the results are reaped in black communities,” Reid proclaimed.
“Ax Handle Saturday is one of those times. It seems to me that DeSantis has decided that being that kind of governor will make him President,” Reid maliciously added.
For those unaware, Ax Handle Saturday, also known as the Jacksonville riots of 1960, were when approximately 200 white men believed to be a part of the Klu Klux Klan attacked black protesters conducting sit-ins with baseball bats and ax handles.
Reid is not claiming DeSantis wants to be the kind of governor who presides over horrific racist incidents like this.
"You're exactly right. And he's a failed governor," Barber said in agreement.
Barber continued smearing DeSantis: "This is more blood on his hands because he even passed his policies" that "enable poverty, enable the lack of health care."
"He's saying basically, I want to be like George Wallace, southern governors and others who pushed hate. It was the playbook of the southern strategy, Richard Nixon used it, Ronald Reagan, Bush, Trump to a greater degree," Barber added.
Barber ended by outright claiming that DeSantis's educational reforms have directly led to the racist shooter targeting a black college: "Think about it, the shooter first went to a historically black college university that represents the very thing DeSantis and others have been saying we have to resist, that is dangerous to us."
This vile segment on MSNBC was made possible by LifeLock. Their information is linked.
The transcript is below:
MSNBC’s The ReidOut
8/28/2023
7:36:37 p.m. EasternJOY REID: And I recognize absolutely Representative Nixon, you have a right to be angry, you have a right to be overwhelmed with this. And I know you're at an anti-racism rally so I just appreciate you taking the time to come and talk with us. And Bishop Barber, let me being you in here. You and I talked about this earlier this morning. There is a history of governors, of southern governors stoking racial hatred and animus, specifically directed at black people, and then the results are reaped in black communities. Ax Handle Saturday is one of those times. It seems to me that DeSantis has decided that being that kind of governor will make him president. Your thoughts?
BISHOP WILLIAM BARBER: You're exactly right. And he's a failed governor, and many ways, and this is more blood on his hands because he even passed his policies that put -- enable poverty, enable the lack of health care, which we know now produces policy, but words of hate, Joy, create an atmosphere of hate. It gives a kind of social license to it. And we cannot act like this is new or that DeSantis is first. And nor can we act like it's just him, because he has some black people down there that are participating in the writing of the policies to try to stop black history from being taught. But he's -- he's saying basically, I want to be like George Wallace, southern governors and others who pushed hate. It was the playbook of the southern strategy, Richard Nixon used it, Ronald Reagan, Bush, Trump to a greater degree. But whenever this kind of hate and divisive words are the standard, the bible says the power of life and death is in the tongue. So you get the words and then you get the deeds. Think about it, the shooter first went to a historically black college university that represents the very thing DeSantis and others have been saying we have to resist, that is dangerous to us.
