On Thursday's New Day on CNN, left-wing Missouri State Senator Maria Chappelle-Nadal wildly accused fellow guest Jeff Roorda of the St. Louis Police Officer Association of being a racist. Chapelle-Nadal asserted that she, as well as the far-left protesters she supports, were "trying to...ensure that racism does not continue by people like you." Roorda replied, "Are you calling me a racist, Senator?" The Democratic politician replied, "Yes, absolutely!"
Anchor Alisyn Camerota tried to get Senator Chapelle-Nadal to specify, "What is it that Mr. Roorda said that you feel was so incendiary?" The Missouri leftist never answered the question, and accused him of lying when he was a police officer. She revisited her incendiary attack against Roorda later in the segment, but Camerota let that second attack go unanswered: [video below]
MARIA CHAPPELLE-NADAL, (D) MISSOURI STATE SENATOR: What Jeff represents is current-day Jim Crow. Let's just face it. He ignores the facts. We know that African-American males have been targeted systematically again and again....And to even demean the African-American community – you know, this community is treated worse than people who are on the Mexican border. That's a shame.
ALISYN CAMEROTA: Now, Senator, I do want to ask you about the protests last night, because the police chief resigned. That's something that the protesters had been calling for months. So that should have been a victory for them. Why did the protests, in that case, turn violent?
CHAPPELLE-NADAL: Well, again, for the people who I communicate with – which are hundreds of people – they were quite satisfied. Now, there are some out there who say – including myself – that the chief of police should have resigned long, long time ago. And so, because there is so much anger and frustration in this community, we have found ways – including using the legislative process, to figure out how are we going to build bridges. That's what's important at this point. We want to have a strong Missouri. In order to do that, everyone has to come to the table. We have to speak honestly.
Camerota first turned to the police association spokesman (who himself is a former Democratic state legislator in Missouri), for his take on the shooting of two St. Louis County police officers early Thursday morning. Roorda immediately went on the offensive against the Ferguson protestors, as well as the news media:
JEFF ROORDA, ST. LOUIS POLICE OFFICER ASSOCIATION: Well, as you just reported, the officers – while the injuries are serious, they're stable and expected to survive. But this is a grave, grave situation for law enforcement here in St. Louis. And, frankly, I don't know what people expected to happen, as we've perpetuated lies that have proliferated violence against police for the last seven months, with the media and politicians-
CAMEROTA: Mr. Roorda, what do you mean? What lies? What lies specifically are you talking about?
ROORDA: Well – well, first – first, the old lie, that Michael Brown was gunned down in the street as he was attempting to peacefully surrender. We now know that was a lie. And now, the new lie that Eric Holder's perpetuating – that this is all about traffic tickets.
The call yesterday for Tom Jackson's resignation was answered, and I heard people say – oh, the protesters have finally gotten what they want. The agitators here didn't get what they want until last night when two police officers were shot.
The fireworks began when the CNN anchor then turned to State Senator Chapelle-Nadal. The police union representative interrupted the Democratic politician, and the conversation quickly escalated into a shouting match:
MARIA CHAPPELLE-NADAL, (D) MISSOURI STATE SENATOR: Well, that's very interesting to hear from my – my good colleague, Jeff Roorda. What I do have to say is that the people that I know who were on the streets peacefully protesting were absolutely dismayed and shocked by the fact that any individual would shoot a police officer-
ROORDA: They shouldn't have been. They were part of this, Senator, just like you were.
CHAPPELLE-NADAL: No, they were not. In fact, you are-
ROORDA: They shouldn't be surprised. You're pouring kerosene on this fire-
CAMEROTA: Mr. Roorda, hold on. Mr. Roorda, hold on-
CHAPPELLE-NADAL: That is one of the reasons why you are not elected today-
ROORDA: You're pouring kerosene on this fire. You've been there aiding – aiding and abetting the agitators-
CAMEROTA: Senator?
ROORDA: No! For you to charge that – that is one of the reasons you are not elected today, sir.
CAMEROTA: Mr. Roorda, what do you mean?
ROORDA: Oh, give me a break. Make it – make it personal – make it personal, Senator.
CAMEROTA: Mr. Roorda, you're making it personal as well, Mr. Roorda, because you're saying that they are inciting violence, and that they're pouring kerosene on it. What do you mean?
ROORDA: Well, you know, Senator Chappelle-Nadal, for instance, is in a unique position to quell some of this violence, and to be a leader and to call for peace. And that's what we ought to have happening. Senator Chappelle-Nadal, call for peace.
The two public officials have sparred in the recent past. When Roorda blasted several members of the St. Louis Rams who entered a NFL game with the discredited "hands up, don't shoot" gesture, Chappelle-Nadal released a statement to CBS News which attacked the police association spokesman:
Missouri State Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal released this statement to CBS News reacting to Roorda's comments, saying, "Mr. Roorda seems like a very angry man. Perhaps it is because he lost his Senate race in a Democratic district this last November."
"Furthermore, it is interesting that Mr. Roorda wants to limit the free speech of professional football players, when he and I both strongly support police officers and fire fighters having the right to free speech while off duty," Chapelle-Nadal said. "Mr. Roorda is bitter. Instead of limiting free speech he should give more hugs to people that are not as privileged as himself. The world needs more love and hopefully America will join me in praying for the man to become more compassionate."
It should also be pointed out that State Senator Chapelle-Nadal also directed her F-bomb-laced Tweets at Democratic Governor Jay Nixon of Missouri from August 2014 at Roorda as she accused him of being a racist:
CHAPELLE-NADAL: ...[L]et's get back to the fact: this is about building bridges. We could go on and we can bicker and we can fight; or we can build a stronger Ferguson, and that is the focus that we should all have right now.To call Eric Holder a liar; to call agitators as – peaceful protesters – they are not. In fact, we have consistently told agitators from your side as well-
ROORDA: I call them like I see them, Senator-
CHAPELLE-NADAL: Get out of this gate – to get out of it, because this is not right for St. Louis. In fact, Ferguson has been an embarrassment, as well as you have. And what we're trying to do is make Missouri strong-
ROORDA: (laughs) What did you Tweet to the governor, Senator?
CHAPPELLE-NADAL: And ensure that racism does not continue by people like you. And you know what? And you deserve that statement, too, Jeff. You deserve it, too-
ROORDA: Are you – are you calling me a racist, Senator?
CHAPPELLE-NADAL: Yes, absolutely!
The confrontation between the two CNN guests continued after the left-wing state senator launched her first blast at her fellow panelist:
CAMEROTA: Senator, specifically, what is it that Mr. Roorda said that you feel was so incendiary?
CHAPPELLE-NADAL: Well, first of all, he doesn't even represent Ferguson police officers. He represents police officers that are in St. Louis City. For him to even-
ROORDA: I represent St. Louis County police officers. Senator, I represent St. Louis County police officers. And one of my friends of 20 years was shot last night, so don't tell me who I represent, Senator!
CHAPPELLE-NADAL: For him to represent police officers is just not right. It's absolutely not right-
ROORDA: Don't tell me who I represent-
CHAPPELLE-NADAL: In fact, the reason why you're not a police officer today – the reason why you're not a police officer today is because you lied on a report. Why don't you tell the public that?
CAMEROTA: Senator – Senator, hold on. Both of you, hold on. I-
ROORDA: This is so typical of you with your personal attacks and your rewriting of history – go ahead, Alisyn-
CAMEROTA: Mr Rooda, Senator, hold on. I do want to try to avoid – hold on. I want to avoid the ad hominem attacks, because what we're really talking about is what's going on in Ferguson.
