Cross posted to the MRC's NewsBusters blog
On Saturday morning, MSNBC viewers were served up with a triple helping of racist comments as frequent guests Roland Martin and Elie Mystal took aim at whites. After Mystal claimed in the show's first hour that blue collar whites only care about "using their guns on black people and getting away with it," Martin in the second hour declared that he was "sick of white men" like veteran Democratic strategist James Carville criticizing the far left, adding that he should "shut the F up."
After Martin's racially specific hit on Carville evoked laughter from the panel, host Tiffany Cross mused about making whites "uncomfortable" when they are a minority in the future.
It's just the latest in a series of incendiary, sometimes racist, comments featured in this weekend morning time block on MSNBC for years.
Cross played a clip of Carville -- former strategist for President Bill Clinton -- recently appearing on the PBS NewsHour and blaming "wokeness" like the "defund the police" movement for recent weak showings by Democrats in Virginia and New Jersey. After she asked Martin for his reaction, the frequent MSNBC guest and talk show host unloaded on Carville and white men:
I think Carville should shut the 'F' up because I'm sick of these white men whining and complaining about wokeness when you like it when black folks and Latinos and young white voters and Asians are voting for candidates. How about this, James Carville? How about you go learn how to cut some Lincoln Project-type ads for the Democratic party?
After panel members laughed approvingly, he added:
How about creating some actual memes? Where is the video this morning of the infrastructure bill? How about you go raise money to run those ads on OAN and Fox News and Newsmax and telling those broke white folks in those various states how the infrastructure bill is going to benefit them? I'm sorry, James, I need you to do your job and shut up and not pin the blame on people who are doing the work.
Cross then reacted by displaying her own resentment toward whites:
Well, you know, Roland had strong thoughts. I have to say, I think a lot of us feel that way, Ro. I think it's going to be hard for a lot of people as the changing demographic. You're looking at the screen right now. This is the rising majority of America, and when this group of people starts getting center, it's going to be uncomfortable for a lot of people, but after -- we've been uncomfortable for a long time. at this point in history -- we're comfortable making people uncomfortable.
A bit earlier, during a discussion of the disturbing shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia by three men trying to make a citizens' arrest, Mystal -- Justice correspondent for The Nation - claimed that, when it comes to political issues, poor white men only care about being able to kill black men:
What the Democrats' theory of the case is, is that the white non-college-educated voter cares about things like kitchen table issues like infrastructure and pipes and how many gallons of milk you can put on a table. I contend that what they care about is using their guns on black people and getting away with it. That's what they want. That's what they actually are in it for.
Mystal has had quite a history making openly racist and inflammatory comments about whites going all the way back to when Joy Reid used to host the AM Joy show in the same time slot.
In August 2019, he declared that it was necessary to "destroy" pro-Donald Trump white Americans in the next election, and, about a year later, he further took aim at white men for not voting anti-Trump enough: "Two out of three trifling white men are going to vote for the bigoted, misogynist President, right? Our bench has to play like stars because a majority of white men are going to play like scrubs."
The week after the 2020 presidential election, he declared that he hoped Trump supporters marching in D.C. would get frostbite, and, earlier this year, he claimed that whites always choose their "trashiest" person like Trump to run for office.
Cross has been so impressed with Mystal's bigoted rants that she sometimes praises him for being popular with the audience. Last November, she oozed: "Joining me now is someone you've all been tweeting me about and asking for -- Justice correspondent for The Nation, and my friend, Elie Mystal. Elie, I'm so happy to have you here. Obviously, the audience is, too. You're the act that everybody's been waiting to see."
This week, MSNBC's The Cross Connection was sponsored in part by All State. Their contact information is linked.
Transcripts follow:
MSNBC's The Cross Connection
November 6, 2021
10:52 a.m. Eastern
TIFFANY CROSS: Joining me now to talk about all of this and more, our audience favorite, Justice correspondent at The Nation and my pal, Elie Mystal.
When I was watching this case, I thought about the Supreme Court Second Amendment case and expanding gun rights. And I think about the three men who are accused of killing Ahmaud Arbery having more access to guns. It does not seem like a good combination.
ELIE MYSTAL, THE NATION: Yeah, I think this actually links up with the prior segment and the Biden press conference because what the Democrats' theory of the case is, is that the white non-college-educated voter cares about things like kitchen table issues like infrastructure and pipes and how many gallons of milk you can put on a table. I contend that what they care about is using their guns on black people and getting away with it. That's what they want. That's what they actually are in it for.
(...)
11:15 a.m.
CROSS: Roland, before we check out, I want to get your thoughts on Carville. We're so tight -- the Biden presser made us mess up -- but I've got to hear your take on Carville and his comments on woke speech.
ROLAND MARTIN, HOST ON ROLAND MARTIN UNFILTERED: : I think Carville should shut the 'F' up because I'm sick of these white men whining and complaining about wokeness when you like it when black folks and Latinos and young white voters and Asians are voting for candidates. How about this, James Carville? How about you go learn how to cut some Lincoln Project-type ads for the Democratic party?
How about creating some actual memes? Where is the video this morning of the infrastructure bill? How about you go raise money to run those ads on OAN and Fox News and Newsmax and telling those broke white folks in those various states how the infrastructure bill is going to benefit them? I'm sorry, James, I need you to do your job and shut up and not pin the blame on people who are doing the work.
CROSS: Well, you know, Roland had strong thoughts. I have to say, I think a lot of us feel that way, Ro. I think it's going to be hard for a lot of people as the changing demographic. You're looking at the screen right now. This is the rising majority of America, and when this group of people starts getting center, it's going to be uncomfortable for a lot of people, but after -- we've been uncomfortable for a long time. at this point in history -- we're comfortable making people uncomfortable. So thank you to my amazing panel.
(...)
MSNBC's The Cross Connection
May 22, 2021
11:10 a.m.
MYSTAL: The outcome of the 2016 election was the revenge and the return of white supremacy. That -- that it what that was -- that exact power balance that we were talking about earlier. That's all 2016 was right, when we had a black President and white people got super pissed off at that, and they found the least qualified, lowest account, trashiest person -- white person they could find to hold him up as their god, right? And that's exactly what they're dong with Marjorie Taylor Greene right now -- I wrote a column about this last week about it's the same dynamic using Marjorie Taylor Greene to oppose AOC. White people will always find their -- their kind of trashiest citizens to stand up against our best citizens. That's just kind of how they be.
CROSS: That's kind of how they be, yeah. Well, we be kind of a little tired of it.
(...)
MSNBC's AM Joy
November 14, 2020
11:36 a.m.
CROSS: Joining me now is someone you've all been tweeting me about and asking for -- Justice correspondent for The Nation, and my friend, Elie Mystal. Elie, I'm so happy to have you here. Obviously, the audience is, too. You're the act that everybody's been waiting to see.
(...)
MYSTAL These are members of a cult. I feel a little bit like I'm Jane Goodall watching "People in the Mist," right? (changes voice) "Here see the North American MAGA bros in all of its idiot glory. Their leader has left them for greener pastures, yet still they march neatly -- almost mindlessly," right? ... I refuse to let these people take my joy having defeated them for at least the next four years. I refuse to let them take my joy -- march all they want -- I hope they get frostbite.
(...)
MSNBC's AM Joy
August 15, 2020
11:08 a.m.
MYSTAL: Two out of three trifling white men are going to vote for the bigoted, misogynist President, right? Our bench has to play like stars because a majority of white men are going to play like scrubs.
(...)
MSNBC's AM Joy
August 11, 2019
11:15 a.m.
MYSTAL: You beat them -- you beat them. They are not a majority of this country. The majority of white people are not the majority of this country. And all the people who are not fooled by this need to come together, go to the polls, go to the protests, do whatever you have to do, and do not negotiate with these people. You destroy them.