MSNBC Republican Claims 'Racist' GOP Policies, Racist Rally 'Is the Republican Party'

Newsbusters.org ^ | August 12, 2017 | Brad Wilmouth

[Kaslin]

On Saturday's AM Joy, recurring MSNBC guest Kurt Bardella hyperbolically claimed that the white racist rally taking place in Charlottesville, Virginia, "is the Republican party on display," and declared that "a lot of" Republican policies are "racist." He also took aim at the right-leaning Breitbart News as he alleged that the rally -- which by that point had turned violent -- "is exactly the kind of stuff that they want to have happen and they hope to spread elsewhere."

Bardella -- a Republican known for distancing himself from Breitbart News after departing as its spokesman last year -- has made a name for himself appearing on both CNN and MSNBC bashing both President Donald Trump and his former business client. In this appearance on AM Joy, his over the top attacks on fellow Republicans made him fit quite well into the caricature of an MSNBC Republican who shows up mainly to agree with liberal guests without contributing any right-leaning analysis.

Before President Trump released a statement concerning the Charlottesville rally, the MSNBC program's group of panelists were calling on the President and other Republicans to condemn the white racist groups involved in the demonstration. After reading a statement from RNC chair Ronna McDaniel that had just been released, Bardella called for "more leadership" from Republicans and then added:

This is the Republican party right now that's on display -- Donald Trump's Republican party. And if they don't want to be tied to it, if they don't want to be associated to it -- people like Mitch McConnell, you know, Speaker Paul Ryan, John Thune, Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz. Anybody who proclaims to be a leader who doesn't want to be associated with this type of hatred and racism, bigotry and ignorance, they need to speak out right now loud and clear.

A bit later, host Joy Reid asked if Breitbart News would try to "distance themselves" from Alt-Right groups, leading Bardella to take aim at his former business client as he accused them of condoning the racist activity:

Well, they haven't yet. There's not a single bit of content right now on their homepages about what's going on right now -- the largest, the biggest story right now in American today -- and there are crickets on it. So that tells me that this is exactly the kind of stuff they want to have happen and that they hope to spread elsewhere. 

He then took aim again at the Republican party with a typically liberal argument about it being racist to put criminals in jail as he added:

And, frankly, you know, the Republican party needs to change its philosophy on a lot of things to prevent this type of stuff from happening. A lot of their policies like that are racist. When they talk about incarceration over drug treatment, that targets minorities pure and simple.

Below is a transcript of relevant portions of the Saturday, August 12, AM Joy on MSNBC:

11:54 a.m. ET

KURT BARDELLA, FORMER BREITBART SPOKESPERSON: The chairwoman of the RNC, Ronna McDaniel, did just tweet: "The hate and bigotry on display in Charlottesville is dangerous and cowardly." So we have at least one person at the national level now who has spoken out. I agree with Joan (Walsh) that we need a lot more leadership right now -- vocal leadership -- from Republicans, from Republican leaders, elected leaders in Congress and in Washington.

This is the Republican party right now that's on display -- Donald Trump's Republican party. And if they don't want to be tied to it, if they don't want to be associated to it -- people like Mitch McConnell, you know, Speaker Paul Ryan, John Thune, Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz. Anybody who proclaims to be a leader who doesn't want to be associated with this type of hatred and racism, bigotry and ignorance, they need to speak out right now loud and clear.

(...)

JOY REID: And, Kurt Bardella, you know, Breitbart, there has been inklings that they want to expand, they want to expand into Europe, they want to expand as a business. At some point, are they going to, in your view, start to distance themselves from this, what they call the "Alt-Right," this white nationalist movement.

BARDELLA: Well, they haven't yet. There's not a single bit of content right now on their homepages about what's going on right now -- the largest, the biggest story right now in American today -- and there are crickets on it. So that tells me that this is exactly the kind of stuff they want to have happen and that they hope to spread elsewhere.

And, frankly, you know, the Republican party needs to change its philosophy on a lot of things to prevent this type of stuff from happening. A lot of their policies like that are racist. When they talk about incarceration over drug treatment, that targets minorities pure and simple.

[Empireoftheatom48]

Well are we surprised.

[raiderboy]

Who was that bastard that shot the congressmen. Lady GAGA?

[BenLurkin]

“Dangerous and cowardly” describes what this guy is doing.

[Josa]

I guess the democrats are Baltimore and Ferguson riots

[Williams]

See the Drudge headline. Unforgivable.

[Kaslin]

Mustabeen

[heights]

Walking around in KKK clown costumes only hurts their cause. You would think they’d figure that out already..

[fieldmarshaldj]

Sorry, bra. Those are Commies and Nazis representing the two sides of the ULTRA-left spectrum at Charlottesville. They’re all Democrat constituent groups.

[TTFlyer]

I’m done with Drudge today. He can go straight to hell.

BTW, if they are going to brand Republicans and “conservatives”(whatever they are these days) as violent racists maybe we should take them at their word and get this civil war started.

[Kaslin]

And disgusting

[yarddog]

As much as I despise the leftist media and all those hateful Communists, the fake conservatives who support attacks on Robert E. Lee are even worse.

There are plenty of them here on FR too. Absolute scum of the earth.

[basalt]

THAT JUMPED OUT AT ME TOO...WTF IS HIS PROBLEM??

[raiderboy]

I went over to watch ONE AMERICA NETWORK. It was so interesting the other news of the day. Did you know that Senator Joe Manchin is strongly considering becoming our new Energy Secretary!! Perry moves to Homeland Security and we win the healthcare vote and crush McCain, the traitor, with our new republican appointed Senator in West Virginia!!!

[Kaslin]

A reader posted that this was organized by a liberal college professor who is racist.

Wanna bet Republicans had nothing to do with it.

[TTFlyer]

There is no “conservative movement.” It is dead. There is no longer “representative government.” It too, is dead.

It’s simply “us vs. them” now. And “them” is a huge, Globalist/Marxist octopus with tentacles that reach everywhere.

Good luck.

[Kaslin]

Would it surprise you that he voted for Hillary Rotten Clinton?

[Openurmind]

Know what? If we don’t start publically denouncing and peer policing things like this then they are right. Just like BLM... Until they peer review this movement and make an effort to denounce it they are also guilty of supporting it. Same with Islam not peer policing their own when it is wrong.

Three wrongs don’t make a right...

[M Kehoe]

So far in the last year and 2 months, many never Trumpets have crashed and burned.

Maybe the boy wonder is next?

5.56mm

[foundedonpurpose]

It was the antifa people that got hit by the car. So republican are those antifa people. So much so that they have to be paid soro’s operatives. Good money if your used to living in mom’s basement.